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Candidate Conversation: 5th District
Our series of Candidate Conversations continues with a look at Oregon's 5th Congressional District, which stretches from the central coast, through Salem and the southern part of Portland, to Mt. Hood. Like a lot of people whose names are on the November ballot, incumbent Kurt Schrader and his opponent, Scott Bruun have focused their campaigns heavily on economic issues. Healthcare and the issue of privatizing Social Security have also come up quite a bit.
Bruun, a Republican, emphasizes his experience in the Oregon Legislature, while Democrat Schrader has played up his accomplishments as a freshman Congressman. The race has gotten some national attention as a close race that could tip the scales in the House. While the election is likely to break down along party lines, both candidates have some level of bipartisan appeal.
Schrader may have garnered some positive attention from right-leaning voters this month with an endorsement from the National Rifle Association. (The NRA gave both candidates an "A" grade for their stances on gun rights.) Bruun will be listed on the ballot as both a Republican nominee and a candidate for the Independent Party of Oregon, which could give him broader appeal.
Do you live in the 5th district? What's the most important issue for you right now? Do you know how you're planning to vote? What questions would you like to ask these candidates?
Tagged as: 2010 election
Photo credit: yaquina / Creative Commons
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I'd like Scott to talk about how he would of handled the wars and economy differently, as a congressman with a limited scope of power. Assuming he was in the same position and time frame as Kurt. Also, who started the Lorenz Bruun real estate company he owns? What's the story there?
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obama has already screwed the pooch in afghanistan>>> no one believes he has the weebos to win anything >. hell . he even cheats at golf and wont provide a birth certificate
as for bruun's real estate company >>> atleast he got up off his azz and didnt go work for the govt >. or rip off old ladies to keep their old cats alive
john in gervais
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hell . he even cheats at golf and wont provide a birth certificate
atleast he (Bruun) got up off his azz and didnt go work for the govt -- quid — Mon Oct. 11th 10:29p.m.
President Obama HAS provided his birth certificate. (Have you ever tried Google...it should bring up a link to his birth certificate.)
So if you folks in the 5th District elect Bruun, will he NOT be working for the Government? (I will not be eligible to vote for either Representative Schrader or Mr. Bruun, as I live in the 4th District.)
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As for who owns the Lorentz Bruun contracting company, it is a family-owned enterprise.
(See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Bruun for more information.)
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actually, i believe the Bruun construction company was started from his fathers hard work. he leveraged his fathers work, passed the company on and flys around in his private jet (yes, really) to golf in exotic places for the weekend. Sounds like a guy who will stand up for my middle class rights...pfft.
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As a fifth district constituent I would like Congressman Schrader to explain how he squares his self description as a fiscal hawk with his legislative actions.
The current state budget is in terrible condition and the history of state spending over the last decade reflects increased spending well in excess of inflation. We have the highest personal income tax and capital gains rates in the country made necessary by the financial legacy built up in part under Mr.Schrader's tenure in Salem as a budet co-chair.
Mr. Schrader voted for the Omnibus spending bill at the outset of his congressional term. Most objective analysts have described that bill as pork laden even in the midst of a fiscal and economic emergency.
Mr. Schrader voted for the stimulus bill which also included significant spending that could not reasonably evaluated as necessary or wise
Mr. Schrader voted for the health care bill which added coverage for 31 million people, but did little if anything to reform the cost of health delivery. The bill he voted for provided for $500 million in medicare cost reductions as currency to pay for the expansion of benefits. Medicare however is already running an actuarial deficit of approx. $37 trillion so there really is no funding that can be transferred from Medicare given the deficit is there?
The accounting for the health care bill he voted for also assumed that payments to doctors and health providers would be reduced as per exisiting legislation, but those spending reductions have been overridden every year and Mr Schrader voted to defer voting on the doctor reimbursement issue until after the election. Isn't that at best misleading accounting as it relates to the true cost of the legislation he voted for? Is he going to vote to enforce the legislated Doctor reimbursement reductions or will he vote to compensate at higer levels than the health care reform analysis relied upon?
Mr. Schrader voted for a deemed to pass resoltuion rather than pushing to actually pass a budget, why would a fiscal hawk support that action?
Mr. Schrader cast a deciding vote to adjourn the last session of congress early rather than have an up or down vote on the proposals dealing the upcoming expiration of the federal income rates.
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ur question is too long and too pointed >. no lib or lib radio host(opb) will answer u>>> we all know shraeder should go back to charging little old ladies $2000 to keep their cats alive an extra week >>> no offense ex congressman schrader
john in gervais
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better $2000 to help my sick dog (and he was an awesome vet) rather than helping Bear Streans earn another million off my 15 thousand in savings from our 401Ks.
no offense, john in gervais.
