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Innovation

Science and technology have been responsible for half of the growth of the American economy since World War II. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies would you support to ensure that America remains the world leader in innovation?

Dana Rohrabacher

It is our goal to send the questionnaire to every candidate through email and post. However, we do not currently have an e-mail address for Dana Rohrabacher. Please contact us if you can provide this so that we can invite him to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy.

Debbie Cook

America can regain its prominence in science and technology. Debbie Cook supports removing politics from science by assuring that no political official interferes with the awarding of research grants nor the conduct of research, improving the cost and access to education for the American workforce, and leading the world on green technology. From the NIH to the National Academies to private Universities, there is no place in American research for political interference in any form. By removing this interference America can quickly regain its position in biotechnology including stem-cell research, climate change

The decline in the United State’s leadership in science and innovation corresponds to an unacceptable decline in our primary and secondary education systems. Debbie Cook supports giving the money and power to local communities to improve education and mold the next generation of scientists. Debbie Cook also supports improving the access and cost of college education for all Americans. Careers in public service, including at public research institutions such as the NIH, should qualify for student loan forgiveness and other incentives.

The United States government has a sad history of denying climate change and suppressing scientific research on its effects. It also has a unique opportunity to lead the world community in finding energy and climate change solutions as we enter this peak oil period. Debbie Cook supports tax and other incentives for primary and applied research into alternative energy and green technology.

Climate Change

The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on the following measures that have been proposed to address global climate change—a cap-and-trade system, a carbon tax, increased fuel-economy standards, and research? Are there other policies you would support?

Dana Rohrabacher

It is our goal to send the questionnaire to every candidate through email and post. However, we do not currently have an e-mail address for Dana Rohrabacher. Please contact us if you can provide this so that we can invite him to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy.

Debbie Cook

Faced with price volatility, the likelihood of supply disruptions and the physical limits of the world’s oil extraction industry, our government needs to think creatively about how we will provide services in an energy-constrained world.

We cannot predict the changes in our economies and ecosystems or even the likely responses to the peaking of world oil production, but we can begin the dialogue, raising public awareness, tackling public and private consumption, and making decisions about transportation and land use within the context of their energy implications. Just as we plan for medical emergencies, civil unrest and natural disasters, we must also plan for energy uncertainties. Our citizens are also vulnerable to high energy bills. One-point-two million American households had their utilities shut off this past summer because they couldn’t pay their bills. The high costs of fuels impacts everyone in higher food costs, goods and services and transportation. For the first time in our nations history, the price of food is directly linked to the price of fuel.

Transportation is the biggest user of fossil fuels, so we need to invest in more economical and efficient transportation systems. This is another area where we need to invest in American innovation. We need programs nationwide that will support sustainable building technologies because buildings are such a huge consumer of electricity and natural gas. There's a lot that can be done and we need representatives in Congress who understand the need to address energy issues quickly and creatively.

Cap and trade, carbon tax, and increased fuel economy standards are all part of the solution but they are only a small part of the solution. Debbie Cook supports immediate steps to constrain emissions and a long term plan to adapt to alternative energy sources and greatly increase energy efficiency.

Energy

Many scientists and policymakers say energy security and sustainability are major problems facing the United States this century. What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future?

Dana Rohrabacher

It is our goal to send the questionnaire to every candidate through email and post. However, we do not currently have an e-mail address for Dana Rohrabacher. Please contact us if you can provide this so that we can invite him to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy.

Debbie Cook

California is leading the nation in creating a new energy economy by setting targets that reduce energy consumption. We must continue directing resources toward efficiencies and conservation in construction, transportation, and consumption. Well paying, high skilled American jobs will retrofit homes, businesses, infrastructure, and sustainable transportation systems.

Investment in a clean energy economy will create new technologies and industries in America and give us the technological edge to compete globally. To meet our energy demands we will need alternative energy, including renewable resources such as solar and wind but also heavy research into energy sources we have not yet even discovered. In the immediate term the Federal government needs to show serious leadership by dramatically increasing the fuel economy of its own vehicle fleet, considering energy efficiency as a key factor in purchasing and contracting, and guaranteeing that new federal buildings and federally funded buildings are built to the latest standards in energy efficiency and green building. The environment and our thirst for energy are not necessarily incompatible and in fact with a support for science and technology, our transition to alternative energy sources and greater efficiency can benefit the environment and the economy.

Education

A comparison of 15-year-olds in 30 wealthy nations found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 17th, while average U.S. math scores ranked 24th. What role do you think the federal government should play in preparing K-12 students for the science and technology driven 21st Century?

