Questions & Answers
andrea on the issues & her priorities
Find out more:
PRIORITIES FOR THE 17TH
DISTRICT
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Providing outstanding constituent service: helping
district residents with their problems with the federal government.
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Working DAILY to help facilitate economic growth and
attract
and keep jobs. A national economic recovery is underway, yet the people of
the 17th District are watching their best jobs go and so, by U.S. Census
Bureau figures, are leaving the district themselves.
We have lost 14,000 of our best jobs on this congressman’s watch,
1982-2006. We need to be PROACTIVE in 1) knowing when they’re in danger 2)
working tirelessly to stem or alleviate the loss and 3) having a PLAN for
what good jobs are suited to us and us to them in the future. A long-range
vision with tangible goals enables all involved to coordinate
demographics, work force skills, educational curricula, and recruitment.
I am an advocate for agricultural research and development, partly because
we have been world leaders, now in danger of losing that advantage to
emerging world powers like China and South America; and partly because I
believe the 17th is uniquely suited—with its raw materials, available
warehousing, ag-dominant state universities and POTENTIAL for
infrastructure development—to ag research corridors, triangles, etc.
Distribution and warehousing also holds promise.
The future of the 17th could be very bright because of agriculture—just as
its history has been deep in the soils of Illinois.
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Serving as liaison in a way that has been lacking in
the 17th for at least a decade. Visiting the District on a regular and
thorough basis, knowing and working with its community leadership, sharing
information on regional strengths,
facilitating ideas, projects, programs and bringing earmarks back from
Washington. Being a strong voice for the needs of the 17th.
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Improving transportation access and usage in the 17th
District, including the locks on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, the
I-74 bridge in the Quad Cities and others, railroads, a ferry from New
Boston to the Oakville Iowa vicinity, 336/136 from Quincy to Peoria and
ultimately Chicago, and other highway improvements and building.
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Keeping alive and growing the renewed interest in
renewable energy sources (ethanol, E85, biodiesel, wind power). It can
only benefit our farmers and our environment, plus saving dollars for the
consumer, and as a member of Congress I would be vigilant in responding to
this interest.
Tax credits were put into the recently passed Energy Bill, for solar
energy and hybrid vehicles. Why not make them permanent?
While new technology in coal production holds promise, we as a nation
simply must reduce our consumption of non-renewable fuels from other
nations. That we made this vow in 1973 and are back in a position of
helpless dependency, is not only to be decried—it’s dangerous.
We must educate the American consumer on the need—and advantage—of
renewable sources, thus increasing demand.
This has the happy advantage, in the 17th Congressional District, of
upping corn and soybean production, and I would be relentless in
encouraging increased levels of usage and production.
Wind power is a HUGE source of interest in the 17th right now, and seems
to have relatively little downside other than the need to secure adequate
markets.
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Monitoring and constantly improving the quality of our
educational system .
PRIORITIES FOR CONGRESS
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Continuing to monitor the physical safety of the
public. We have not had a terrorist attack on American soil since 9-11 and
must do all within our power to keep it that way.
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Making health care accessible and affordable to all
Americans—with first attention to children, veterans and the elderly.
Everyone needs to be covered but through CHOICE of plans. The more control
the consumer has over his or her own money and decisions, the sooner we
will start to see real reform. Health Savings Accounts are a good example.
We need also to pass Health Care Choice, such as the Health Care Choice
Act of 2005 which Lane Evans voted “no” to. It would have allowed
small-business employers to shop nationwide for the best insurance plans
for their workers.
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Taking up Social Security, now. We have an older
population relatively dependent on this program—a boomer population now
coming into retirement and skewing, by its very size, the entire plan—and
young workers who face being saddled with supporting those on Social
Security to an unprecedented degree, while unsure themselves to what
degree they even want to contribute. All these needs must be addressed;
and why is it that governments, state and federal, are free to raid funds
for other purposes?
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Working constantly on energy. Discussed above, but
there are national issues. I support a federal fuel standard, which would
eliminate the 16 regional sets of standards which currently make shipping
and production so piecemeal, thus causing the wide fluctuation in prices
at the pump. We could convert empty military facilities on the coasts to
the refineries we are lacking. We should stop making purchases for the
Strategic Oil Reserves, and in fact release some to take the wind out of
speculation, thus dropping prices.
