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Massachusetts

Massachusetts U.S. House of Representatives, District 09

Philip Dunkelbarger (I)

125 Sunrise Road
Westwood, MA 02090

Visit Candidate's Website
(781) 326-8944
dunk2010@gmail.com

BIOGRAPHY

Phil Dunkelbarger is the only Independent Candidate for United States Congress in the 9th District of Massachusetts. He resides in Westwood with his wife, and one if his three children. For the past 25 years Phil has owned and operated his own small businesses in the manufacturing and exporting industries. For more information, please visit www.dunk2010.com

National Health Reform Implementation: In addition to expanding coverage through Medicaid, national health reform is expected to provide more than 17 million people with subsidies to purchase coverage through Exchanges. However, some people might still not be able to afford insurance. What measures, if any, would you support to help make health insurance affordable for families?

I support single-payer universal, coverage.

Childhood Obesity: More than one in six U.S children are obese, a rate that has tripled in the past 30 years. Childhood obesity is linked to a number of debilitating and expensive diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, several kinds of cancer, and other chronic conditions. What can be done, if anything, to help families and communities address this issue?

Remove subsidies for corn. Tie all federal aid to education to the maintenance of a “nutrition curriculum,” and adherence to certain nutritional guidelines in school lunch programs.

Children’s Budget: Representative Danny Davis and Senator Menendez have introduced the Children’s Budget Act (H.R. 3772/S. 3108), legislation that would require federal spending on children’s programs to be separately displayed and analyzed in the President’s budget, illustrating how the federal government allocates resources for children. What importance, if any, do you place on creating a Children’s Budget and why?

I don’t think it very important. Parents are responsible for child rearing. The important investment is in families and communities who provide the support and nurturing of children.

Physician Shortages: A number of studies haven show that physician shortages can lead to more limited access to health care and longer wait times for patients, and a recent study of children’s hospitals found that shortages in pediatric subspecialties are adversely affecting patient care. What do you think can be done, if anything, to address the problem of physician shortages in certain medical specialties?

I am more concerned about the availability of GPs, particularly in rural and low income areas. I would support programs that pay for school loans for physicians who become GPs and work for a period of time in these areas.

Child Care: Child care is a critical support for many parents, yet paying for child care services is becoming increasingly difficult as costs continue to rise and many Americans are negatively impacted by the recession. What measures, if any, should be taken to help more working families afford child care services?

Child care services should be 100% tax deductible.

Juvenile Justice: In 2009, a Senate bill was introduced to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974. What importance, if any, do you place on reauthorizing this piece of legislation and why? What changes would you make to the JJDPA, if any?

I am unfamiliar with the legislation.

Secondary Education: Every year over one million American students fail to graduate from high school. What policy ideas are most important to you in working to increase graduation rates and strengthen America’s public schools?

Where a generation or two ago, a High School education was adequate to qualify for jobs which afforded a living wage, today a College diploma is necessary. If a student and his/her family, knows they will never be able to afford a college education, the incentive to “invest” (time, energy, etc.) in the High School diploma is reduced. The U.S. government believes it is sound policy to lend money to banks at essentially 0% interest ...

Respond to Candidate

Vernon Harrison (R)

318 Plain Street
Braintree, MA 02184

Visit Candidate's Website
(781) 333-8683
Vernon@VoteForVernon.com

BIOGRAPHY

The candidate's response will be posted as soon as it is received.

National Health Reform Implementation: In addition to expanding coverage through Medicaid, national health reform is expected to provide more than 17 million people with subsidies to purchase coverage through Exchanges. However, some people might still not be able to afford insurance. What measures, if any, would you support to help make health insurance affordable for families?

Childhood Obesity: More than one in six U.S children are obese, a rate that has tripled in the past 30 years. Childhood obesity is linked to a number of debilitating and expensive diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, several kinds of cancer, and other chronic conditions. What can be done, if anything, to help families and communities address this issue?

Children’s Budget: Representative Danny Davis and Senator Menendez have introduced the Children’s Budget Act (H.R. 3772/S. 3108), legislation that would require federal spending on children’s programs to be separately displayed and analyzed in the President’s budget, illustrating how the federal government allocates resources for children. What importance, if any, do you place on creating a Children’s Budget and why?

Physician Shortages: A number of studies haven show that physician shortages can lead to more limited access to health care and longer wait times for patients, and a recent study of children’s hospitals found that shortages in pediatric subspecialties are adversely affecting patient care. What do you think can be done, if anything, to address the problem of physician shortages in certain medical specialties?

