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News The Daily Texan 10/20/2008 Endorsements, District 31:Brian Ruiz By declaring America's need for a dependable, affordable health care system and professing his intention to provide funds to strengthen Texas' public education system, native Texan and Democrat Brian Ruiz has proven himself a leader on the issues facing many middle-class citizens. Running to represent District 31 against Republican incumbent John Carter, Ruiz has credited much of his platform to his two children, stating the nation must work harder in order to provide a hopeful outlook for up-and-coming generations. He has also weighed in on national issues, calling for end to the war in Iraq, the safe return of soldiers and a renewed focus on anti-terrorist efforts. Across platform, Ruiz stands out as a local leader fighting for necessary change.
The Taylor Daily Press 10/17/2008 Election 2008 by Philip Jankowski Candidates for Congress share skepticism of bailout, differ on approach to Iraq
The race for the District 31 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives pits incumbent John Carter (R-Round Rock) against newcomer Brian Ruiz (D-Hutto).
Carter, a former Williamson County district judge, is seeking his fourth term in Congress. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Republican Steering Committee.
Ruiz, 32, is an Austin-born former radio program producer who has now dedicated all of his time to his campaign and two children. He has been active with the Democratic Party as a delegate and campaign worker since the mid-1990s.
Following are the candidates’ responses to questions about issues relevant to this election.
Financial bailout
Carter voted against the bailout twice as well as the funding for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac. Though against buying up banks’ bad debts, he said he is encouraged by the government’s willingness to buy equity in the companies.
“I took the position and still do that alternative issues should be looked at before you just authorize the spending of $700 million. It was a tremendous amount of spending to ask,” he said.
Ruiz said he also is against the bailout because to an extent it rewards some of the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street.
“This bill sets a dangerous precedent,” Ruiz said.
Iraq war
Ruiz said while a lot of success has occurred in Iraq, more attention needs to be paid toward troops once they return home. He would support a timeline for withdrawal, depending on the legislation.
“I think in doing that it forces the Iraqis to take care of their business,” Ruiz said.
Carter said he would not vote for any legislation with a timeline for troop withdrawal.
“I believe that the proper decision is to let our soldiers march out with the American flag, not the flag of surrender,” he said.
Health care
Universal healthcare would cause the quality of health care to drop dramatically, Carter said.
“I don’t think America wants that kind of health care — rationed health care,” he said. “It would be a horrendous tax burden or a horrendous burden on the system that we won’t be able to support.”
Ruiz said he is not in favor of universal health care at this time, because it would make balancing the budget unlikely.
“What I want to do is balance the budget,” he said. “We have to control spending. I hesitate on anything that increases spending.”
Taxes
Ruiz said he would avoid raising taxes by cutting spending and paying down debt in order to lessen interest payments. He pointed to ending the war in Iraq and cutting bureaucracy as places to start.
“If we are going to cut taxes, then we have to show on paper where we are going to cut spending,” Ruiz said.
Carter said he is opposed to tax increases across the board.
“Raising taxes during the time of recession has never helped anybody get out of a recession,” he said. “It costs jobs.”
Energy
Carter said the U.S. needs to wean its dependence on foreign oil, but should not “throw the baby out with the bath water.”
“At least for a period of time we are still going to be dependent on oil and gas for much of our transportation,” he said. “We need to take up all alternatives — nuclear, geothermal, wind power, solar power, alternative fuels. Everything should be developed and looked at.”
Ruiz said in order to get away from oil dependence all solutions must be explored. He said Carter has vested interests in oil companies based on Carter’s financial portfolio and voting record.
“His voting record shows where his interests lay,” Ruiz said. “I think we can all agree it’s not going to be one solution. We would have to be open to all possible solutions.”
Bipartisanship
People are tired of seeing the hatred between parties, Ruiz said, and he can work with Republicans well because of his fiscally conservative views.
“The issues that are important to everyone are American issues, not party issues,” he said.
Facing the possibility of working with a Democrat-dominated legislature and executive, Carter said he is willing to cross the aisle. He said the Republican Party still represents his district best and he has the experience to get the most done.
“I bring the talent and the experience to do it and I can work with anybody to do it,” Carter said.