We need to decide whether to drill in ANWR, and what other
domestic sources we can access. Coal would be a big possibility for us in
the 17th.
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Promoting agriculture. Enlightened work on ag programs
must necessitate a thorough understanding of energy issues, world trade,
tariffs, agritourism, mass marketing and public education, biotech and
bioethics…it is an intertwined field.
Rather than specific changes, let me discuss my overall goals: to highly
respect and regard agriculture both as a way of life (values, work ethic
etc.) and a source of income for the 17th. When your major employers are
Deere and Company and Archer/Daniels/Midland, it isn’t difficult to see
what a two-way street we are on: our region’s importance to the world, and
the world’s importance to our region. Those farmers riding a tractor at 5
miles an hour are global players.
This is one reason I am vitally interested in issues of national and world
trade.
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Holding the line on taxes. According to the National
Taxpayers Union’s latest scorecard, the 17th District has THE MOST
tax-and-spend congressman in the entire U.S.A.—Lane Evans, ranked 435 out
of 435. I support permanent repeal of the estate (death) tax. I have
signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge to resist any increase in the
marginal tax rates, or any cuts or elimination of deductions or tax
credits unless matched dollar-for-dollar in some other way. I believe we
must help our small businesspeople with fewer taxes, less regulation, less
litigation.
In short, we have something much of the rest of the world envies and
wants: QUALITY OF LIFE. We can do better and we CAN have that brighter
world that will keep our children and our grandchildren here, enjoying
good health, good education, good jobs, and the same good life we love.
ON THE ISSUES
War on Terrorism
War in Iraq happened for several reasons. It began with the refusal of
Saddam Hussein to observe UN sanctions. It is not just about WMD, not just
about fighting terrorism, not just about building democracy. It is about all
those things and more.
I have attended several troop departure ceremonies, one
military funeral procession and at least three military homecomings, talking
at length with soldiers either home on leave or back for the foreseeable
future, and with their families; and with the exception of one, those I have
spoken with truly believe they are fighting for freedom. They describe
building projects and alliances forged with the Iraqi people, one-on-one. It
is our duty as the American people to support them in that belief, because
they have been willing to lay their lives on the line for it and for us.
That we are going to depart from Iraq, leaving it to its
own people to grow and defend, must be widely recognized there and here. How
else to promote the responsibility we seek? That we must not set a firm
timetable seems obvious until we can say Iraq is stabilized and capable of
self-protection and self-rule.
Our goal as a nation should be long-range, consistent
foreign policy—nowhere more so than in the Middle East. In a region as
volatile as that one, we must have allies.
Patriot Act
Passed after 9-11, of course; and at a time when we as a nation were
aggressive in seeking to prevent another such atrocity on American soil. We
must not minimize the fact that to date, we’ve been successful at that.
The underlying difficulty of the Patriot Act is that it
pits two of the fundamental purposes of government against one another:
general safety and protection, and personal liberty.
As a member of Congress I would want to know as
conclusively as possible how many prevented/aborted plots/attacks could be
traced to intervention via the Patriot Act; and how many violations of an
American’s civil liberties could be traced to same.
So far, prevailing information is that such fears are
not a documented problem. Congress will amend the Patriot Act: it has
already passed on an opportunity to do so by the end of this past year,
extending the matter to February 3.
The best course of action with the Patriot Act is
regular review, to sunset or remove certain provisions as they are deemed
unnecessary—in some cases unnecessarily restrictive to our freedoms, and in
others unnecessary from a practical, preventive point of view.
As for how Congress is doing, it is so far doing what
Congress does well: delaying. However there are times when that is a good
thing, because insofar as the Patriot Act provides us a national safety net,
a two-party system is charged with not just changing it, but changing it for
the better.
National Security Agency / Wiretaps
The question of presidential authority to bypass the National Security
Agency is one for our courts to decide. A President’s powers are, by nature
of our governmental framework, constantly subject to review and
interpretation of existing law.
Health Care Coverage
I regard health care as the number-one issue in this country which Congress
has not yet had the courage to truly address. Without good health,
nothing else matters. And yes, the U.S. most definitely has a health-care
crisis.
