Where I Stand

By John Parks

• I call for a "politics of restoration"--we need to restore trust in our elected officials; we need to elect people whom we can trust. We need to restore belief that our democratic institutions can and will work as they were meant to. We need to restore hope that this system of government can and will endure through the ages--we do this for all the generations that follow us. It is our responsibility to history.
• I call for the reform and renewal of public education--the bedrock of our democracy. Privatizing of historically public institutions is not the long-term or desirable solution to our educational concerns.
• I call for meaningful campaign finance reform. Big corporate money as well as huge individual donations dominate our politics. This money power diminishes the participation and role of average citizens in their political destinies. Republicans have blocked this reform.
• We should use any revenue surpluses to pay down the national debt, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, support public education.
• Provide modest tax reduction over time--make the tax system more fair.
• Reform health care--provide coverage for children without health insurance, provide benefits for prescription drugs, support a "Patients' Bill of Rights."
• Reform our farm programs--factory-style farms are driving many farmers out of farming--a way of life is threatened. Open more markets for our produce. Redesign and reform subsidy and price-support systems.
• The concern for our environment--our intimate connection with the world around us--must be central in the making of public policy. Without careful assessment of environmental impact, we could do irreversible damage to our region's ecology. We owe it to our children to be good stewards of the world.
• The "politics of obstruction" in Congress must stop! I promise to work constructively for good bi-partisan legislation for all citizens of the Eighth District.
• I support the maintenance of a strong defense in a still volatile world, especially to defend against terrorist activities.
• I am committed to fiscal responsibility. We need fiscal accountability with all legislation.