Fort Bend Sun - News
The candidates in their own words
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Editor’s note: The Sun asked each of the candidates vying to represent Texas’ 22nd Congressional District about where they stand on the issues important to the community. Each candidate was given a questionnaire and the chance to provide answers in their own words to The Sun.
Staff determined the order of candidates answers by randomly pulling names.
What do you consider the biggest challenge for Congressional District 22? What will you do to help?
WIEDER: The biggest challenge for Congressional District 22 is to restore confidence in our government. Our economy is on a roller coaster ride. The evangelical community wants all Americans to be born. Our government gets bigger and many laws hurt more than they help. Little things are overlooked. I would hit the ground running as a servant to all people. Do the little things so people will see and hear and some confidence will return. Fix broken laws and "goooh" (Get out of our House) bad ones giving Americans change they need. Pass Right to Life Amendment. Shrink government, Be fail safe for Americans.
OLSON: Without question, stabilizing the economy and re-establishing the free-flow of capitol and credit is the most important issue at this time. Congress did very little to analyze the root cause of our economic crisis – we know there were some “bad actors” on Wall Street and I believe they should be investigated and face jail time if laws were broken. But it also appears that bad laws from Congress (namely the Community Reinvestment Act or CRA) greatly contributed to the mass issuance of high risk loans. The CRA forced banks to make high risk loans to people they knew could not afford the loans. I promise to fight these kinds of bad, social engineering policies, in the next Congress.
LAMPSON: The national economic downturn, combined with our local efforts to rebuild from Hurricane Ike, has placed a tremendous financial strain on our community and our families. Over the past 10 years, I have gained valuable seniority in Congress and established a record of being and effective representative for our community. If I have the honor to again to serve you in Congress, I will continue to keep my promise to be an effective, independent and accessible leader. I will continue to fight for Texas values, bring home resources to grow our economy and help our families by fighting for fiscal responsibility and tax cuts. In keeping my promise to you; I will continue to secure America’s promise for all.
All of the candidates in the race have opposed supporting a government backed bailout for the faltering financial markets. What stopped you from supporting the bail out? What do you think the government’s role is in stabilizing financial markets?
WIEDER: Starting with HR 2755 authored by Ron Paul calling for the ending of the Federal Reserve. Any "rescue plan" does not address the real problems under the present framework. Our credit system has to be revamped. Usury is rampant. People with lower credit scores are doomed to fail, we are going to charge you more money, more interest than those with good credit. This creates more bad debts. I have carried much of my own paper and gave the best going rate. If anybody needs to be bailed out it, is the average everyday American. Artificial debt is created by some of our no fault laws. Individuals need bail outs from these laws.
OLSON: Most importantly, I wanted to make sure the taxpayer wasn’t going to be on the hook for the bad decisions of others. I felt the bailout was too hastily conceived and punished the American taxpayer while rewarding some bad actors in the financial markets – from reckless Wall Street traders to predatory lenders – without addressing the root causes of the economic crisis. First, Congress must repeal the Community Reinvestment Act that forces banks to make bad loans to people who cannot afford them. Second, it should penalize Wall Street executives for mismanaging and misrepresenting the risk in mortgage-backed securities. Third, Congress must eliminate the mark-to-market provision that has exacerbated the decline in home values, leading to the mortgage crisis. Finally, Congress should address the freeze in the credit markets by guaranteeing interbank loans.
LAMPSON: I have always placed the priorities of my constituents above politics, and in doing so I cast my vote against the bailout. From the beginning, this bailout bill was seriously flawed, requiring an unheard of commitment of taxpayer dollars allocated very quickly, with very little oversight and minimal debate. The $150 billion in pork projects added to the bill later made it even worse. The government’s role in this or any issue of concern should be to ensure that at every turn the American people are the benefactors of our policies, not the select few on Wall Street whose poor performance led to this crisis. We need to identify and address the causes of the crisis to ensure this does not happen again without using a heavy hand against our free market.
How should the United States deal with illegal immigration? What specific forms do you propose or support?
WIEDER: At the present moment, illegal aliens have more rights than I do as an American citizen. None of the unjust laws that constrain me, do not constrain them. Do illegal aliens pay taxes on their income? Is there a law that requires them to do so? I now have to have a passport to go to their country and they do not have to have jack to come to mine. Before homeland security came along, we did not need a passport to go to many different countries. Illegal aliens do not deserve amnesty. Unconstitutional federal laws are abused by attorney generals' offices and need to be repealed and the AG's need to deal with illegal aliens.