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Oregon is currently in the lowest percentile across the United States for funding of Post Secondary Higher Education. As a college student at PSU and a resident of the 5th congressional District this is very important to me, because if tuition continues to raise I risk not being able to finish my degree and unstable funding from the state means I struggle to even make it through the year with out loosing funding half way through.
What are your plans to support Higher Education funding in Oregon? What are your thoughts on the funding restructuring models that PSU, OU and OSU are looking at to seek alternative sources of funding?
Finally what are your plans to support or expand federal programs like the Federal Pell Grant or new job training programs in the community colleges and universities in Oregon?
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To Scott Bruun
I understand that you would not have extended umemployment benefits , what would you have done to help the unemployed?
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i know u libs wont use this >> but ask kurt shrader why he opposed e verify on the stimulus (jobs) bill >. but democrat always castigate those who hire illegals as the root of the problem of illegal immigration >>>. and how do shrader and brunn feel about a path to amnesty>> who supports the arizona law >>>?
i know u libs wont use this > but trust me i want to see and will see u gone>>. u do gooders are history
john in gervais oregon >>> not an illegal alien but a bona fide citizen
p.s.
i would like to see all illegals no exceptions deported >>> i dont care if it hurts agriculture (rich farmers)
we dont need another welfare class in this nation >. i know the democrats want a higher government dependent population (cause they vote democrat)but is that what the majority (white) of america wants??
i dare u libs to ask this ><. i know how biased and touchy feely u are!!!!!
john in gervais
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I'm sorry...you don't really expect to have your questions addressed on air without being coherent, do you? Heck, you can't even spell the name of the Current Representative for the 5th District! (At least I can...and I don't even live in the District!)
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Scott Brunn, how will you vote on Don't Ask Don't Tell and how will you support Veterans returning from Irag and Afghanistan?
Will you support gay marriage here in Oregon?
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This for Kurt Schrader, with Federal Retirees and Social Security not recieving a COLA again this year, how can we trust the government to negogiate Health benefits when as retirees we have our Health Care Premiems up at least 9% in my case?
Simple solution is to have a 2 tier for Health Benefits one for retirees and one for still employed workers.
OPM should hold premieum increases to 0 when we do not have a COLA. This takes more of my retirement that can't be spent helping the economy recover. This also costs the government since 2/3 of my premieum is covered by Federal funds.
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Although I Live in Peter DeFazio's District, I would be interested to hear how both Candidates would vote on the Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), as well as how they would vote on a Transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
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Would Scott like to speak to these 2 things - as much of the 2nd as can fit (elipses replace inconsequential text to save on-air time):
"Our state simply cannot afford to make health care an inalienable right."
http://www.blueoregon.com/2010/08/scott-bruun-let-them-eat-cake/
PolitiFact National: - "Bruun's campaign statements give the impression...that $500 billion will be lopped from Medicare immediately, and that seniors are in danger of losing health care benefits. All that is misleading.
...The reforms to Medicare will result in $500 billion in savings over 10 years...the law does not eliminate $500 billion of the current budget for Medicare. There are no cuts to guaranteed Medicare benefits...Medicare Advantage is a more generous version that some seniors choose to buy.
In fact, spending on Medicare will (still!) actually increase over the next decade, (to) $845 billion in 2019, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. Without reform, Medicare spending in 2019 was projected to be $943 billion.
Does a reduction in future spending mean a reduction in quality or quantity of medical services?
No, says Tricia Neuman, director of Kaiser foundation's Medicare Policy Project.
The $500 billion in savings will come from a mix (of) Higher insurance premiums for wealthier seniors, reductions in payments for Medicare Advantage plans...& smaller-than-expected increases in payment rates to hospitals & other service providers each year.Reducing the payments to the private companies that provide the programs is projected to help trim $136 billion from Medicare Advantage over 10 years.
But it's not all reductions and savings -- something else Bruun doesn't flesh out.
On the plus side, health care reform means Medicare recipients will get more preventive health care services, such as wellness visits, and they won't face the "doughnut hole" gap in prescription coverage left by the original Medicare Part D.http://www.politifact.com/oregon/statements/2010/oct/02/scott-bruun/scott-bruun-says-kurt-schrader-cut-500-billion-med/
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Eliminating the income cap, currently over $100,000, on social security witholding will fully fund social security.
Social Security is a fallback to provide security. People should also save and invest for their retirement - social security is one part, the conservative part, of a diversified retirement plan.
What is your position on eliminating the social security wothholding cap?
