Asked and answered
Mary Potter Q & A – Senator Rand Paul Town Hall Meeting – Murray State University January 11, 2012 Editor’s Note – Questions and answers are as I heard them – either or both may be incomplete. Do not consider this an official transcript, but a sampling of the issues raised and the answers given. Q.: Judge Mike Miller – Region needs help with lock project – running out of money. What can Senator do?
Let people bring foreign capital back at 5% - and use it for infrastructure 420 million KY gets is not enough – narrow bridges over KY Lakes – he’s been on bridges. With a 3.8 trillion budget take from what is being wasted and put it into something useful. Q.: How much is locks funding paid for – shouldn’t user fees be more of percentage?
Miller: A pretty good percentage comes out of user fee for barge companies.
Comment from audience – If gas tax gets raised – that raises their food costs. New regs on truckers will raise prices.
Q.: GE pays no tax – make a new bracket
Some anger is justified. I’m not happy that you work for a bank on Wall Street, get in trouble, you get bailed out. When I ran for office – I said I would have let the banks go bankrupt. Q.: I have a small farm with my husband. We compost manure. Friends and neighbors purchase composted manure. We just received letter on fertilizer laws from the state. It requires three different forms filed quarterly and pay a fee of $500. Residual nitrogen phosphorus. Not calling fertilizer. Cannot afford to hire anyone because of regulations.
In 1970s – Clean Water Act said no one can dump into lake. Someone decided clean fill, compost is a pollutant. Wetlands not in the Act. If bird in Florida flies to KY – lands in your backyard – you could be a wetlands. Q.: When you ran, you said you would reduce the size of tax code. – what specifically have you done ?
Q.: from Carol Forman – pancreatic action network. SB 362 reintroduced – 42 co-sponsors – 4th leading cause of cancer deaths. Treatment options limited. Lowest survival rate 6% In KY – pancreatic cancer is on the rise. When bill comes to floor would you support?
Q.: from Joseph – on the issue of wealth equality – US in bottom 5% in wealth equality. What do you plan to do regarding this growing disparity.
Believes in a free enough society that govt not making someone rich. Do not like idea that very wealthy people should get bonuses guaranteed by gov’t. Don’t believe that it is just for gov’t to do that. Q.: Tony – Heard you opposed voting rights act and Civil Rights Act of 1965. Came to hear it from you – do you support them?
Q.: from Kirk Freibert – What is near term outlook on the military budget?
Baseline on everything is going up. Sequestration – 60 billion against proposed increases. Takes a real cut first year. Spending from 2001 has doubled. Wants best weapons and best soldiers – but have to consider that we cannot give a blank check. Q.: 9% approval rating of Congress – how about Congress give up insider trading exemption?
Should pass no law that exempts Congress from that law. Q.: from Will – US - highest corporate tax rate in the world? Competitive disadvantage?
Infuriating – cannot get a narrow portion passed. If part of overall tax reform – there are 1000 moving parts. Foreign investment coming back at 5% tax could go into infrastructure. Nothing personal against the president – 5 to 6 issues that could pass. But they should be in pieces. Q.: I see a big corporate assault on unions. Big corporations locking out unions –
Not an either or – I’m for open agreements. Union members should not be forced to contribute to political views. AARP – one of the most liberal lobbies up there. Send stuff out on me that I am against old people. Q.: Mike Nutter – recently retired – just moved to Murray. Supported amendment to repeal Obamacare.
Q.: from Dottie Cramer – drug free coalition in Calloway Co. addresses substance abuse issues at the local level. It is a cost efficient way to deal with problem. Over ten years we have seen significant reductions in drug issues. It is cost effective.
Q.: (Rand Paul’s) Daddy has brought a lot of attention to himself. Auditing the Federal Reserve. I want to say I believe the Federal Reserve is at the base of all our problems.
Not just 700 billion from taxpayer. Fed did 7 trillion on their own. People at top of food chain didn’t suffer at all. Great inflation in housing – wrong signal. Keeping interest rates above market should have slowed the economy down. If interest rate at zero – then message was keep building houses. Q.: What is it going to take to turn a do nothing Congress into a do something Congress?
Q.: When are you going to run for president?
Q.: What about incomplete legislation being passed?
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