Paulette Garin for Congress

Deciding upon the core issues for the platform of my campaign was easy. I simply looked at our nation as a family. Every family needs to be healthy, educated, and financially secure. When we nurture our country as we do our families, we will be in the best position to solve any and all of our concerns. We will be strong and resistant to the politics of fear. We will not end up in situations like the War in Iraq.

It is important to recognize that all decisions we make in regard to any issue, directly or indirectly, impact every other issue. We need an integrated ‘big picture’ approach to move our country forward. We are all in this together.

HEALTH CARE

Our Country is truly facing a health care crisis. One out of six Americans has no health insurance. Even more distressing is that many of us with health insurance are at risk of losing our coverage or are underinsured. Those insured by their employer are at risk if they lose their job.

While there are several plans being talked about, I am most in favor of a universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care plan that would be modeled after Medicare and would provide coverage to all Americans.

A Medicare-type program would have the advantage of low administrative expenses. Moreover, participants could still see their own doctors and choose their own hospitals.

While the Federal Government decides which path to follow in solving the health care crisis, Wisconsin, and a handful of other states, may actually lead the way by developing programs to provide health
insurance to their residents. I applaud the Wisconsin State Legislature in their recent efforts to provide health insurance
through the proposed “Healthy Wisconsin” initiative.

Perhaps Wisconsin, long known for its progressive values, could become a model for our country! The Federal Government could then serve as a facilitator to the states making sure the individual state programs are transferable and comparable to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). This is the same type of coverage that the Members of Congress receive.

Whether we follow a federal or state approach, it is imperative that we address escalating costs and rein in the disproportionate influence that the pharmaceutical and insurance companies currently have. Regardless of the approach, we need to provide affordable, comprehensive, and portable health coverage for every American. We need to ensure that no one is denied coverage because of a job loss or pre-existing condition.

Ultimately, I see our health care crisis being resolved through a collaborative effort where the best ideas to serve everyone come forth. We cannot afford any shallow compromises. We must have the best health care programs for our citizens. We cannot permit another health care insult to the American people like the one created by Medicare Part D. This is America and we can do better.

We need to expand our dialogue about health care beyond securing immediate or acute health care for every citizen. Preventative care must be an integral part of our health care system. In the long run, preventative care will also help keep health care costs down. Likewise, protecting our environment and proper screening of our food and water supplies will prevent disease and create a healthy
environment for all of us.

EDUCATION

As an educator, I have seen first hand that the current state of public
education in this country is at risk of leaving EVERY child behind. New programs to support the underperforming have often been inadequately implemented due to improper funding. In the meantime, we fall behind in producing students ready to compete in a global economy. Real investment in public education is the path to family
supporting jobs, economic development, innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

Supporting science and math education will expand our brainpower to solve energy, environment, and infrastructure concerns. I applaud the House of Representatives for taking a step in the right direction with their recent bill, H. R. 2272, the Omnibus Innovation & Competitiveness bill, which became Public Law No: 110-69 on August 9, 2007. This bill combined 5 separate bills to support math and science education, engineering research, The National Science Foundation, technology & manufacturing, and computers.

The National Assessment for Education Progress recently stated that most high school seniors are severely lacking in basic knowledge of civics and government. We cannot afford to let a generation of children grow up unaware of our precious civil liberties and the sacrifice of those who made them a reality.

In supporting education, we need to make sure that we do not neglect any component from pre-school through college and vocational training. Education is cumulative and each phase prepares our children for the next phase. Education helps to insure the continuation of the middle class.

The “No Child Left Behind” program as it stands now must be
overhauled. Section 9528 of the Act permits military recruiters to go inside our schools and have direct contact with our children and access to their personal information unless a parent signs a document opting out. Schools or school districts that do not comply with this provision risk losing federal funding. Improving education should not come with strings attached.