Every effort should be made to encourage the American
consumer to have health insurance, and to use it wisely and fairly.
The problem is not so much access to critical
care—people on the whole do not get turned away for emergency care or
catastrophic illness—as preventive care. The uninsured cannot and do not
seek it—problems develop and compound, becoming emergency or
catastrophic-–costs for everyone go up. Similarly, abuse of the system also
raises costs—so that someone who has excellent coverage but uses it
excessively and/or frivolously, also raises prices for his or her fellow
carrier, employer and consumer.
Thus affordable health care depends on everyone carrying
coverage to a degree which encourages preventive care and maintenance
(without abuse, and with fair pricing by the insurance industry.)
How to do that? One of the best ways available on the
short term is health savings accounts (HSAs). These replace the old,
crapshoot Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) by giving the insured more
control of his or her own money, AND (very important to the question of
cost) more of a self-monitoring role in the healthcare process.
Any plan of access and affordability must also address a
third factor: quality. We must preserve innovation and quality, currently
better in the U.S. than anywhere in the world. The call for single-payer
universal health coverage through the national government ignores the fact
that everywhere it’s been tried, it’s led to a steep decline in quality AND
availability. We need universal coverage that preserves competition and
choice and keeps quality and availability of care high.
Another way to assure that such care is available is to
move decisively to end the flight of doctors by federal legislation capping
non-economic damages. Anyone knows that Illinois is in the center of the
tort reform question and is losing doctors because of it. State legislation
capping non-economic damages went promptly to the courts.
I am a strong believer in community health care and
would do all in my power to provide the largely rural 17th District with
federal tax dollars for expanding, improving and building such centers.
There must, however, be doctors to staff them.
Any discussion of health care costs cannot overlook the
spiraling costs of coverage to business, a special hardship on small
business. I would support association health plans to enable small
businesses to group and negotiate for affordable health insurance to offer
to their workers.
Federal Deficit
I turn again to my belief that what works for the individual should work on
all levels: restraint, common sense, and compromise.
Tax cuts should not be repealed. They are working. The
economy is improving.
Social programs should be encouraged if they are
working. If they are not effective nor doing the job they were created to
do, they should be reduced, retooled, or in extreme and rare cases,
eliminated. This, however, must be decided on fair and impartial standards,
with adequate time and protection for those whose quality of life has come
to depend on such programs.
To maintain this rigid discipline, we should sunset
federal programs—probably the only way to assure regular review and
accountability.
Zero base budgeting works for businesses. Government is
a business, and federal programs should operate on zero base
budgeting.
It should be illegal to raid a fund to use the revenue
for other purposes it was not originally intended for.
I realize that many a President has taken office
promising to reduce government spending at the administrative level, only to
end a term or terms with a bigger bureaucracy than before. So what an
individual congresswoman can do is simply this: never miss an opportunity to
push for smaller, more efficient government.
I would subscribe, in general, to fiscal conservatism.
Medicare D
Currently, what we are hearing about in the news is administrative problems
with the new Medicare D prescription drug program. While lamentable, this is
predictable with the first such major change in Medicare in 44 years.
While I believe many of these problems are coming about at the state and
local level, I also am concerned that people are benefiting from this
program who don’t really need it. Therefore, I would add means testing.
Ag / Conservation Programs
First, let me state firmly that I believe a seat on the House Agriculture
Committee is de rigueur for any U.S. representative or aspiring
representative of the 17th IL Congressional District; and I do not
understand why our sitting congressman was on it and then asked to be
removed.
I would also point out that my campaign is in possession
of a letter from the Speaker of the U.S. House, Congressman Dennis Hastert,
written in 2004 at the time of my endorsement by the Illinois Farm
Bureau--announcing his intent to see that I AM on the House Agriculture
Committee when elected .
The most recent federal Farm Bill is by and large
considered by farmers to be working well.
That said, U.S. farmers are facing a revolution in
lifestyle and the way they do business, precipitated by a number of
converging factors: the diminution and dropping numbers of family farms; the
growth of single-owner massive-scale farms and of cash rentals; the
escalating difficulty of providing adequate capitol to enter the business in
the first place; changing markets; a global economy; changing consumer
tastes; the development of and growing interest in renewable fuel sources;
biotechnology; the Information Revolution; even climactic change.