The Austin Chronicle 10/16/2008 'Chronicle' Endorses Ruiz in Congressional Dist. 31 by Lee Nichols Incumbent Republican John Carter is an embarrassment to Austin and Texas. About the only thing good we can say – and it's a mixed blessing – is that he opposed the Wall Street bailout. Otherwise, he’s a staunch Iraq War supporter, even engaging in demagoguery by questioning the patriotism of those who oppose it. We suspect Ruiz, son of former AISD board member Abel Ruiz, has little hope in this very conservative district that includes the Williamson County portion of Austin, but his opposition to the war and support for renewable energy, and for health care for all children, deserves your vote.
The Williamson County Sun 10/15/2008 Carter, Ruiz Sound off on economic crisis By Callie Enlow A weak economy equals strong rhetoric during campaign season. Look no further than the U.S. House of Representatives District 31 race; incumbent John Carter advocates a national return to Republican roots to solve the financial crisis and challenger Brian Ruiz wants to clean House of earmarks and deficits. A member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, Representative Carter opposed both versions of the recent $700 billion “bailout,” which will allow troubled financial institutions to sell assets to the newly created federal Troubled Assets Recovery Program [TARP] and sets aside $150 billion in tax breaks. “I never heard any other suggestions,” said Representative Carter, who noted that coupled with the $300 billion authorized by Congress this summer to aid Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the bailout bill will reach at least $1 trillion. The past, especially in Texas, could offer some more thrifty solutions, suggested Representative Carter. “I lived through the 1980s in Texas. We were at the heart and center of a pretty good recession. Every major bank in Texas failed, but the FDIC came in and worked with those banks.” The FDIC(Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, created during the Great Depression) and the Resolution Trust Corporation(created in response to the 1980s financial crisis) ought to be far more involved in the bailout plan, said Carter. Meanwhile, Brian Ruiz running for office for the first time but with deep familial Democratic roots is concerned about the new powers allocated to the plan’s implementing office, the Secretary of the Treasury. As the office is included in the Presidential cabinet, Mr. Ruiz worried “Democrat or Republican, the Executive Branch gets more and more power…to get those powers back will be next to impossible.” Describing himself as a “strong fiscal conservative,” Mr. Ruiz, 38, estimated the bailout could cost a taxpaying family like his $8000 to $12000. He also honed in on the $1 trillion figure. “Our debt is going to be a lot bigger and [the plan] is changing nothing so far,” he said. Though Mr. Ruiz did not outline a specific solution, he said if elected he would press for more oversight of the TARP and use the bill as an opportunity to revisit a congressional amendment to balance the budget. It was another national catastrophe that first moved Representative Carter, 66, a longtime Central Texas lawyer and judge to consider running for U.S. House of Representatives. During September 11, 2001, Mr. Carter; then the 277th judicial district judge, was attending a conference in New Mexico. Since flights were grounded, he rented a car with a colleague to drive back Carter’s Round Rock home. “You know, I served 20 years as a judge,” Mr. Carter said to his colleague during the long drive back, “if they’re going to do World War III, I want to help defend.” Mr. Carter said he remembered adding, “better than that, if we get an open seat, I’ll run.” To his surprise, in 2002, an open seat was created during redistricting. Mr. Carter retired from his court position, ran and was elected. He has been re-elected twice in his six-year congressional career, with almost 65 percent of the vote in 2004 and 58 percent in 2006. While Representative Carter stands by his opposition of the bailout, which passed the Senate on October 1, he also stands by GOP Presidential nominee John McCain, who voted for the bailout plan. And though he calls himself a “big McCain supporter,” and says “there is nothing appealing about [Democratic candidate] Mr. Obama,” he also flatly opposes Senator McCain’s additional home loan bailout plan, unveiled during the second Presidential debate. “I think McCain’s wrong,” said Representative Carter about the $300 billion the Republican hopeful would spend on buying bad home-loan mortgages, which could then be renegotiated at a diminished value. Morgan Housel of The Motley Fool, a financial news provider, estimates that 12 million current home mortgages worth more than