Juan Thomas Candidate Questionnaire

1) What is the No. 1 issue in your district and how would you address it?

I first support passing the American Jobs Act that President Obama introduced last September.  The Jobs Act proposes cutting the payroll tax in half to help small businesses hire more people and expand operations.  It proposes putting construction workers and contractors back to work on shovel-ready projects to modernize roads and bridges and other infrastructure jobs.  There’s also a tax credit for veterans ranging from $5,600 to $9,600 to encourage the hiring of unemployed veterans. These and many other measures in the Jobs Act offer a solution to the jobs crisis, now, while also laying out a plan for sustained economic recovery. 

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2) How would you promote job growth in your district?

I will join as a co-sponsor to the Restore the American Dream Act for the 99%. This Act for the 99% creates over 5 million jobs over the next two years and will reduce the budget deficit by over 2 trillion over the next 10 years. We will bring many of those jobs to the 11th Congressional District.  Additionally, small businesses are the key to economic growth in my district. In Congress, I will support new tax credits to help small businesses grow and creation of a community bank program to increase lending to small businesses.

3) Should the federal government cut spending and where?

The federal government can reduce spending by reducing the number of non-combat troop and by withdrawing from the war in Afghanistan. The Unites States should certainly maintain its role as an international peace keeper, but we should not continue to spend resources that should go to education and other domestic programs on wars that we cannot win.  Similarly, it makes no sense for the country to maintain troop levels of the Cold War era in places where there is little to no threat.  It is critical that our troops have the training, equipment and support they need in combat, but at the same time we must begin to shift defense dollars to long-term investments here at home. 

4) If Republican, which GOP presidential candidate do you support?

N/A

5) Give an example of something you’ve done that is bipartisanship in nature.

During my time on the West Aurora School Board, my Republican colleagues and I put aside our partisan agendas to focus on the best way to educate the students of our district. There is no Republican way or Democratic way to educate a child. There are some issues that are common sense. Helping our nation’s homeless and putting Americans back to work are issues where there should be no partisan fighting. Members of Congress need to learn that all of their posturing does little good for the majority of Americans working to put food on the table or making sure that there is a roof over their head.  By finding our common ground we can do what the American people elected us to do and that is to move the country forward.

6)  Name one good policy idea that comes from the opposing party.

Many Republicans believe that we need to do away with many social service programs that serve as a life line to the poor and even working class families.  I do not agree that everyone should be left to pull themselves up by their bootstraps -- especially when some don’t even have shoes – but I do agree with the sentiment that every individual, who is of able mind and body, should be productive.  To achieve this goal we must make the investment of resources and craft polices that level the field for a quality education and access to employment/career opportunities.

7) How do you define family values?

Whether a family unit is traditional or untraditional family, values are represented by parents who lead by example and live by the Golden Rule:  doing unto others as they’d have others do unto you. 

8)  What are your thoughts on the healthcare law?

I believe the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 was a step in the right direction.  We must do more to ensure that every citizen has access to high quality, affordable health care.  Moving forward there must be a public health insurance option to reduce health care costs and the ability for negotiate Medicare drug prices.

9)   Who is your political role model?

  • Paul Simon: Honesty and Integrity
  • Bill Clinton: One of the smartest people in public life today. He understands policy and politics and can explain both to any audience to make them understand. He's got the head and heart for service.
  • Maynard Jackson: He understood the importance of business and government partnerships to create opportunities by investing in the local community.

10)  What’s on your iPod?

Wynton Marsalis & Prince

 

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