myVote: Candidate profile

Bill McGaughey

Published Monday, October 27 04:01:26 PM

Office:

Minnesota District 5 U.S. representative

Other candidates in this race:

Party:

Independence

Incumbent:

City of residence:

Minneapolis

Age:

Background:

Yale graduate, English major. Married; one daughter. Co-director of Metro Property Rights Action Committee. Formerly cost accountant for Metropolitan Transit Commission. A co-founder of Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition. Author of first anti-NAFTA book, published in 1992, which suggested alternatives to free trade.

Endorsements:

Independence Party; Howard Gangestad; Joan Washington; "Uncle Bill" Sanigular; "Red" Nelson; Alan Morrison; Frank Trisko; Ed Eubanks; Brian P. Moore.

Most important issue:

While corporate bailouts are being piled on the general taxpayer (wage earners), Congress seems unwilling to address the continuing erosion of the U.S. job base. What strategy is there for reversing the nation's $700 billion annual trade deficit? Wall Street makes big campaign contributions to both parties conditioned on supporting free trade. We need to put America's workers first. Now's the time to replace free trade with a development model of trade that allows nation states to use tariffs to regulate multinational business. To reduce oil imports, we need a crash program to convert to transportation using electrical power.

More information:

Candidate website

Views:

Candidates were asked to respond to statements on five policy issues. They were given seven options: "Strongly agree", "Somewhat agree", "Have mixed feelings", "Somewhat disagree", "Strongly disagree", "Have no opinion" and "Do not wish to respond."

Removing barriers to increased domestic oil production - by, for example, lifting restrictions on off-shore exploration and drilling - should be the federal government's top priority in responding to high gasoline prices.	Somewhat disagree
The United States should set a specific timetable for complete withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq.	Strongly agree
The so-called Bush tax cuts now scheduled to expire in 2010 should be made permanent for all taxpayers.	Somewhat disagree
The federal government should guarantee health insurance coverage for all Americans.	Somewhat disagree
Additional revenue from fees or taxes should be raised to shore up America's transportation infrastructure, because eliminating waste and better prioritizing existing resources won't be enough.	Somewhat agree