Child Care: Child care is a critical support for many parents, yet paying for child care services is becoming increasingly difficult as costs continue to rise and many Americans are negatively impacted by the recession. What measures, if any, should be taken to help more working families afford child care services?

Juvenile Justice: In 2009, a Senate bill was introduced to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974. What importance, if any, do you place on reauthorizing this piece of legislation and why? What changes would you make to the JJDPA, if any?

Secondary Education: Every year over one million American students fail to graduate from high school. What policy ideas are most important to you in working to increase graduation rates and strengthen America’s public schools?

Respond to Candidate

Stephen Lynch (D)

105 Farragut Road
South Boston, MA 02127

Visit Candidate's Website
(617) 464-1199
info@stephenlynchforcongress.com

BIOGRAPHY

Stephen F. Lynch has represented the 9th Massachusetts District in Congress since 2001. For 18 years he was an ironworker, and eventually served as President of Ironworkers Local 7. Lynch lives in South Boston with his wife and two girls.

National Health Reform Implementation: In addition to expanding coverage through Medicaid, national health reform is expected to provide more than 17 million people with subsidies to purchase coverage through Exchanges. However, some people might still not be able to afford insurance. What measures, if any, would you support to help make health insurance affordable for families?

All Americans should have access to quality healthcare, regardless of their employment status of income level. For this reason, I believe that creating a public health insurance option with the purpose of offering low-cost insurance plans would help bring down health insurance costs and increase access for all hard-working Americans.

Childhood Obesity: More than one in six U.S children are obese, a rate that has tripled in the past 30 years. Childhood obesity is linked to a number of debilitating and expensive diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, several kinds of cancer, and other chronic conditions. What can be done, if anything, to help families and communities address this issue?

It is important to provide our nation’s families with the nutrition information they need to make healthy choices. Accordingly, I voted in favor of H.R. 1585, the FIT Kids Act, which seeks to ensure that families receive important health and nutrition information, as well as the support needed to help children pursue healthy lifestyles. The measure also seeks to fund studies to find effective ways to improve healthy living and physical activity for all children.

Children’s Budget: Representative Danny Davis and Senator Menendez have introduced the Children’s Budget Act (H.R. 3772/S. 3108), legislation that would require federal spending on children’s programs to be separately displayed and analyzed in the President’s budget, illustrating how the federal government allocates resources for children. What importance, if any, do you place on creating a Children’s Budget and why?

Adequate funding for children’s programs is essential to provide our nation’s youth with a solid foundation for future success. Accordingly, I support the goals of the Children’s Budget Act, which seeks to create access to simple, clear analysis of information regarding the federal investment in America’s youth.

Physician Shortages: A number of studies haven show that physician shortages can lead to more limited access to health care and longer wait times for patients, and a recent study of children’s hospitals found that shortages in pediatric subspecialties are adversely affecting patient care. What do you think can be done, if anything, to address the problem of physician shortages in certain medical specialties?

I remain supportive of initiatives designed to increase patient access, and I am committed to ensuring that all children have access to quality care. Most recently, I signed a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius seeking to bring Medicaid payments for pediatric subspecialties in line with Medicare, which would help to ensure continued access to pediatricians, and help to address the issue of shortages in pediatric specialty care.

Child Care: Child care is a critical support for many parents, yet paying for child care services is becoming increasingly difficult as costs continue to rise and many Americans are negatively impacted by the recession. What measures, if any, should be taken to help more working families afford child care services?

As co-chair of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus, I am committed to protecting our nation’s hard-working families. Accordingly, I supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which expanded the Child Tax Credit. I have also been consistently supportive of initiatives to help working families afford quality child care services, including robust funding for federal programs such as the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and Early Head Start.

Juvenile Justice: In 2009, a Senate bill was introduced to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974. What importance, if any, do you place on reauthorizing this piece of legislation and why? What changes would you make to the JJDPA, if any?

I am strongly supportive of Juvenile Justice programs in and around Boston, and I place a high importance on reauthorizing the JJDPA, which would strengthen and improve federal standards to protect children, youth, and families involved with the juvenile and criminal justice system.

Secondary Education: Every year over one million American students fail to graduate from high school. What policy ideas are most important to you in working to increase graduation rates and strengthen America’s public schools?

I believe that education is the foundation of opportunity in the United States. Students from all backgrounds deserve a first-class affordable education, from early childhood through college. Specifically, I believe it is necessary to support high-performing schools, improve college readiness and access, and invest in technology and innovation so that our nation’s children will have the knowledge and training they need to succeed in this competitive global economy.