the property value, the government would have approximately $25,000 to spend on each mortgage. To Representative Carter, the soaring numbers associated with both bailout plans are where his party took its deepest ideological nosedive. “We [the current government] spend too much money and don’t keep track of it,” said Representative Carter, “the Republican party needs to get our minds back on straight about spending,” said the self-described “free-marketeer.” While not necessarily a free market crusader, challenger Brian Ruiz agrees to some extent with his opponent. As a young adult in the early 1990s, Mr. Ruiz, an Austin native and former sports radio producer, attended two Democratic National Conventions with his school board president father and school teacher mother. His earliest political memories are of being floored by the $1 trillion dollar deficit, Mr. Ruiz is still shocked. “Congress is taking money away from other areas just so they can keep spending,” said Mr. Ruiz, a Hutto resident. It’s not national defense spending that really bothers Mr. Ruiz, nor spending on schools or infrastructures. What irks Mr. Ruiz, an admirer of Joe Barton(R-Tex) and his 1995 balanced budget amendment, are earmarks. Congress holds the power to allocate certain federal funds to specific projects, generally in their own districts. While Mr. Ruiz, and even the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, view earmarks as “projects where congressional direction circumvents merit-based or competitive allocation process,” Mr. Carter takes a different approach. Preferring to call them “member directed spending,” Representative Carter said, “I’m not ashamed of any earmarks.” He said he believes money allocated for local education and defense needs are appropriate. However, he does argue that bad, wasteful earmarks exist. According to Citizens Against Government Waste, a non-partisan non-profit group that tracks congress members’ approval of spending, Representative Carter has a lifetime record of voting against what the group considers “wasteful” spending 61 percent of the time, giving him one of the three lowest ratings among Texas’ U.S. Representatives. Barry Cooper is running as the Libertarian candidate. He could not be reached for comment.
KVUE News 10/10/2008 US Rep. Dist. 31: Brian Ruiz Watch Brian's interview with KVUE here.
Community Impact 10/3/2008 Brian Ruiz, Democrat- Lived in District: Four years • Born and raised in Austin, now lives in Hutto
- Education: Bachelor's in communications, St. Edward's University
- Career: Campaign staffer, Lloyd Doggett for Congress, 1994; campaign staffer, Abel Ruiz for State Representative, 1996; radio producer, Clear Channel Radio (ESPN The Zone), 2000-2004; real estate agent, 2005-2007
- Contact: 686-4257, info@ruizforcongress.com
Q. What are the most important issues for your constituents? A. The first thing is the economy. The constituents are looking for someone that understands the economy because they live in it. All to often we vote for a congressman that can talk to people in the district, or at one time maybe lived some of the problems of the economy. But I'm actually someone that lives it everyday and struggles to make ends meet, just as so many other people in the district do as well. That's the first thing I hear all the time.
The second thing is energy dependence. We really need to start getting ourselves off foreign oil and just oil in general. And we've got to take a realistic view on how to do that. Right now one of the concerns that our constituents have is we do have a congressman that has millions of dollars of ExxonMobil stock, and has taken thousands of dollars of special interest lobbyists' money regarding that. He does want to “Drill here. Drill now. Pay less.” He goes with that line, but to truly become energy independent, we need to have a comprehensive approach. And with that is we've got to make a true commitment to alternative energies and make sure that is a part of the bill. My concern with the direction he wants to go is he wants to drill immediately, pass that bill and then get to the other things down the road. He talks about being comprehensive and doing everything, but far too often I have found politicians to do one thing. After they get it done, they forget about the other things that they have promised. What I want to do is up front have those things that we can commit to on a bipartisan level that can move us toward alternative energy. And at that time, once we have that, we can drill as well. That's what's going to help us in the immediate future. But I don't want to go into far details of all the things we can do, maybe we can get into that later. But I think that's one of the commitments I think we can make, is truly go into a real alternative energy direction.