OLSON: The Federal Government must regain credibility on this issue by securing the borders and fully enforcing our current laws. Too many Congressmen have failed to take this issue seriously and have contributed to the problem by supporting Sanctuary City policies and encouraging illegal immigration by offering taxpayer funded health care benefits. I will fight against these bad policies and work to coordinate local and federal authorities to identify, apprehend and deport criminal illegal aliens. These programs have worked for Irving, Texas, by taking criminal illegals off the streets and getting them out of the country. Congress needs to be serious about enforcing our laws and I will work to make sure that happens.
LAMPSON: On my visit to the US-Mexico border, I saw firsthand how we’re guarding our borders and met the men and women who are doing the job. It’s clear to me that we need more border patrol agents and better technology to secure the border. We need to make sure that we are going after businesses that hire illegal labor and providing the resources needed to enforce current laws. These simple solutions will prevent new immigrants from entering our country illegally and will remove the incentive for illegal workers to enter our country illegally. We MUST secure our borders. The SAVE Act that I was a proud sponsor of would have secured our border by implementing each of these safeguards.
What policies would you support to meet the nation’s demand for energy? How do they relate to the economy and the environment?
WIEDER: For the short term. I support the T Boone Pickens’ plan to replace electricity generated by natural gas and replace it with wind power generators. The Plain states are the Saudi Arabia of wind power. Then to use the cheaper domestically produced natural gas that burns cleaner than gasoline to run some of our cars with very little needed to convert them. This will decrease our oil imports tremendously. Then, what could be America's saving grace is the recent historic and magnanimous discovery of a way to store massive amounts of solar energy in a very small storage device. The green possibilities are tremendous.”
OLSON: We need a comprehensive plan to achieve energy independence – this must be a strategic, national priority, like the Manhattan Project. We must invest in research, develop and use existing technologies (nuclear, natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass). We must produce more American oil and natural gas as a bridge to our energy future – parts of Alaska, the Continental Shelf, oil shale regions must be opened by the federal government. Career politicians have failed the American people by not allowing this to happen. We can become the world’s energy leader by developing more of our own resources and developing the next generation technologies, including new nuclear power plants, which will give our children cleaner, more affordable and sustainable energy. This will create thousands of new jobs and prevent us from sending $700 billion overseas to hostile nations.
LAMPSON: Recently we’ve seen gas prices decrease but a more drastic drop in our economy. While lower gas prices are welcome we can’t be shortsighted and forget that we still have an energy crisis in America that could spike again without warning. What’s important to recognize is that the economy and energy crises are linked.
We know that lowering gas prices and strengthening national security at the same time is good policy. It‘s a common sense approach which will create jobs and jumpstart our country’s economic engine.
The energy plan I have introduced includes drilling and a creative approach to funding alternative energy research without spending your tax dollars.
In these tough economic times, I prefer the oil we’re using to power America comes from America; and benefits our economy, not foreign economies. More drilling, mixed with more alternatives, will grow our economy and resolve the energy crisis. It’s that simple.
What strategy do you support when it comes to the United States’ military presence in Iraq?
WIEDER: When I was a young man, I chose to serve my country before going to college. I spent two tours in Vietnam and refused to fill out the forms for a purple heart after getting some superficial wounds from scrambling down off the top of a radar van heading to the safety afforded by a well-built bunker, during a rocket attack on Pleiku, Vietnam. We could have won that war! First we need to start paying on the war debt with a tax on certain Wall Street transactions. We need to keep our troops fully funded at all times and build a strong defense at home. We need to turn the country back over to Iraq's government. COME HOME !
OLSON: It is imperative that we stay on offense against terrorism and Iraq and Afghanistan are central fronts in that struggle. Unlike many career politicians, I was an early supporter of the surge strategy in Iraq which worked to clear, hold, and stabilize once dangerous regions in that country. Many American troops have already been brought home because of the success of the surge and we should all recognize the bravery, honor, and sacrifice of our military men, women, and their families. We also need to ensure our VA medical system is adapting and improving care to deal with new injuries and care for our heroes.
LAMPSON: Over the Memorial Day weekend I went to Afghanistan to speak with Texans serving in the combat theater and visit our military leaders to evaluate American progress. Stability in Iraq continues to improve while chaos and violence in Afghanistan escalates leaving American more vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts in Afghanistan, the main source and harbor for terrorists, by increasing intelligence, special operations, and diplomacy. The past four missions resulting in confirmed kills of known terrorists have been successful because this formula was applied. If we expand this method we will have greater success, security, and victory will come sooner.
Why should people vote for you?
