On The Right

I would like to thank Mr. Verga for taking some time out from campaigning to answer a few questions, involving policy issues for me and I wish him luck in the 5th District Republican primary race.You can check out his campaign website here, his twitter page here, and his facebok page here.

1. Do you believe that we should increase defense spending and concentrate more of it on 21st century weapons systems and on irregular warfare capabilities, so that we can be more prepared to counter terrorist threats?

LV: For any such decision, I would weigh heavily the advice of military and intelligence officials. I will commit to appropriating the necessary funds to keep us safe.

2. Do you support going to war with a country that harbors terrorist that attack the United States or harbor terrorist groups that threaten American interest? Do you support pre-emptive wars against these group?

LV: We must go after those that attack us and plan to do so. Whether it is a full-out war or an operation depends on the unique circumstances of each situation.

3. How would you punish countries that harbor terrorist groups that attack the U.S. or U.S. interests overseas?

LV: We must explore all diplomatic options and leave military force as a last option.

4. How do you feel the detainees at GITMO should be handled and are they entitled to Constitutional rights?

LV: They should continue to be held there and legally processed within a reasonable time frame. They are not entitled to constitutional rights.

5. What ways would you support in deterring Iran from obtaining nuclear arms?

LV: Once again, we must explore all diplomatic options and leave military force as a last option.

6. Since the U.S. spends 4.6% of its GDP on education, this equates to over $10,000 per student per year, but test scores have been flat since the 1970′s. Would you support legislation that gives parents a choice in schools, such as tax credits for private school tuition, charter school programs, public school choice, or virtual learning programs?

LV: Yes.

7. Since nuclear energy provides clean energy, would you support legislation that would streamline the permitting process for new nuclear power plants or new reactors at current nuclear facilities?

LV: Yes.

8. Bob McDonnell championed offshore drilling off the Virginia coast, as well as nuclear power and other types of energy exploration in Virginia, will you support this from a federal standpoint and will you support legislation that makes all sources of energy in the U.S. accessible?

LV: Yes.

9. The U.S. is more and more becoming a welfare state, since the 1930′s there have been over 70 different types of “means tested” welfare programs created, how can people on these programs be empowered out of them?

LV: Their children must have access to vouchers and high-quality charter schools so that they may acquire the tools to live the American Dream. As for adults, the best way government can facilitate empowerment is by advancing legislation that will lead to a robust economy with limitless opportunity. This can be best achieved by reducing taxes and regulations on businesses dramatically.

10. In the last year the federal government has wasted $13 billion on earmarks, $25 billion on unused federal property, $60 billion in cooperate welfare, and $55 billion in annual program over-payments, how do you propose to end these forms of waste of the taxpayers’ money?

LV: I will not submit any earmarks, will work to end all subsidy programs, and will work to eliminate all waste, fraud, and abuse in government.

11. Do you feel terrorism should be treated as a criminal matter, where terrorist are indicted by a grand jury, captured, then tried and sentenced in American courts or as a military matter where they are found and eliminated or tried by military tribunals?

LV: Terrorists should be tried in military tribunals.

12. At least 26 terror plots have been broken up since 9/11, some due to the use of “enhanced interrogation”, what is your stance on “enhanced interrogation” of terror detainees?

LV: We should use all methods available to us that the Justice Department finds legal.

13. NAFTA and other free trade agreements have increased competition and job creation and spurred economic growth or recovery; do you support more free trade agreements?

LV: Yes.

14. The U.S. pays $5 billion to the United Nations a year, while the U.N. goes against the U.S.’s interest in the world at times and is controlled by corrupt nations; how could this relationship, where we are the single-largest contributor to the U.N., be reformed?

LV: To be brutally honest, I’m not sure it can. We must remain a member of the United Nations to encourage communication between nations, but we shouldn’t have high expectations for the organization.

15. Employee health benefits are not taxed, but those who buy insurance not through an employer have to use after-tax wages, how do you feel this issue can be fixed and do you think employee health benefits should be taxed?

LV: We need to get rid of the employer-based system and provide every American a tax credit to purchase a health insurance plan of their desire.

16. You support the fair tax plan, but the chance of that being signed into law any time soon is slim to none, what other ways could be used to reduce American’s tax burden? Do you support abolishment of the death tax? Do you support cutting taxes on international businesses who locate in the U.S.?

LV: We must reduce the corporate income and average small business tax rates, as well as eliminate the capital gains and death taxes.

17. Do you support Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s proposal to create the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and why or why not?

LV: I do not support it. The last thing we need is another bureaucracy interfering in the marketplace.

18. With groups such as ACORN and other groups being involved in voter fraud and voter registration fraud, do you support a law requiring all voters in federal elections to provide a state, federal, or local government ID in order to vote?

LV: Yes.

19. In Virginia, there have been issues with voter registrars not sending absentee ballots out to military personnel until a week or two before an election; would you support a federal measure that requires absentee ballots to be sent out 45 days or more before an election, so that they can be returned in time?

LV: Yes.

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