CH: Do you support bank bailouts?
CE: Define “bailout.” Do you mean lending money, to be repaid with interest? Sounds fairly reasonable, if it could be distributed equitably.
CH: Do you think America’s infrastructure is not in need of substantial improvements?
CE: Too bad we couldn’t find enough “shovel ready” projects that would really make a difference, but I’m sure the good citizens of Hartselle, AL (all 14,000 of them) are enjoying the WI-FI we gave them.
CH: Do you think that millions of Americans should be denied health insurance because of pre-existing conditions?
CE: I think the tax code should be rewritten to (among other things) level the playing field between individuals and businesses who buy health insurance. This would spur competition in the individual market. Also keep in mind that the only way to force insurance companies to cover all comers while still allowing them to make enough money to stay in business and continue paying claims is to force all Americans to buy health insurance. I believe this is unconstitutional.
CH: Do you think that employees’ rights to form unions should be eliminated?
CE: Unions have become as big bullies as the companies they claim to protect workers from. (Sorry, that was almost English.)
CH: Do you think that America’s educational system does not need improvement?
CE: There is no lack of money being spent on education; the real problem is that we’re not getting our money’s worth. Give parents vouchers and see how fast our national test scores improve, without spending a dime more than we already do.
CH: Do you think that Americans’ Social Security money should be invested in the casino known as Wall Street?
CE: It may seem safer in the mattress but historically, Wall Street is a good place to put your money. Assuming we (or rather, the Chinese who own us) don’t gut our capitalist economy …
CH: Do you think that the US government should not enforce laws against racial and religious discrimination?
CE: I’m not sure where you’re going with this. I think “hate crimes” are one of the worst things to come out of recent legislative sessions. If our criminal laws are insufficient to address the underlying actions, criminalizing intent is not going to help.
CH: Do you think that the government should ban all abortions, including those that are halachically mandated?
CE: I think it’s none of the government’s business. Yeah, I know, they’re trying to protect us.
CH: Do you think that the government should sit by and let people be denied their right to vote, as is happening to Jews in some upstate communities?
CE: Oooh, voter disenfranchisement – one of my favorite topics! First of all, the Electoral College institutionalizes disenfranchisement and it should be abolished. (I believe in the Constitution when it suits me, but at least I’m honest about it.)
Let’s talk specifics, though, like Florida Republicans running the clock after the 2000 presidential election, so, ooops, they couldn’t count all the votes.
There’s also the whole question of why felons are prohibited from voting for some period of time, possibly the rest of their lives, and related issues about the tendency to criminalize “black” behavior more strictly than we criminalize “white” behavior.
The “block vote” claim is fascinating because around here, “block” voters don’t outnumber registered non-block voters but they make it their business to show up at the polls. The non-block is jealous of our turnout so they try to knock us down rather than lift themselves up.
And by the way, the new NY voting machines are a huge step backwards!
CH: Do you think that the concentration of mass media ownership in a few hands is a good thing?
CE: I believe in a vigorous public discourse. Of course I think people should care enough to tune in but you can’t make them do anything … And yes, I put my money where my mouth is – I still pay for newspapers and I vote for the library budget every year because I believe in supporting an informed populace.
CH: Do you think we should continue the war in Iraq indefinitely?
CE: The only reason we’re there is because Bush II had to avenge Daddy’s failure to “finish the job” in the original Gulf War. Saddam Hussein was (assuming he really was hung) a very bad man but so are lots of other dictators. We should have supported the Iraqis (including the Kurds) who wanted to overthrow him, rather than making promises and leaving them to twist in the wind then coming in with a show of American force. And while we’re on the topic, it is an absolute disgrace that we have plenty of money for contractors (aka mercenaries) while our troops are lacking equipment. I don’t think we should be in Iraq or Afghanistan but as long as we are, we have an obligation to give our soldiers whatever it takes to get the job done (as if we could define it!) and get home safely.
CH: Do you really think climate change requires no action at all?
CE: I think we should all take action to minimize our impact on the planet, but I do not think we should give the government the authority to, for example, deploy mirrors in outer space. The arrogance you see in some of these scientific proposals is astounding. I would expect scientists of all people to recognize just how little we really know. It wasn’t that long ago that the experts claimed we were all going to freeze to death.
CH: Do you disagree with Ronald Reagan regarding nuclear proliferation?
CE: I’m very ambivalent about nukes. I don’t like them but I think we need them as a deterrent.