WIEDER: I am voting John Wieder, for Congressman, because he is not a career politician. Elected he passes Ron Paul's "Life begins @ Conception " Amendment. He has owned and operated his own business for over 25 years and understands how government laws stifle business. He served his country, graduated from College of the Mainland and University of Houston. He was the Database Administrator for UTMB, before going into business. He taught school and college. He retired in 2003 and now has time to serve us and our country again. Congressmen are ambassadors to the world and he speaks more than two languages. etc.
OLSON: This race comes down to values, integrity and honesty. I believe career politicians have hurt our country with broken promises and failed leadership. It is time for new leadership with common-sense, conservative values to help transform Congress and make it focus on policies that help our families and set a firm course for our future generations. I will always be led by core principles which are centered around reducing the size of government and ensuring your family keeps more of what you earn. We must end the runaway spending, earmarking, and budget busting that causes higher taxes and bad laws which led to our economic problems. I will stand on the side of taxpayers every time as I work to ensure our country is protected and your family is freed of government burden so you and your children can prosper.
LAMPSON: Our community is setting off on a long road to recovery during a challenging period in our country. My seniority and proven record of being an independent and effective leader for Southeast Texas will be invaluable as we rebuild from Hurricane Ike and overcome the obstacles that are currently facing America. Our community needs a leader with experience and a proven record of accessibility, as well as effectiveness to see us through these difficult times. I am the only candidate in this race that can offer both seniority and a track record of effectively serving our community. If given the honor to represent you again in Congress I will continue to fulfill my promise of independence, accessibility, and standing up for our Texas values.
John Wieder, Libertarian
Alvin
Retired Realtor from Century 21 Wieder Realty 1980-1984 converted to Seguros y Bienes Raices 1985-2005.
Vietnam Veteran, United States Air Force 1968-1972
http://www.johnwieder.com/
Pete Olson, Republican
Sugar Land
Chief of staff for Sen. John Cornyn, 2002-2007
Sen. Phil Gramm’s staff for Texas Projects, 1998
Served the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Naval Liaison Officer to the U.S. Senate.
Former Navy Pilot, 1989-1998
http://www.olsonforcongress.com/
Nick Lampson, Democrat
Stafford
Member of U.S. House of Representatives, District 22
Congressman for District 9, prior to redistricting, 1997-2005
Property tax assessor for Jefferson County, 1976-1994
http://www.lampson.com/
More information
See page 5B for a list of early voting locations.
Staff determined the order of candidates answers by randomly pulling names.
What do you consider the biggest challenge for Congressional District 22? What will you do to help?
WIEDER: The biggest challenge for Congressional District 22 is to restore confidence in our government. Our economy is on a roller coaster ride. The evangelical community wants all Americans to be born. Our government gets bigger and many laws hurt more than they help. Little things are overlooked. I would hit the ground running as a servant to all people. Do the little things so people will see and hear and some confidence will return. Fix broken laws and "goooh" (Get out of our House) bad ones giving Americans change they need. Pass Right to Life Amendment. Shrink government, Be fail safe for Americans.
OLSON: Without question, stabilizing the economy and re-establishing the free-flow of capitol and credit is the most important issue at this time. Congress did very little to analyze the root cause of our economic crisis – we know there were some “bad actors” on Wall Street and I believe they should be investigated and face jail time if laws were broken. But it also appears that bad laws from Congress (namely the Community Reinvestment Act or CRA) greatly contributed to the mass issuance of high risk loans. The CRA forced banks to make high risk loans to people they knew could not afford the loans. I promise to fight these kinds of bad, social engineering policies, in the next Congress.
LAMPSON: The national economic downturn, combined with our local efforts to rebuild from Hurricane Ike, has placed a tremendous financial strain on our community and our families. Over the past 10 years, I have gained valuable seniority in Congress and established a record of being and effective representative for our community. If I have the honor to again to serve you in Congress, I will continue to keep my promise to be an effective, independent and accessible leader. I will continue to fight for Texas values, bring home resources to grow our economy and help our families by fighting for fiscal responsibility and tax cuts. In keeping my promise to you; I will continue to secure America’s promise for all.
All of the candidates in the race have opposed supporting a government backed bailout for the faltering financial markets. What stopped you from supporting the bail out? What do you think the government’s role is in stabilizing financial markets?
WIEDER: Starting with HR 2755 authored by Ron Paul calling for the ending of the Federal Reserve. Any "rescue plan" does not address the real problems under the present framework. Our credit system has to be revamped. Usury is rampant. People with lower credit scores are doomed to fail, we are going to charge you more money, more interest than those with good credit. This creates more bad debts. I have carried much of my own paper and gave the best going rate. If anybody needs to be bailed out it, is the average everyday American. Artificial debt is created by some of our no fault laws. Individuals need bail outs from these laws.