U.S. farmers and their largest trade organization, the
American Farm Bureau, are generally happy with NAFTA and unsure about, but
somewhat optimistic toward, the success of CAFTA.
They are dedicated to no longer selling what they
produce so much as producing what they can sell.
They have learned and are still learning the
effectiveness and value of mass marketing and public education.
Enlightened work on agricultural programs must
necessitate a thorough understanding of energy issues, world trade, tariffs,
agritourism, mass marketing and public education, biotech and bioethics…it
is an intertwined field.
Rather than specific changes, let me discuss my overall
goals:
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to highly respect and regard agriculture both as a way
of life (values, work ethic, etc.) and a source of income for the 17th.
When your major employers are Deere and Company and
Archer/Daniels/Midland, it isn’t difficult to see what a two-way street we
are on: our region’s importance to the world, and the word’s importance to
our region. Those farmers riding a tractor at 5 miles an hour are global
players.
This is one reason I am vitally interested in issues of national and world
trade.
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I support permanent repeal of the estate (death) tax
and, while it is a state issue, continued sales tax-free sales of seed and
feed.
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As for conservation programs, a 17th District
congresswoman should and would work closely with government conservation
programs—the EPA, Resource Conservation and Development (FSA) and the
farmer-member Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
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In general I would support advancement and application
of PRACTICAL conservation methods. You will find me more environmentally
conscious than, say, a real estate developer: I am interested in permeable
pavement, burms, no-till farming, and one-application planting. I care
about endangered species and the effects of farm chemicals on our wildlife
and environment.
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I am an advocate for agricultural research and
development, partly because we have been world leaders now in danger of
losing that advantage to emerging world powers like China and South
America; and partly because I believe the 17th is uniquely suited—with its
raw materials, available warehousing, ag-dominant state universities
and POTENTIAL for infrastructure developments—to ag research corridors,
triangles, etc.
The future of the 17th could be very bright because of
agriculture—just as its history has been deep in the soils of Illinois.
Energy
We as a nation simply must reduce our consumption of non-renewable fuels,
especially non-renewable fuels from other nations. That we made this vow in
1973 and are back in a position of helpless dependency, is not only to be
decried—it’s dangerous.
On a personal level, it’s never wise to overextend
oneself. I believe those same principles apply in national and world
economics.
So the approach must be three-pronged:
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Educate the American consumer on the need—and
advantage—of renewable sources, thus increasing demand. This has the happy
advantage, in the 17th Congressional District, of upping corn and soybean
production (ethanol and biodiesel), and I would be relentless in
encouraging increased levels of usage and production.
Wind power is a HUGE source of interest in the 17th right now, and seems
to have relatively little downside.
On a personal level, I’m delighted by renewed interest in renewable energy
sources. It can only benefit our environment, and members of Congress must
be vigilant in responding to this interest.
As for the tax credits in the recently passed Energy Bill for solar energy
and hybrid vehicles, why not make them permanent?
Anything the auto industry CAN do to up mileage efficiency and encourage
conservation and environmental accountability, it should do.
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Increase domestic oil production. I’ve listed this
solution second for a reason, because so long as we have gasoline and
natural gas, we’ll use it. And waste it. Certainly we have not built a new
refinery here since 1976. Certainly we have more of this precious resource
as yet untapped. I’m not saying whether I would drill in the Alaska
National Wildlife Area (ANWR), because I am not yet privy to all the
information that members of Congress are. Whether I voted to drill would
depend entirely on whether I felt the danger to wildlife and ecosystem was
minimal—and that’s a big “if”.
Meanwhile, we can move to establish a national standard for refined
gasoline. This is a unique area in which states’ rights might be better
subserved to the national need/demand. Right now, interstate shipping is
hampered by regional standards, creating shortages and influencing prices.
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Make a coordinated and ongoing effort to understand
and deal intelligently and firmly on the world market and with Mideast
nations, some with budget surpluses in the billions of dollars. We must
realize that oil is more than a matter of our convenience or
inconvenience. It is the black gold which can determine international
relations for good or ill for years to come.