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

The issues of the environment and energy are in many ways intertwined and will be best solved by the investments we make in education. With an expanding “brain trust” of individuals who are highly skilled in Math, Science and Engineering, we will be enabled to develop alternative, non-polluting methods of energy and to provide more effective means of conservation.

We have already been shown overwhelming evidence of global warming, but have also been told of possible ways to turn the tide. This requires that we become conscious of the result of our actions toward our environment. Education is the method by which everyone will learn the importance of stewardship of our earth and all its resources. When we strive to restore and maintain the environment, we will have a healthy place to call home. The job starts with each one of us, and the time to start is NOW.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

I was raised fiscally responsible. My grandfather always said, “It does not matter how much money you made, but how much you saved.” Our current president and his followers have driven this country into unimaginable debt with their privileged class tax cuts,
irresponsible budget practices, and a war tab escalating out of control.

The GOP appears to have lost sight of what real fiscal responsibility is all about. You cannot consider yourself financially conservative when you support no-bid contracts, send $12 billion dollars of non-traceable cash to Iraq, and operate a budget like an
over-extended credit card with little thought about what impact this
behavior will have on our country.

I will work diligently against unfair tax cuts and demand budgets that respect the hard earned tax dollars you have entrusted to Congress.

For a democracy to survive there must be taxes. We all contribute to maintain the idea that is America. America is not a person, place, or thing. It is a concept that we all must believe in for it to
succeed. But we must expect that those given the stewardship of our tax dollars do so in a fiscally responsible manner.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY

How unfortunate is it that government accountability can be an issue on which to run a campaign? Abraham Lincoln said that the role of government is to do for the people what they cannot do for
themselves. Applied to our current times and circumstances, we should be able to rely upon government agencies to protect and serve us. The recent outbreaks of tainted food, medicine, and consumer goods are a clear indication that the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) are in need of serious revision. We need to restore an adequate number of inspectors and scientists in order to be proactive and prepared, not reactive and unprepared.

IRAQ WAR

The Iraq War has surpassed being an issue. It is the most unfortunate remnant to be left behind by the current failed administration. It is what happens when we, as a nation, allow ourselves to be manipulated by the politics of war.

Our children and grandchildren will bear the cost of our nation’s depleted financial resources and tarnished reputation for years to come. Imagine how much education and health care could have been paid for with all the money that was spent on this war? Total cost estimates have been as high as $2 trillion.

By invading Iraq under the false pretense of weapons of mass destruction, we lost credibility. By staying in Iraq under the phony guise of creating democracy we destroyed our nation's goodwill with the rest of the world. We now know that the probable cause for the Iraq War had far more to do with oil than anything else.

There is no doubt in my mind that there are dangerous people in the world who may not share the same values as we do. However, diplomacy, not war, is and always will be the solution. Education is the tool to overcome ignorance and intolerance. It is the method by which we will strengthen our relationships both domestically and internationally. When we better understand our neighbors we will be better prepared to work with them diplomatically. The more we know, the better we will do.

We need to concentrate now on protecting our own country from terrorists and natural disasters, while we repair our international relationships. If there is to be a war against terror it has to be for true democracy, and world wide social justice, not oil.

SUMMARY

Hopefully, we have finally learned that we cannot neglect ourselves physically, intellectually, and financially and then still expect to be successful. We need to be in the best possible condition to solve our problems.

In addition, once we truly take care of ourselves, we will gain quiet confidence and lose our fear. We won’t end up in impossible international situations like Iraq. It is my plan as your future Congresswoman to fight for Universal Health Care, ensure a quality education for all of our children, and demand an accountable government. In addition, I will be relentless in my efforts to protect our precious Civil Liberties, American jobs, and the environment. I will demand that our troops be brought home. Our Republican incumbent has failed at every one of the above mentioned issues, either by voting “NO!” or failing to take any action. It’s time to turn this page in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District and return leadership to someone who will exercise courage and create hope for the future.

Thank you.