Where Ken Stands
On Congress
I don't think the United States Senate is helping the people of Colorado. Our appointed Senator Michael Bennet is back there acting as a rubber stamp for the liberal leaders in Congress. He fits right in with the crowd that seems determined to bankrupt our country. Bennet admitted he didn't even read the $787 billion dollar stimulus bill he voted to approve.
As Colorado's Senator I'll be an independent voice representing the people on Main Street and in rural Colorado.
My message will be clear -- the spending increases have to stop, the deficit has to shrink and we have to get back to those values that we hold so dear in Colorado.
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On "Big Government" and The "Too Big to Fail" Theory
In every part of the state people tell me they are concerned about the growth of government. They are concerned about the burdens being placed on their kids and grandkids. And they're concerned about the threats to their individual liberties
It's bad for the country when the government owns car companies. That's not a role government is good at, and it's certainly not a role we ever considered for our government.
So why is it happening?
Well, Congress and government are out of control. They are not standing up for the principles that the people in Colorado and taxpayers across the country share. One of those principles is that NO company should ever be treated favorably with taxpayer dollars because they are considered "too big to fail."
We have a system in place to handle banks and other companies that get in trouble. It's called bankruptcy, and it should be used where appropriate.
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On Stimulus Spending and Jobs
The stimulus bill that was rammed through Congress in February was counterproductive. It was such a bad bill that a new word was coined "porkulus." Since it passed, both unemployment and the federal deficit have continued to rise. No new jobs, just huge new debt.
Record-setting deficits will continue to grow as the billions in "porkulus" spending continues to unfold. Our kids and grandkids will pay the price.
There will continue to be job disruptions. But people will learn new skills required by the new economy, and I believe we will come through the shakeout in good shape. We have made these transitions in the past and we will do so again. What we can't survive is the unprecedented effort to put Congress and the federal government in total control of our free market system.
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On Tax Policy
The fact that I am the only candidate for the U.S. Senate to sign the Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge means that I promise not to vote for tax increases as Colorado's U.S. Senator.
We are not under-taxed. The federal government is overspending. And as the endless string of spending in Congress continues so will the call for higher taxes. As the push for higher taxes emerges, I will be the Colorado Senator pushing to downsize government, not raise taxes.
I'll stay true to the Taxpayer Protection Pledge I have signed.
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On "Cap and Trade" and Energy
The largest transfer of wealth in human history has been the recent transfer from the industrial world, especially the United States, to the oil-producing world. We have to stop that.
However, the so-called "cap and trade" bill looming in Congress is not the answer. It's a looming disaster for our country. On this issue there couldn't be a bigger difference between the "appointed" Senator Michael Bennet and me. He says he wants to be for it. I'm strongly opposed. He will vote for it. I would fight to kill it before it can end up turning our already weakened economy upside down.
While I am in favor of moving as quickly as is practical to new energy alternatives to replace our dependence on foreign oil, I'm not in favor of sending our country on an economic suicide mission that would come with the passage of a "cap and trade" system.
The so-called green energy potential has to be put in perspective. We can't meet our energy demands with windmills and solar panels and other alternatives in the near term. We may get to the point in the next decade or two, but we're not there today. For now, we must continue to depend on our traditional sources of energy -- coal, oil and especially natural gas. It means we must aggressively expand energy production in our country, including stepping up off-shore drilling and looking to nuclear power as one of our best sources for non-carbon energy.
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On Iraq & Afghanistan
My son is a third year cadet at West Point. I'm very proud of my son's decision to serve his country. He understands the risks involved. He also understands there is a price for freedom in this country and he's willing to stand up and shoulder that burden. For so many of our brave men and women today, that means shouldering the burden in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We definitely need to continue a major effort in Afghanistan. We are told this effort will take at least 10 years. It will require both military and civilian personnel to help build up the country. The generals on the ground tell us we are likely to be in Afghanistan for the long term with a difficult and complicated mission.
As Colorado's Senator I will always look first to the advice of the generals, and I will strongly support the mission of our troops who are in harm's way.
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On Health Care
We have the best health care system in the world, and I will not lose sight of that fact as we work to solve the nagging problems within the system that must be fixed.
Like the majority of Coloradans, I understand that there are specific health care problems that need to be addressed, such as the uninsured, pre-existing conditions, and escalating costs.
I'm not for the public option. That's another big difference between the "appointed" Senator, Michael Bennet and me. He's strongly for a "public option" takeover of our private health care system by the federal government. I am strongly against it.
Eighty-five percent of Americans are on an insurance plan and we get care that is as good as anywhere else through those plans. In fact, recent studies continue to show that 85% of us are happy with our current health care plan, and we don't want to throw what's working well for us overboard in the name of health care reform.
Only our out-of-touch leaders in Washington, D.C. would seriously consider taking such a catastrophic step as passing legislation that would require turning our private health care system over to the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
My hope is that Michael Bennet and his liberal allies will be turned back, and that I will be able to work with other new Senators in the next Congress to provide targeted solutions that will bring quality care to everyone without hurting the 85% of Americans who have quality health care they are happy with.
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On Immigration
How can we be a strong country if we can't control our borders? How can we be a strong country if can't deal effectively with the problem of illegal immigration? The answer, of course, is we can't.
We should start the path to immigration reform by finally sealing our borders to illegal traffic, both north and south and at our ports. Then we must enforce the laws that are already on the books to deal with illegal immigration.
The federal government has not been effective in protecting our borders and addressing the issue of illegal immigration. What the federal government has done is shift the burden of enforcing these laws to the county level.
One of the growing problems flowing from illegal immigration is identify theft. Weld County, my home county, is unfortunately no stranger to the crime of identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission ranked Weld County fourth in the country for identity theft cases in 2006, third in 2007 and 11th in 2008. We are working hard to deal with this problem but it will continue to grow until we get serious about dealing with illegal immigration.
We need to have a finely crafted guest worker program that is sufficient to meet the needs of our economy. I believe we can do that and still get serious about dealing effectively with the larger illegal immigration problem.
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