Questions for Senator Wayne Allard

Senator Wayne Allard has agreed to participate in a Q&A with Colorado Pols on June 10, but we're going to be doing it a little bit differently than normal.

Trying to schedule an entire day for a Q&A with a member of Colorado's congressional delegation is next to impossible, so we think we've come up with the next best thing to our traditional "live" version. Here's how it's going to work:

We will solicit your questions for Senator Allard through the afternoon of June 3. At that point, we will send Senator Allard our 11 questions along with 10-15 of your best questions, and then he will take a week to answer them and send them back to us. On June 10, we will publish the entire Q&A.

What's the criteria for your questions? There really is no pre-set criteria. We'll try to select the questions that best represent the overall themes that you broach below, and we'll also give more weight to questions that have the best chance to solicit an interesting answer. We'll try to avoid sending him a bunch of softballs as well, so keep them creative and thought-provoking.

Obviously we'd love to always have a "live" Q&A, but that's not realistic in certain cases. We hope you agree that this is the next best thing. We'll also post a link each day back to this post so you don't have to go searching for where to leave your questions.

Okay, that about covers it. Submit your questions for Senator Allard below until the afternoon of June 3, and then we'll post the full Q&A on June 10. If you have questions or comments about this process, leave them below or e-mail us directly.

Only questions that are submitted in the COMMENTS section below will be considered for Senator Allard (we won't accept questions for Senator Allard via e-mail). This way you can be sure that we didn't just ditch your questions and make them all up ourselves.

Start your questions any time...

Comments

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

Senator Allard,
I have several policy questins:

1. What are the 5 top policy issues at the federal level for your constituents, and how have they changed in the last two years?
2. What are your top 5 priorities in the Senate, and how have they changed in the last two years?
3. Although health care costs are only about 5% or 6% of people's gross income and 5% to 8% of most employers' payrolls, health care costs are a major concern.

4. Do you agree that the some 11 million illegal immigrants who comprise some 58% of the 19 million people who are uninsured for a full year are a major cause of rising health care costs? If so, what can we do about it?

5. Do you see a way to require everyone who files an income tax return or directly or indirectly pays payroll taxes to buy catastrophic health insurance with a deductible of no more than $2,500 per person? Would this reduce the number of uninsured and the rate of increase in health care expenditures significantly?

6. Both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates back forcing us to put ethanol in our gasoline. And now the corn farmers, who also grow soybeans, which are used in biodiesel fuel, want to force the use of biodiesel fuel. It takes more energy to produce ethanol and biodiesel fuel than they save. How can non corn state Congressmen stop this fraud. Why haven't you filibustered on this costly issue?

7. The war on Islamic terrorists seems to be going relatively well, except for securing our borders. Do you consider our open, insecure borders a security problem, or just a political problem? Why?

8. Publicly-owned corporations are calling for relaxation of Sarbanes-Oxley, which Fed Chair Greenspan has praised. Do you favor changing the law?

9. Do you see any chance that the campaign finance law will be changed in light of its ineffectiveness?

Thank you for your time.

I am a nationalist, economic and separation of Church and State Republican.

[Jerry]

Senator Allard.
In two different form letters sent by your office in response to letters from me about the filibuster you clearly stated that the Democrats were wrong to filibuster judges. Spefically from your first letter: "The current filibusters of President Bush's Circuit Court nominees clearly demonstrates an active effort by a minority of Senators to block the confirmation of well-qualified judicial nominees. I firmly believe that
these tactics have damaged the judicial nomination process to an unacceptable degree, and now it must be corrected."

How can you reconcile that opinion, when you personally joined filibusters of two Clinton judicial appointes, Marsha Berzon and Richard Paez (who waited four years for an up or down vote,) and after cloture was voted by 69 Senators, you voted to postpone a vote indefinitely. You also joined a filibuster against David Satcher for an administrative position. And you further placed personal holds on James Lyons for the 10th circuit and Patricia coan for a District Court spot.

How you justify your divergent opinion without seeming hypocritical.

[JoePa]

Who is your favorite Democrat in congress?

[Daniel Ong]

Senator Allard,

What can you do to restore states rights regarding establishment of drinking ages? MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) lobbied to have federal highway funds held hostage unless states limited legal alcohol consumption to 21 and over, which arguably has led to fewer deaths from alcohol-related traffic accidents (there has been a decline overall anyway), but has led to many other problems. There has been an increase in binge drinking, resulting in deaths from over-consumption of alcohol. 18-20 year olds are now drinking in private situations where they are not learning to drink responsibly and not supervised by older, mature persons since any such alcohol consumption is illegal. As the 18-20 age group has traditionally been the period of college age exploration and experimentation, this total prohibition has also resulted in lowered respect for government institutions with unreasonably restrictive laws.