The third and fourth things are kind of a combination of two. These constituents are ready to have someone that is accessible and that can listen to them and be the voice for them. We have got someone that has never been around and goes to his own constituency. He was elected in ’02 expected to listen to both sides, but he has become a very partisan person and hasn't been out there for people to listen to. I grew up in Austin where there were great congressmen like Jake Pickle that was just always out there, available and accessible, and that's the type of representation I want to bring to this district. And that's part of where we're running into problems. We have several things that have come up in this area, when it comes to like State Highway 29 in between Georgetown and liberty hill, the landfill in Hutto, power lines in Hutto, the Trans Texas Corridor. In the Temple/Bell County area there was massive flooding that happened in ’07, and the Army Corps of Engineers was constantly wanting John Carter to come out. But it wasn't until they went out to the media and to the newspapers, when he finally came out to look at some of the problems they had. There are a lot of problems that go on in the district where he doesn't seem to be there, and a lot of that has to do with his accessibility to the people and listening to them. I think it's a combination of being out there, being accessible and cutting those ties to special interest groups and lobbyists as well. Because that’s where we've kind of run into iffy areas on what reasons are there for State Highway 29. What reasons are there for these landfills, for power lines? If there weren’t any ties to special interest groups and lobbyists, then it wouldn't have anyone concerned that they're trying to do what's best for the people. And right now those lines are sort of blurred, so that's the other part of it. You can read the rest of this article here.
Eye on Williamson 9/24/08 Brian Ruiz and John Carter on the Bailout First from the challenger Brian Ruiz. He’s unequivocal in his opposition to the bailout. This is not a time to overreact and pass the President’s legislation that would give an enormous amount of power to the Treasure Secretary. [...] This bill is also a reminder of many other bills that were urged to pass quickly for the good of the country: 1. The Patriot Act - Congress was urged to vote quickly after 9/11 in order to ensure our country’s safety. 2. The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq - This was voted on in October of 2002 and pinned the congress to take one side or the other days before the November election. 3. The Republicans have recently tried to give Oil Companies the ability to drill anywhere and provide large subsidies for them to do it while urging congress to pass this quickly. 4. American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act - $100 to $300 billion dollar Mortgage Rescue Bill that would pull back mortgages from the brink of forclosure along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now, less than 60 days after the President signed the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act into law we are supposed to believe this new bill which would cost the taxpayers $700 billion to $1 trillion dollars will stabilize the market. I’M TIRED OF THIS!!! [...] If I had to vote on this (unaltered) bill today I would vote NO. John Carter had this to say from today’s AAS. “I’m not committing myself one way or the other, but philosophically, I’m opposed to it,” U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, said Tuesday of the Bush administration’s potentially $700 billion proposal. “The timing is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous to be asked to do this kind of spending in 72 hours.” (Emphasis added). It’s hard to understand why he can’t commit to something he’s philosophically opposed to? Even though Carter said that, “the constituents he has heard from all oppose a $700 billion bailout”. Even thought yesterday he was waxing philosophically about how those that made “bad choices” have to “suffer”. “In a world where everyone is given a level playing field and they go out and make bad choices, then they have to suffer for those choices,” said Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock. [...] Carter said he would decided whether or not to support the legislation once he reads the final draft, although he says as a financial conservative, he has a hard time supporting bailouts. It’s hard to imagine why this self-described “financial conservative” is being so non-committal on whether or not he’s for this Wall Street bailout. His opponent sure isn’t.
Stephenville Empire-Tribune 9/8/2008 Congressional candidate to address Stephenville residents E-T Staff Report
On Tuesday, September 9th from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Texas Democratic Women of Erath County will host a town hall event for Democratic Congressional Candidate Brian P. Ruiz.
Brian P. Ruiz is the Democratic congressional candidate for congress in District 31, which encompasses Bell, Coryell, Erath, Falls, Hamilton, Milam, Williamson, and parts of Robertson County. Ruiz was born and raised in Austin. He received a bachelor’s degree in communications from St. Edward’s University. He and his wife, Rebecca, currently reside in Hutto with their two children, Hannah, 3, and Christian, 2. “Town halls are a great opportunity to meet and discuss issues with folks on a personal level. I’m really looking forward to talking with Stephenville residents,” said Ruiz.
The town hall will take place in the fireplace room in the Cabo at the Agave Restaurant. Ruiz will address the audience with a short introduction to be followed by a question and answer session. All residents are invited and encouraged to attend.