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The root cause of this current financial meltdown was the 1990s law pushed through and shoved down Clintons throat by Conservative Republicans headed by Phil Gramm of Texas, that prevented any Regulation or Oversight of Derivatives. That allowed in all of the weird financial swaps and all of the sub-prime mortgages and the ensuing foreclosure problems and the Bank meltdowns and the auto industry problems.
We really do need proper Regulations and Oversight, so let's throw the Conservative Republican bums out and elect moderates, let's elect the Democrats.
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I grew up in the 5th and I have always valued the education I got from West Linn. Scott Brunn, you voted against emergency funding allocations to the state school system from lottery funds and, even though it passed, West Linn has had to cut 9 days from it's school year. West Linn has continued to rally and pay higher property taxes to cover losses from the state.
This seems to be a microcosm example of how you might vote at the federal level...While your vote may look fiscally conservative the decision will ultimatley cost the people you represent more if they want to maintain or exceed the standards needed for a quality education. How do you reconcile this cause and effect?
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Afghanistan should have been an international police action and the attack on the people of Iraq should not have happened.
We are now living in time of war and so under the special Emergency War Powers of the Constitution, which gives extraordinary powers to the President. It was a major mistake to give those powers to Bush/Cheney and their no-bid contract Corporate buddies.
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Where do you stand on abortion regulations? Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?
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Even if the Bush tax cuts expire the top marginal tax rate will be the lowest since 1932 with the exception of the Bush years and the last year of Regan's presidency. Do you think these low tax rates are necessary given our debt?
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April --
Scott Bruun is pulling a "Bill O'reilly" on you !!!
He's got nothing 'real' to offer or say, so he's talking over anyone else who might use rational reasoning!
Stop him !!!
Ask him for details about his solutions.
Where does his info come from.
About taxes: So who's supposed to pay for government.
I just hope his ridiculous answers reveal him to be the 'empty suit' he is. Finance by outsiders, filled with their ideas inappropriate for Oregonians.
- Russ J (Beaverton)
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Thanks Russ - Today was a bit of a challenge! I thought they both did a pretty even amount of listening, interrupting, and calling each other out. Sometimes I find it informative to just hear the candidates interact. You're right the devil is in the specifics, some came out today.
cheers, Emily
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Great response Emily. I found Bruun to be exactly as I suspected, rude and condesending. Meanwhile I find Schrader exactly opposite - thoughtful and pointed. Nice to hear things get a little nasty on TOL!!! LOL
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Question for Scott Bruun:
Kudos for supporting tax cuts and being concerned about the federal deficit. But if you support maintaining or further reducing taxes (ie, not increasing federal revenues through increased taxes), *what specific programs* will you seek to cut in order to reduce the federal budget on the expense side?
Simply saying "more efficient defense spending" and "cutting discretionary spending" is not a sufficient answer. In these tough times, we need congressional representatives with solid ideas, not general idealogies. Please elaborate!
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This to Scott Bruun: With it becoming increasingly clear that for Oregon to economically succeed, we will need people in Washington DC that are truely vested in bipartisan politics, can Scott please inform voters in Clackamas County about how he has worked in a bipartisan manner to pass bills more controversial than increasing the nutritional content of school lunches?
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hahaha ... nutrional content of school lunches won't effect future generations? sounds like Bruun is a socialist trying to serve Oregon school kids government SOYLENT GREEN!! AHHH!!
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I'm a 5th district Independent who voted for Gordon Smith in the last election.
The Republicans have clearly done their best to stop everything -- no matter what was best for the country. I am extremely tired of that attitude of partisanship above all things.
I am far from pleased with some of the things the Democrats have done. However, Schrader is clearly the kind of classic Oregon moderate we need in Washington.
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Well, Scott Bruun supports continuing the Gay Holocaust by forcing our soldiers to stay in the closet or not be able to defend our nation. He wants to continue doing evil to gay people.
Scott Bruun is just plain wrong.
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It's just so sad that where we're at is that people don't realize we were being robbed blind for 8 years until the last two. It didn't just start yesterday! & what planet do you live on that you think that the whole world could be screwed but you think whoever you pick should be able to fix who too many people feel for for the last 8 years before who we have nwo? Bush had both houses for how long? We had a surplus after the last non-Republican, do we see the pattern here?!
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Oh and by the way, we need to bring back public financing of public broadcasting in all forms.
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penny from eugene >. go eat another food stamp donut
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penny >.i think the members of the military and the commanders should have an input >. i would bet that members of the military do not want a bunch of sissies in the fox hole with them
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hell u dont even need to qualify for social security .. many of the democrat voter base live off benefits all their lives and never qualify for social security retirement >.its easy to survive off the "fat of the land" >. and what does that do to motivate people to be productive??/
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in your libtard dreams
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