I think Colorado had it right previously to federal highway funds being held hostage, where 18-20 year olds could legally purchase and drink 3.2 beer to gain experience with alcohol consumption (not concentrated enough to kill someone), but hard liquor was limited to 21 and older (Jon Caldara of the Independence Institute calls this "training wheels" for alcohol). 18-20 year olds can legally vote and fight for their country but legally can't enjoy a beer or a glass of wine.

I suggest instead of requiring total prohibition of legal alcohol consumption under 21 to receive highway funds allocations, instead require a virtual zero tolerance of driving while ability impaired for drivers in the first five years of licensing (BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of 0.02% or greater results in loss of drivers license for a year; this is not age-discriminatory since it is based on driver experience).

This issue was raised during Pete Coors' campaign last year for Colorado's other senate seat, but his opinion was dismissed for having a potential conflict of interest. You have no ties to the alcohol industry so you could approach this issue objectively.

You are rated as one of the most libertarian of congressional members, although primarily because of economic issues (see http://www.republicanliberty.org/libdex/li2004_over.htm Republican Liberty Caucus ratings). How about it, Senator? Why not let states decide this issue for themselves and not hold federally collected highway funds hostage?

Daniel Ong, Boulder, 2004 Libertarian for CU Regent At Large

[Harvey Nichols]

Subject: Russia cuts Ukraine's gas supply.

Would Senator Allard please consider asking the US State Dept. to pressure Russia to refrain from blackmailing Ukraine over gas supplies this winter, perhaps by asking the G 7 nations to eject Russia from the G 8 group if it cannot behave responsibly in a trading relationship?

[Zane Hewitt]

The lives that are being taken are ,to me, should not be being taken i think that the war should end. I think bush should sign a trety with Iraq.

[Linda Ohlson Graham]

Hello ...

-Similar to this- emails .are.
.a. ... ->grass roots effort- >towards ... ->creating WORLD PEACE and THE END of Global Warming.

Would -you- be kind enough to
send ... / i.e.: forward -this news- to your address book ...
with a request that those who receive it -resend it- to -their- address book ... etc. please?

........................................................................

Press Release

Trident Booksellers and Cafe 940 Pearl St. Boulder
will have an exhibit of photography and writing pieces
by fine photographer and ecstatic poet:
Linda Ohlson Graham:

HOW to create World Peace and bring .THE END. to Global Warming
+ Global Visuals #3 ...

will be from Aug. 28 - Sept. 17, 2008.
There will be a reception for the artist on the back patio Fri. Aug. 29th ... 6-8PM. *

.......................................................

There will be an -International Peace Day- celebration at the Boulder Band-shell : Broadway and Canyon Sept. 21st* from 10-2pm
produced by District 1 & 2 of the Department of Peace and by Care for the Planet.

Linda Ohlson Graham will share her own poetry and writing during the event
and have an exhibit displayed titled
-HOW to create World Peace and bring .THE END. to Global Warming
+ Global Visuals #4-. *

* YOU (the person reading this ...)
...V............ + -> everyone is
..are .................. invited ! .

There is no charge for either event. Information about other Peace related events Linda has been involved with is below the following contact info:

Contact info:
Linda Ohlson Graham PO # 1928 Boulder, CO 80306-1928

[email protected]

Not for publication please: 720-985-5691

www.earthoceanheavens.com www.lindaohlsongraham.com

On Sun. Aug. 3rd, 2008 ...just after Jack Groverland-s talk at Unity Church Valmont and Folsum Boulder, CO (both services) Linda Ohlson Graham was asked to share some of her poetry/writing. She also had an exhibit: * HOW to create World Peace and bring .THE END. to Global Warming + Global Visuals #2 from 9AM – 3PM in the church's 'Fellowship Hall'.

At both the 9 and 11AM services: Sunday June 22nd ...Linda was invited by Unity Church of Boulder ... to share some of her -HOW to create World Peace and bring .THE END. to Global Warming- * writing and poetry -as the opening prayer-.

Another recent Sunday (April 20th, 2008) the Boulder Unity Church invited Linda to be the 'Special Guest Artist' at both services. She shared other excerpts from her -HOW to create World Peace and bring .THE END. to Global Warming- writing and poetry. Linda also had a table in Fellowship Hall before and after both services and had her © WORLDS BEYOND WITHIN CD ... and a few of her © EARTH OCEAN HEAVENS photographs on view and available for sale.

On Saturday March 15, 2008 Linda was invited to share some of her poetry and writing re: HOW to create WORLD PEACE and bring .THE END. to Global Warming at thE
-Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center rallyCAN .easily. happen ...
in a moment or two of silence ... in ENOUGH of the collective mind. TY

..............................................................
.............................................

Because of the challenging situation our Planet and much of Humanity appear to be in ...
the efforts Linda Ohlson Graham is making towards creating World Peace and bringing THE END to Global Warming feel timely.

.Respectfully submitted.