Hill Country News- Letter to the Editor Cover All the Candidates With the primaries and state political conventions behind us, and the Nov. 8, 2008, General Election less than four months away, the Hill Country News is still giving the two Johnnies - Carter and Cornyn - free space to spout their biased political spin in our faces. I believe it is past time for the News to either start charging Carter and Cornyn, or start giving equal free space to Brian Ruiz and Rick Noriega, the Democratic Party candidates. The two Johnnies are widely regarded as among the least effective members of the House and Senate respectively and they certainly have not done even a mediocre job of representing the interests of the citizens of Texas and Williamson County. I noticed Cornyn was silent on the Texas Medical Association withdrawing its endorsement of his reelection due to his voting to impose a 10 percent cut to the pay of doctors treating Medicare patients. Our junior senator's vote clearly demonstrates once again how little Cornyn cares about our senior citizens. Billions for the War on Iraq that shrub II lied us into but cuts to Medicare and social security. If the two Johnnies think they are going to ride shrub III's coat tails to an easy reelection victory, they may be in for a surprise come Nov. 4. We all know that big media has a strong right wing Republican bias, but we expect more even coverage from our local Hill Country News, at least for the next few months until the election is over. Keith Sterzing Cedar Park Editor's Note: The Hill Country News will often run columns by current political office holders, but will not run them within 90 days of the elections if they are running.
Copyright © 2008 Hill Country News
Round Rock Leader 12/10/2007 Hutto Democrat files to challenge Carter
By Brad Stutzman Stating its time for a change in Congress, Hutto Democrat Brian Ruiz, 31, is scheduled today to announce his candidacy for District 31 U.S. representative.
Ruiz' formal announcement is slated to take place at 11:30 a.m. at Texas Democratic Party Headquarters,
The filing period for 2008 elections began Dec. 3 and continues through Jan. 2. So far Ruiz is the only candidate - Democrat or Republican - to publicly express an interest in taking on three-term GOP incumbent John Carter of Round Rock.
"[People] are saying they do not have a congressman they can relate to, one that is visible," Ruiz told the Leader. "I have lived in Hutto for over four years and I have never met John Carter. If you're in his circle, he'll keep you in touch, but if you're just living the everyday life, he's not an accessible congressman."
Ruiz was born in Austin and is an Austin High School graduate. His mother was a school teacher for 28 years and his father - Abel Ruiz - was Austin school board vice president in the mid-1980s.
Ruiz credits his father with getting him interested in politics and shaping his philosophy as a Democrat. He considers District 25 U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) to be a political mentor.
"I have a real concern for our future," Ruiz said. "I don't see that as where the Republican Party is at now. They're more for today and living for today.
"Also, the Democratic Party is open for more change than the Republican Party. Liberals are the ones who opposed slavery .... I am a liberal, but I'm a strong fiscal conservative."
Mission to Africa
Ruiz said a defining moment in his life occurred between high school and college - from September through December 1994 - when he traveled to Africa.
He had been worshipping at the St. Edward's University chapel, becoming friends with a priest and then - in his words - "tagging along" in a missionary trip the priest made to Uganda.
Ruiz said it was an eye-opening experience, meeting and living among people who had few possessions or comforts, but were spiritually rich.
"I developed my relationship with God there," Ruiz said. "When you see people living in that type of poverty ... it's [priorities] about family and friends and relationships."
Ruiz retuned from Africa, went back to his old job as a waiter at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, and then obtained the real estate sales license he still has today.
While working he attended St. Edward's - where he would meet his wife, Rebecca - graduating with a communications degree in 2006.
The Ruiz' are the parents of two children; 2-year-old daughter Hannah and 1-year-old son Christian.
Ruiz also worked five years in radio, behind the scenes in the programming departments at 1300-AM "The Zone" and ESPN Radio.
He said family and work experiences have shaped what he calls his fiscally-conservative philosophy.
For example, Ruiz said he knows he goes against the Democratic Party's grain by favoring a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Ruiz said the amendment should have leeway - in times of war, for example - but in general the government needs to balance its budget the way individual households have to.
"You learn to be fiscally conservative if you want to make it in real life," he said. "I see that in families ... and I don't see it in our congressman now."
On the issues
When meeting with the Leader, Ruiz briefly outlined his positions on some of the critical issues of the day.
• The war - Ruiz said it's time to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq, gradually. "They did what they were supposed to do. They got rid of Saddam Hussein ... [but] if we bring them home immediately it's going to put them in the line of fire. If we're going to fight [terrorists] 'over there,' let's fight them in Afghanistan."
• Immigration - "It depends on what people perceive as the problem. If it's security, we need to put a wall on both [Mexico and Canada] borders. If it's about jobs, it's about holding people accountable who hire illegal immigrants."
