Candidate questionnaire: Larry Bill

Candidate Name: Larry Bill

Party: Independent

Age: 53

Place of birth: Joliet, Ill.

Spouse: My wife's name is Tina. We have been married 32 years.

Children: Melinda, David and Jessica are all married and living away.

Occupation: Real Estate Investor and Building Contractor

Education: Master's Degree in Public Administration, Midwest State University, Wichita Falls, Texas

B.S. in Business Administration, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Employer: Self

Businesses owned, all or part: Larry Bill Unit 420 Limited Liability Company

Previous offices held/sought:

Question 1: Will you request earmarked appropriations for Eighth District projects? Why or Why not?

Answer: I will seek fiscally responsible earmarks for projects/programs beneficial to the 8th District. For example, I will support road and bridge construction projects since Missouri drivers pay gasoline tax to the federal government. I would also support programs that would help eliminate meth production that impacts our state and the nation. I will not continue Emerson's earmarks for the Congressional Hunger Fund in Washington, D.C. nor the Girl Scouts of America in New York City.

Question 2: Should Congress repeal the health care overhaul bill? Explain why you support or oppose repeal.

Answer: We need to repeal the health care overhaul bill. We need to make reforms in stages that are understandable. Initially we should work to eliminate fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. Insurance should be sold across state lines. Health Savings Accounts should be increased to encourage competitiveness in medical pricing. Medicaid co-pay should be increased. Personal responsibility for health care should be encouraged. The exemption for insurance companies from antitrust should be eliminated.

Question 3: What three specific steps should Congress take to control the federal budget deficit? Why?

Answer: 1. Stop the expansion and addition of new federal programs. Make Social Security Disability qualifications more stringent. Adjust full Social Security entitlement age qualifications with current life expectancies.

2. Reduce our military commitment abroad, particularly in Kosovo, Germany, Korea, and the Persian Gulf.

3. Select specific programs to go unfunded: Congressional Hunger Fund, National Endowment of the Arts, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, stop expansion of the National Labor Relations Board as advocated by our representative.

Question 4: Cap-and-Trade legislation would impose additional costs on companies with greenhouse gas emissions and reward companies that cut emissions. Where do you stand on this bill?

Answer: Cap and Trade legislation is a ridiculous concept. Why raise utility rates on unemployed people? The only beneficiaries will be the big financial exchanges as they collect fees. One resident pointed out to me that, if this passes, businesses will shut down because it is more profitable to sell the credits than to employ people.

Obama's ability to use the EPA to bypass Congress could have been stopped by the Bush Administration in 2007.

Question 5: What steps should be taken to deal with foreign and domestic terrorists?

Answer: The key to fighting terrorism is to become energy independent in the United States. The 9/11 hijackers were primarily from Saudi Arabia; their funding came from oil revenue. They wanted to stop our interference in their internal affairs.

Our society's need for cheap oil has driven our foreign policy of interfering in the Middle East since the 1960s. Domestic terrorists here are criminals who have crossed our open border. We need an effective fence.

Closing remarks: We need a proactive representative who understands how our nation works. Experience like growing up in the district, serving in the Air Force as a pilot, and running a business, should help my perspective as I make decisions in Congress.

You can see by my answers, I will tell you where I stand and the reasoning behind my decisions. We will need to make unpopular decisions and sacrifices to prevent the bankrupting of our nation.