OLSON: Most importantly, I wanted to make sure the taxpayer wasn’t going to be on the hook for the bad decisions of others. I felt the bailout was too hastily conceived and punished the American taxpayer while rewarding some bad actors in the financial markets – from reckless Wall Street traders to predatory lenders – without addressing the root causes of the economic crisis. First, Congress must repeal the Community Reinvestment Act that forces banks to make bad loans to people who cannot afford them. Second, it should penalize Wall Street executives for mismanaging and misrepresenting the risk in mortgage-backed securities. Third, Congress must eliminate the mark-to-market provision that has exacerbated the decline in home values, leading to the mortgage crisis. Finally, Congress should address the freeze in the credit markets by guaranteeing interbank loans.
LAMPSON: I have always placed the priorities of my constituents above politics, and in doing so I cast my vote against the bailout. From the beginning, this bailout bill was seriously flawed, requiring an unheard of commitment of taxpayer dollars allocated very quickly, with very little oversight and minimal debate. The $150 billion in pork projects added to the bill later made it even worse. The government’s role in this or any issue of concern should be to ensure that at every turn the American people are the benefactors of our policies, not the select few on Wall Street whose poor performance led to this crisis. We need to identify and address the causes of the crisis to ensure this does not happen again without using a heavy hand against our free market.
How should the United States deal with illegal immigration? What specific forms do you propose or support?
WIEDER: At the present moment, illegal aliens have more rights than I do as an American citizen. None of the unjust laws that constrain me, do not constrain them. Do illegal aliens pay taxes on their income? Is there a law that requires them to do so? I now have to have a passport to go to their country and they do not have to have jack to come to mine. Before homeland security came along, we did not need a passport to go to many different countries. Illegal aliens do not deserve amnesty. Unconstitutional federal laws are abused by attorney generals' offices and need to be repealed and the AG's need to deal with illegal aliens.
OLSON: The Federal Government must regain credibility on this issue by securing the borders and fully enforcing our current laws. Too many Congressmen have failed to take this issue seriously and have contributed to the problem by supporting Sanctuary City policies and encouraging illegal immigration by offering taxpayer funded health care benefits. I will fight against these bad policies and work to coordinate local and federal authorities to identify, apprehend and deport criminal illegal aliens. These programs have worked for Irving, Texas, by taking criminal illegals off the streets and getting them out of the country. Congress needs to be serious about enforcing our laws and I will work to make sure that happens.
LAMPSON: On my visit to the US-Mexico border, I saw firsthand how we’re guarding our borders and met the men and women who are doing the job. It’s clear to me that we need more border patrol agents and better technology to secure the border. We need to make sure that we are going after businesses that hire illegal labor and providing the resources needed to enforce current laws. These simple solutions will prevent new immigrants from entering our country illegally and will remove the incentive for illegal workers to enter our country illegally. We MUST secure our borders. The SAVE Act that I was a proud sponsor of would have secured our border by implementing each of these safeguards.
What policies would you support to meet the nation’s demand for energy? How do they relate to the economy and the environment?
WIEDER: For the short term. I support the T Boone Pickens’ plan to replace electricity generated by natural gas and replace it with wind power generators. The Plain states are the Saudi Arabia of wind power. Then to use the cheaper domestically produced natural gas that burns cleaner than gasoline to run some of our cars with very little needed to convert them. This will decrease our oil imports tremendously. Then, what could be America's saving grace is the recent historic and magnanimous discovery of a way to store massive amounts of solar energy in a very small storage device. The green possibilities are tremendous.”
OLSON: We need a comprehensive plan to achieve energy independence – this must be a strategic, national priority, like the Manhattan Project. We must invest in research, develop and use existing technologies (nuclear, natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass). We must produce more American oil and natural gas as a bridge to our energy future – parts of Alaska, the Continental Shelf, oil shale regions must be opened by the federal government. Career politicians have failed the American people by not allowing this to happen. We can become the world’s energy leader by developing more of our own resources and developing the next generation technologies, including new nuclear power plants, which will give our children cleaner, more affordable and sustainable energy. This will create thousands of new jobs and prevent us from sending $700 billion overseas to hostile nations.
LAMPSON: Recently we’ve seen gas prices decrease but a more drastic drop in our economy. While lower gas prices are welcome we can’t be shortsighted and forget that we still have an energy crisis in America that could spike again without warning. What’s important to recognize is that the economy and energy crises are linked.