• Health care - "One in six Americans don't have [health insurance]. If a state has a tragedy, the federal government can help them out. But if your family has a [medical] tragedy ... it's the number one cause of bankruptcy and the number one cause of homelessness."
• Education - Ruiz said he favors more federal funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in order to inspire children to study math and science.
An uphill fight?
Although polling numbers indicate Williamson County is staunchly Republican, Ruiz said he is not intimidated.
The 31st congressional district takes in all of Williamson County, plus all of Bell, Coryell, Erath, Falls, Hamilton and Milam counties. Part of Robertson County is in the district.
Williamson County and Bell County (home to Fort Hood) are by far the largest of the eight counties in the district. Together, these two counties take in population centers such as Round Rock, Georgetown, Temple and Killeen.
More than half of the 159,005 votes Carter received came out of Williamson County in November 2004 - when he defeated Bell County Democrat Mary Beth Harrell.
But the county, Ruiz said, is growing - and changing. He noted Harrell received nearly 40 percent of the vote when she challenged Carter in 2006.
On the other hand Williamson County Republicans have - at least since the early 1990s - enjoyed success among straight-ticket voters.
In the November 2006 elections (to take the most recent example) about 25-percent of all votes cast were straight-Republican. In straight-ticket voting the GOP established a 23,148 (67 percent) to 11,167 (33 percent) advantage over Democrats.
Eye on Williamson 12/10/07 Democratic candidate for Congress in TX-31 Brian Ruiz is profiled in today’s RRL, Hutto Democrat files to challenge Carter. A primary theme of his campaign so far is that Rep. John Carter is out of touch and only represents a small “circle” of his constituency. That’s hard to argue with. Stating its time for a change in Congress, Hutto Democrat Brian Ruiz, 31, is scheduled today to announce his candidacy for District 31 U.S. representative. Correction: Press conference is Tuesday, December 11th, not today. Ruiz’ formal announcement is slated to take place at 11:30 a.m. at Texas Democratic Party Headquarters, 505 W. 12th St., Austin. The filing period for 2008 elections began Dec. 3 and continues through Jan. 2. So far Ruiz is the only candidate - Democrat or Republican - to publicly express an interest in taking on three-term GOP incumbent John Carter of Round Rock. “[People] are saying they do not have a congressman they can relate to, one that is visible,” Ruiz told the Leader. “I have lived in Hutto for over four years and I have never met John Carter. If you’re in his circle, he’ll keep you in touch, but if you’re just living the everyday life, he’s not an accessible congressman.” This is especially true when if you consider a couple of his recent votes. One on the Energy Bill and another on extending the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Despite Carter’s rhetoric his constituents, even some of those in his circle, are aware that when things like this are written for by him, that it’s probably just words on a page to him. More than likely it’s been a long time since Carter’s gone grocery shopping, or pumped his own gas. Much less worried that the high price of those items might cause him and his family to sacrifice something in their budget to pay for them. Most Americans and many of his constituents want the US to become less dependent on, not just foreign oil, but oil in general. It’s not surprising that our Congressman whose circle of friends includes his large stake in Exxon-Mobil would vote against an Energy Bill proposing to do just that. Although the oil corporations may no longer be making record profits, they are still making huge profits. Making clean energy a national priority like we once did with the space program, would benefit our county in many ways - create manufacturing jobs and new technologies, a stronger economy and a healthier, safer environment. Americans are willing to pay higher taxes if it “..reduced U.S. dependence on foreign oil, if it cut down on energy consumption, and reduced global warming”. Another battle in the Republicans “War On the Middle Class” is being fought over the plan to extend the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The Democrats want to extend this middle class tax relief by paying for the cuts with Pay-As-You-Go financing. Not by doing it the Republican way - increasing deficit spending. The Democratic plan would do it by making wealthy private equity fund managers pay their fair share. Making the extremely wealthy pay a little more to balance the tax burden only makes sense. It’s not surprising that Carter voted against this too. These two examples highlight Carter’s pathetic adherence his party’s policy of deficit spending. This out of touch, greedy, ideological, adherence to the status quo is no longer good enough for the constituents of Congressional District 31. There will be an alternative in November 2008 to voting for our current representative and his circle of friends. |
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