Jobs and the Economy
#1 issue in the 17th District, as we have watched at least 14,000 of our
best jobs walk away since 1982.
The federal approach should be three-pronged.
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Individual. Our congressional representative
needs to be working tirelessly in Washington and out about the District,
serving as a true liaison. The only way to know is to go out and
visit—observe, ask the tough questions, seek the right answers…and the
only way to secure and obtain a return on our federal tax dollars and an
awareness in government that we exist, is to be a strong voice for the
17th.
I do not advocate the creation of an economic development director within
the office of the 17th District congresswoman. A congressional budget is
limited at best and if you do that, what do you cut? Constituent services?
This would seem to me to be the reason we pay a congressperson—to BE that
elected representative dedicated to economic development, working with the
many EDDs already in place around our district. It annoys me to see a
governmental entity paying a lobbyist, consultant or fulltime staff person
for something our congressional representative should be doing.
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Regional across the District. Our representative in
Congress must work with community and state leadership to develop a
long-range plan. What a concept! Planning ahead, instead of being
reactive. A long-range plan enables all involved to coordinate
demographics, work force skills, educational curricula, and recruitment.
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Legislative. To the degree possible and desirable,
firm oversight and review of tariffs and trade. I support new free-trade
initiatives to the degree they work or will work. We are in a global
economy and must recognize that fact. The answer lies not in returning to
what we had before, but in adapting to and being prepared for what can lie
ahead.
Abortion
Pro-life, with exceptions for life of the mother and rape-incest IF REPORTED
WITHIN 72 HOURS.
The latter category constitutes fewer than 1% of
abortions.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the lifeblood of the 17th District. Protecting
our producers and agribusiness results in improved schools,
modernized infrastructure and higher quality of life. While we will
rebuild our transportation systems in our river cities and rural
counties, we will also focus our efforts on cultivating new markets
for agricultural products
We should be aggressive about creating new trade
policies and initiatives, look at methods for market maintenance and
access, promote exportation and market development programs and
welcome advancements through biotechnology. And we cannot forget
expanding ethanol around the globe. Renewable fuels play a critical
role in modern environmental policy, economic development in
Illinois and other farm states, and protection of family farming
operations around the country. Focusing a domestic agenda on
agriculture will bring new jobs to Western Illinois, not just in
farming, but in construction, research and development, finance, and
the list goes on.
With modern technologies on our side, we can
solve our problems of crumbling infrastructure with environmental
concerns in mind. The Speaker of the U.S. House has issued me a
letter stating that upon my election to Congress, I will likely be
assigned a seat on the Agriculture Committee. Advocating for my
District and for agriculture are one in the same, and I look forward
to doing so.
Education
In Illinois’ 17th District, there are numerous institutions of
higher education. While we have two major, public universities,
there are also six private colleges and six community colleges. Each
of these schools is unique in its own way, and must receive the
necessary dollars and protections available. These institutions
bring new people to our communities and serve as critical forces in
our economy. I pledge to support all of these institutions whenever
I can.
Elementary and secondary education are vitally
important to this District as well. With a majority of small and
rural school districts, we must do everything in our power to
strengthen our agricultural economy because productive agricultural
operations lead to prosperous schools. That means we must work
tirelessly to expanding our markets, increasing ethanol production
and use, modernizing our infrastructure and protecting our family
farmers. The federal program No Child Left Behind is a fundamentally
good idea, but it is very problematic in its institution. We must
work aggressively to improve NCLB and let our federal leaders know
that in American education, particularly small and rural school
districts; one size does not fit all. It is important to keep in
mind, however, that the decisions made that affect our children are
best made by those who know our children by name. Local government
and to an extent, state government are best equipped to handle
elementary and secondary education issues.
Gun Control
Believe we have a Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for a very
good reason.
I am a firm believer in individual gun rights, and
received an A+ rating
from the NRA in the 2004 campaign, none of which has changed.
Health Care
The United States of America has the best family physicians, medical
specialists and health care facilities in the world. As your U.S.