Dana Rohrabacher

It is our goal to send the questionnaire to every candidate through email and post. However, we do not currently have an e-mail address for Dana Rohrabacher. Please contact us if you can provide this so that we can invite him to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy.

Debbie Cook

No Child Left Behind has shown us that simply requiring more red tape, mandates and restrictions without actually increasing teaching time and resources in the classroom does not improve education. To increase student performance we have to empower local communities with funding and flexibility to adapt educational programs to what works in that particular community. The federal government pays for very little of our children’s public school education. As a former PTA president and school volunteer, Debbie Cook knows that the best solutions are created locally. As a member of Congress Debbie Cook will fight for increased education funding to support effective local solutions.

Water

Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?

Dana Rohrabacher

It is our goal to send the questionnaire to every candidate through email and post. However, we do not currently have an e-mail address for Dana Rohrabacher. Please contact us if you can provide this so that we can invite him to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy.

Debbie Cook

Our groundwater sources are being both depleted and polluted, we are moving water thousands of miles into Southern California and Nevada at the cost of upstream ecosystems and great energy expense to pump the water. Our current water patters are not sustainable. The good news is changes in building design and efficiency, water reuse including groundwater recharge, and changing from tropical to drought-tolerate landscaping can make a significant difference in our water consumption rates. What the federal government can do is establish clear and enforceable rules for the movement of Colorado River and other interstate waterways used for drinking water and irrigation. The federal government must enforce standards of ecosystem health and sustainability for our precious waterways and wetlands. Congress can direct federal agencies to lead the way in green water-efficient building and provide local communities with the expertise and funding to become much more efficient in their collection, delivery, use and reuse of water.

Research

For many years, Congress has recognized the importance of science and engineering research to realizing our national goals. Given that the next Congress will likely face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in basic research in upcoming budgets?

Dana Rohrabacher

It is our goal to send the questionnaire to every candidate through email and post. However, we do not currently have an e-mail address for Dana Rohrabacher. Please contact us if you can provide this so that we can invite him to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy.

Debbie Cook

Research pays for itself many times over. While the next Congress will face tough budget choices Debbie Cook will support full funding for primary research. The research conducted by the National Academies of Science and other federal programs would not otherwise be done. Part of the answer involves closing corporate and individual tax loopholes to shore up the revenue side of the budget. Part of the answer involves finding a responsible end to the war in Iraq and its $342 million per day price tag. Part of the answer involves reforming the fee structure at the FDA and other regulatory agencies so that regulatory activities do not come at the funding expense of agency research. Much of the answer involves taking the facts to the Congress and to the people about the many benefits of government sponsored research.

Health

Americans are increasingly concerned with the cost, quality, and availability of health care. How do you see science, research, and technology contributing to improved health and quality of life?

Dana Rohrabacher

It is our goal to send the questionnaire to every candidate through email and post. However, we do not currently have an e-mail address for Dana Rohrabacher. Please contact us if you can provide this so that we can invite him to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy.

Debbie Cook

Healthcare decisions need to be made by patients and their doctors, not by clerical employees working for insurance companies. Up to 20% of the premiums we pay goes to support an unproductive insurance bureaucracy.

Healthcare professionals in growing numbers are supporting single payer health care where we use a system similar to Medicare to pay bills, and focus our efforts on improving the efficiency of care, especially treatment of chronic diseases. This isn’t socialized medicine or government-run medical care, but instead a much more efficient way of processing the payments. Instead of spending 20% of our health care dollars on armies of people in medical offices and insurance companies who shuffle paper and argue over bills, we need to spend 98% of our health care dollars on medical care. We also need to allow the government to negotiate prices for prescriptions so US consumers don’t pay the highest prices in the world for medicine.

Small business owners, self-employed individuals, and people between jobs all pay exorbitant rates for coverage, and medical bills are the biggest cause of personal bankruptcies. American businesses can’t be competitive in the world economy if we need to support these inefficient insurance companies and drug company ads on TV.

Science, research and technology will not only cure disease and improve care but it can greatly decrease the cost of care. Electronic and universally available medical records can improve health care and greatly decrease health administrative costs.

Scientists & Engineers for America

Candidate Responses for CA-46

Innovation

Dana Rohrabacher

Debbie Cook

Climate Change

Dana Rohrabacher

Debbie Cook

Energy

Dana Rohrabacher

Debbie Cook

Education

Dana Rohrabacher

Debbie Cook

Water

Dana Rohrabacher

Debbie Cook

Research

Dana Rohrabacher

Debbie Cook

Health

Dana Rohrabacher

Debbie Cook

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