Dennis Lamare
Printed Answers:
1. Who should control the local public schools?
Eudcation should be controlled on the local level with parents and the community deciding on content and location (public, private, charter, home schooling, etc.)
2. Do you support a voucher system, where tax payers can send their child and their tax dollars to a school of their choice, whether it be public, private, charter or home schooling?
Yes, I supported this type of community outreach for education when I ran for the Oyster River School Board in 1995, and continue to support education in whatever location is best suited for the child to receive a quality education.
3. Who should control gun carry and ownership laws?
Possession of firearms is a fundamental right to every person living in America. We the people control that right given by the Constitution and it shall not be abridged by court or legislature. However, I would support a restriction to those who have been convicted of a crime while using a firearm against another.
4. What will be your highest priority if you are elected?
I have two priorities, 1) reducing our debt and 2) returning our two Prisoner of Wars from captivity in Iraq and Afghanistan
5. Do you believe that illegal aliens should have the right to government welfare programs?
They are law breakers and deserve no consideration or reward for doing so. They have no rights or entitlements to products or services rendered by the Government, except to be returned to their home Country
6. What is your solution to the energy crisis?
We need to have all considerations on the table...nuclear, fossil fuels, solar, wind and water, etc... We cannot be totally independent of oil as it is the most abundant and accessible option we have right now to heat our homes, lubricate our engines and keep our factories running efficiently. I favor opening up the ANWR to exploration and drilling with the appropriate safeguards in place to ensure that if accidents occur there are procedures in place for all contingencies.
7. Do you believe a senator and congressman must read a bill fully and thoroughly before voting on it?
Yes. That's what we are paid to do!
8. Do you support term limits?
Yes, I have signed a pledge to serve no more than two terms, if elected to the US Senate.
9. Where exactly is the federal government currently spending too much?
I believe that wasteful spending is occurring with subsidies to Agriculture, Pharmacutical, Oil, Automobile, Airline, the list goes on and on.... These subsidies create price fixing, manipulation of markets, intimidation against the small companies in these markets. Eliminating these will reduce the debt and let the market decide the pricing for the products without government intervention.
10. Do you believe it is the responsibility of the federal government to stop global warming?
No. Global Warming (Climate change) is a natural phenomenon and not caused by man, nor can it be affected by legislation. I believe that there is Climate Change every year.... winter, spring, summer and fall!
11. Do you believe the federal reserve should be thoroughly audited?
Yes, At it should be audited at the very least! I believe that the Federal Reserve should not be the Nation's Bank and be allowed to manipulate currency to cause havoc in the economy with it's hand on the inflation button.
12. Would you support a law that mandates teaching both creationism as well as evolution as theories in my public school science classes?
Again, I would let the community decide what is best taught in the curriculum.
13. Do you support a progressive form of taxation or a flat form of taxation?
I advocate a flat tax to all levels of income.
14. Do you support the health care reform bill and if not what type of bill would you support?
I would vote to repeal the 2010 Health Care Act and then submit a bill to set up a separate fund to provide coverage for people that have preexisting conditions or cannot afford health care. There are ways of providing for the “general welfare” of those who, because of varying circumstances, are unable be insured.
I believe that we have the greatest health care in the world and the real issue is not receiving care, but how to pay for it! Tort reform, repeal the insurance anti trust laws and eliminate subsidies to pharmaceutical companies, will all allow the market to adjust the cost to what is rational and affordable.
15. What do you think is our most pressing family/social issue? (ie defense of marriage act, abortion etc.) What will you do to address it?
I think that divorce and/or domestic abuse are the most pressing issues. Break up of families and/or abuse can be detremental to children phychologically and be a lifelong struggle to overcome.
16. Who should be responsible for the printing and managing of our currency?
Currency belongs to the government and should be printed by the government, not the Federal Reserve.
17. Should international law be used to influence national law?
Never! We have sovereignty and jurisdiction given to us in the constitution and it is the law of the land. It does not provide for outside interference by other nations.
18. Should our legislators or judges be impeached for enacting unconstitutional legislation?
Good question. Impeachment does not always result in removal from office. That would have to be remedied by a Constitutional Amendment.
19. How do you view our constitution, as a fluid or absolute document?
It is an absolute document and is the foundation for our country to remain in existence. It was written in concise and precise language to remove all doubt as to it's meaning. There is no provision in it to allow interpretation of it according to one's beliefs or political inclinations.
20. Would you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?
As a Senator, there is no provision in the Constitution to legislate on social issues. I will give consideration and support for a woman or family to decide for themselves. It is unfair and hypocritical to say that it's all right to condone it in one instance, but not another (rape, incest or life of the mother in jeopardy.)
21. Would you support a bill providing amnesty to illegal aliens already living in the United States?
No. Illegal is illegal. They broke the law coming here and they will not be rewared for trespassing
22. Do you believe the stimulus bill is working and how?
I do not believe it is working. It is expanding our deficit, delaying or postponing the laying off of government workers, creating jobs in other countries, and being used as a slush fund for political paybacks. There is little or no accountability for where or how the money is being spent.
23. Do support a presidential line item veto power?
yes.
24. Would you have supported the Troubled Asset Relief Program bill?
no, for the same reason as stated for the Stimulus Bill.
25. Do you support line item voting for the house?
Yes.
26. Do you support line item voting for the senate?
Yes.