League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Thomas Louis "Tom" (Fox) Fox, II Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 33

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. In this time of high unemployment and budget deficits, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy and sustain job creation?

We need to revise the tax code to ease the burden on the middle class because they have always been the engine for our economy. We need to lower the corporate tax rate to make investment in the U.S. more attractive. We need to give an incentive to business to bring back the cash that they have deposited overseas by providing some tax incentives to do so, but with the requirement that they invest that money here with a focus on creating jobs. We need to recognize that small business start ups have a difficult road to prosperity and provide them with tax relief for the first few years in exchange for their providing jobs. We should partner government with business in the high tech field, whether it be in the new smart manufacturing jobs or coding, by letting business provide the instruction to our community college students. This would provide training for young people and retrain older people as well. The people would get immediate training with state of the art skills and business would have an immediate pool of employees, already trained and ready to work. In short, we need to seek both innovative solutions and common sense to solve our problems, not political dogma and party bickering.

2. What, if any, changes should be made to federal health care policies or programs?

The Affordable Care Act is just not going into effect and it is going to need some additional legislation to make it work for the benefit of us all. To those who continue to seek it's repeal, I would simply ask, what do we go back to? The way it was, with insurance companies to drop their insured's on their whim? To not allow kids to stay on their parent's policies? Realistically, the health care environment has now changed. I would listen to anyone who had ideas on how to make it better, whether it be politicians in the Republican or Democratic parties, but mostly to my fellow citizens who are the ones who are affected by health care.

3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy?

We have an economy that is petroleum based. We need to change that to one that doesn't rely on fossil fuels as it's very foundation. It is easy to say that clean energy is the answer, but, it is harder to achieve. First of all, we should instigate a carbon awareness matrix where business and the public are made aware of their impact. Utilizing the Matrix, we could allow both business an citizens a certain amount of carbon emitting which would decrease over time. We could then utilize the Cap and Trade concept but with a diminishing allotment with the goal of minimal carbon emissions in the foreseeable future. Citizens could sell their allotment to business to offset any cost increase that business imposes. Finally, as a country, we should set a national goal, as we did with the space program and landing a man on the moon, to prioritize the investment and research into green, sustainable energy.

4. What, if any, changes should be made with respect to our nation’s security, including our national defense or anti-terrorism measures?

We should should have a strong defense that is capable of immediately squashing a threat to ourselves and our allies. HOWEVER, we should never again enter into wars of choice. They are foolish, history shows us that they never end well for us and they cost the American people trillions of dollars that could be used on national infrastructure and education. We should take steps in surveillance and partnerships and cooperation with our allies to combat terrorism. But, perhaps most importantly, we should stop our meddling in the Middle East and imposing our democracy on people and cultures who simply don't want it.

5. What is your position on the issue of immigration reform? What, if any, changes to legislation or policy would you support?

We need comprehensive immigration reform in conjunction with amnesty. When amnesty was granted in the 1980's, it did not accompany immigration reform which is why we have the problem today. As it is, we are educating the world's young and not allowing them to stay in the US so that we can benefit by their work. They are going to their home countries and starting businesses that compete with us. It is madness. We live in the 21st Century where information is almost instantaneous. Immigration reform should be based on this access to information. A person should apply and we can monitor them until their application is approved. The criteria for admission should be clear and simple. The quotas used can be based on logical and relevant criteria including uniqueness of skills, if they were educated here and whether they have family roots here. I understand some will require a "road to citizenship" but I don't think that road needs to be 14 years as proposed. A 5 -7 year time frame seems more reasonable, coupled with criteria of paying back taxes, learning English, etc. This is America after all, let's be fair and just and remember the concept of mercy. That is who we are as a people.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 13, 2014 22:40
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