Representative, I will work to preserve those designations. The
number one issue in health care is protecting and preserving
Illinois doctors. I will strongly advocate for tort reform - to keep
malpractice insurance costs to a minimum for our physicians. It is
critical that we pass federal malpractice caps so Illinois trial
lawyers do not drive Illinois doctors out of business. Additionally,
I support the recently passed federal program that extends
prescription drug benefits to our seniors who are on Medicare. With
this brand-new legislation, I will actively work with our leaders in
Washington to perfect it and make it viable for all senior citizens.
Health care also affects our small businesses. I support legislation
that will bring down the cost for an employer to offer his/her
employees affordable health insurance. Small, independent businesses
are a major contingent of the Western Illinois economy, and I
recognize that and will vote accordingly.
Transportation and Infrastructure
The most critical issue to many in West Central Illinois is the lack
of viable highways and the crumbling infrastructure. This includes
our roads, bridges, locks and dams, rail systems and airports. For
too long, federal assistance has been far behind other areas around
the state and country. I will work with the Majority Party in
Washington and with our Illinois-based Speaker of the House to find
federal money to rebuild, upgrade and modernize our miles of roads,
countless bridges and basic infrastructure in our cities and rural
towns. This area is unique in that the Mississippi River is our
Western border. Barge traffic on the Mississippi and other rivers is
the means of transportation for our agricultural products. The
existing locks and dams on the rivers are antiquated and in a state
of disrepair. I have committed to work toward rebuilding this system
into a modernized, efficient and environmentally friendly means of
transportation. Also, railroads are vitally important to this area,
and I will help the industry find solutions to the problems they
currently face. Finally, I would like to see our airports more
active. I will work with state and local officials on incentives to
bring more carriers to our airports as well as building state of the
art facilities for air traffic.
Veterans Affairs
The courageous men and women who put their lives on the line to
protect and defend this country both at war time and at peace time
deserve our unconditional support when they return home from duty. I
will work to make the most efficient Veterans Affairs system
possible, one that attracts the best doctors and boasts the best
facilities. I intend to advocate for premiere health care for our
Veterans and I firmly believe that, as a country, we must keep our
promises we have made
WHY I AM THE BEST CANDIDATE
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Experience with the 17th District, experience with the
nation, experience with the world.
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Born and raised in McDonough County. Husband, Chuck
McClurg, born and raised and lived in Knox County for 40 years. Live in
Rock Island County as I have most of my adult life. 3 children, 5
grandchildren.
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Have also worked in 6 other states and overseas on a
Rotary International Fellowship in Journalism. 3 years’ experience with
national issues and the national forum while an anchor at CNN World
Headquarters in Atlanta. Earned a national Emmy for breaking news
coverage.
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35 years’ training in listening, asking tough
questions, ferreting out the right answers –all excellent preparation for
the job of Congress.
(Former Congressman Tom Railsback’s chief of staff told me that 1)
listening and 2) communicating are the two most important jobs of any U.S.
Representative.)
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Award-winning reporter in the fields of consumerism,
health, education. Years spent covering governing bodies of all kinds:
city councils, county boards, zoning commissions, school boards, state
legislatures.
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3 year head start on visiting th3 17th District,
beginning with our first campaign in 2004. Daily attention during that
time to the district’s people, issues and needs. Built-in awareness of ag
needs, coming from a family of farmers. Built-in awareness of small
business needs, with a husband who owned and grew two retail operations.
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Name recognition: very well known in the northern part
of the district through work in broadcast news. Now people in the rest of
the 17th have been hearing about my quest for Congress for 3 years now.
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Proven vote getter: Unlike either of my opponents,
I’ve RUN for something before. Took a record vote in 2004. Took a record
vote from the base in 2004. A tested, tried candidate for office.
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Endorsements: Congressman Ray LaHood; several of the
few county parties and chairmen who will endorse in a primary; numerous
local elected officials from around the 17th.
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Speaker Hastert has written a letter (2004) promising
to facilitate an appointment to the House Agriculture Committee.
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Resounding message: I have been talking about all the
issues in this survey—and many others—for three years now, in news
conferences, news releases and forums throughout the district. The voters
of the 17th are intelligent, and they have been listening closely and
paying attention to my message. If you are moving forward in the quest to
“change lanes”, why change the messenger?
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