We know that lowering gas prices and strengthening national security at the same time is good policy. It‘s a common sense approach which will create jobs and jumpstart our country’s economic engine.
The energy plan I have introduced includes drilling and a creative approach to funding alternative energy research without spending your tax dollars.
In these tough economic times, I prefer the oil we’re using to power America comes from America; and benefits our economy, not foreign economies. More drilling, mixed with more alternatives, will grow our economy and resolve the energy crisis. It’s that simple.
What strategy do you support when it comes to the United States’ military presence in Iraq?
WIEDER: When I was a young man, I chose to serve my country before going to college. I spent two tours in Vietnam and refused to fill out the forms for a purple heart after getting some superficial wounds from scrambling down off the top of a radar van heading to the safety afforded by a well-built bunker, during a rocket attack on Pleiku, Vietnam. We could have won that war! First we need to start paying on the war debt with a tax on certain Wall Street transactions. We need to keep our troops fully funded at all times and build a strong defense at home. We need to turn the country back over to Iraq's government. COME HOME !
OLSON: It is imperative that we stay on offense against terrorism and Iraq and Afghanistan are central fronts in that struggle. Unlike many career politicians, I was an early supporter of the surge strategy in Iraq which worked to clear, hold, and stabilize once dangerous regions in that country. Many American troops have already been brought home because of the success of the surge and we should all recognize the bravery, honor, and sacrifice of our military men, women, and their families. We also need to ensure our VA medical system is adapting and improving care to deal with new injuries and care for our heroes.
LAMPSON: Over the Memorial Day weekend I went to Afghanistan to speak with Texans serving in the combat theater and visit our military leaders to evaluate American progress. Stability in Iraq continues to improve while chaos and violence in Afghanistan escalates leaving American more vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts in Afghanistan, the main source and harbor for terrorists, by increasing intelligence, special operations, and diplomacy. The past four missions resulting in confirmed kills of known terrorists have been successful because this formula was applied. If we expand this method we will have greater success, security, and victory will come sooner.
Why should people vote for you?
WIEDER: I am voting John Wieder, for Congressman, because he is not a career politician. Elected he passes Ron Paul's "Life begins @ Conception " Amendment. He has owned and operated his own business for over 25 years and understands how government laws stifle business. He served his country, graduated from College of the Mainland and University of Houston. He was the Database Administrator for UTMB, before going into business. He taught school and college. He retired in 2003 and now has time to serve us and our country again. Congressmen are ambassadors to the world and he speaks more than two languages. etc.
OLSON: This race comes down to values, integrity and honesty. I believe career politicians have hurt our country with broken promises and failed leadership. It is time for new leadership with common-sense, conservative values to help transform Congress and make it focus on policies that help our families and set a firm course for our future generations. I will always be led by core principles which are centered around reducing the size of government and ensuring your family keeps more of what you earn. We must end the runaway spending, earmarking, and budget busting that causes higher taxes and bad laws which led to our economic problems. I will stand on the side of taxpayers every time as I work to ensure our country is protected and your family is freed of government burden so you and your children can prosper.
LAMPSON: Our community is setting off on a long road to recovery during a challenging period in our country. My seniority and proven record of being an independent and effective leader for Southeast Texas will be invaluable as we rebuild from Hurricane Ike and overcome the obstacles that are currently facing America. Our community needs a leader with experience and a proven record of accessibility, as well as effectiveness to see us through these difficult times. I am the only candidate in this race that can offer both seniority and a track record of effectively serving our community. If given the honor to represent you again in Congress I will continue to fulfill my promise of independence, accessibility, and standing up for our Texas values.
John Wieder, Libertarian
Alvin
Retired Realtor from Century 21 Wieder Realty 1980-1984 converted to Seguros y Bienes Raices 1985-2005.
Vietnam Veteran, United States Air Force 1968-1972
http://www.johnwieder.com/
Pete Olson, Republican
Sugar Land
Chief of staff for Sen. John Cornyn, 2002-2007
Sen. Phil Gramm’s staff for Texas Projects, 1998
Served the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Naval Liaison Officer to the U.S. Senate.
Former Navy Pilot, 1989-1998
http://www.olsonforcongress.com/
Nick Lampson, Democrat
Stafford
Member of U.S. House of Representatives, District 22
Congressman for District 9, prior to redistricting, 1997-2005
Property tax assessor for Jefferson County, 1976-1994
http://www.lampson.com/
More information
See page 5B for a list of early voting locations.
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