Ernest's Answers to a recent Questionaire (October 2025)

Q1: Do you support a Green New Deal or similar large-scale federal climate action plan?  (Yes/No + explanation)  

A1: 100%!  I (and many in my district) live in a body that breathes the air, drinks the water, eats the food, lives in a home, goes outside for activities.  All of these (and more) are subject to the climate.  Many of us have chosen our living location at least partially based on the normal climate.  As things seem to change, like rainfall, storm severity, air pollution, sun intensity and more, our way of life is impacted.  If we can see that we are part of the problem, we need to do what we can to reduce our impact.  It all has to be managed in a reasonable cost benefit analysis, but still must be done.  I personally have driven a hybrid car since 2003, and installed solar panels and battery in my home.  My yard equipment is all electric, even solar due to the power source for recharging.  It's past time that we just exploit and take from the planet.  We need to manage it correctly.

Q2: Should Congress pass a federal $17/hour minimum wage, indexed to inflation?  

A2: In Texas, the minimum wage is still $7.25.  Shameful.  Babysitters won't work for that.  It is totally unrealistic and exploitive to even have such a number on the books.  On the other hand, California had a problem when they raised their minimum wage up to $22, I believe.  I like to say that anyone working full time (~2000 hours per year) should be able to afford a good quality of life.  At $17/hour, that's $34,000 per year.  The poverty level in Texas is $15,650 for an individual and $32,150 for a family of four.  So, Yes, It seems that $17 per hour minimum wage, plus some aggressive work on lowering the cost required to live is a step in the right direction.

Q3: Do you support universal, publicly funded healthcare (i.e., Medicare for All or a similar single-payer system)?  

A3: Yes.  Our current system has too many flaws that allow people and their health (or financial stability) to suffer.  Everyone needs healthcare at some point.  It's a universal need that needs a universal program.  When I was in the military, it was covered and not abused.  When I was working with a large company I saw things change a lot from year to year.  Employees were beholden to the company to offer them something, and they had little choice but to accept, and still pay significant premiums.  In my mind, this just shifts the payment from premiums to taxes with the benefit that now everyone is covered without the major games played to try to get a better deal.

Q4: Do you support ending qualified immunity and instituting federal police accountability standards?  

A4: The two definitely go hand in hand.  I believe in immunity in certain cases, like a good Samaritan trying to save a life.  Police officers often fall into these types of situations.  I do believe that excessive force is used in too many situations, out of anger or to assert control where it is entirely unnecessary.  Having federal police standards and sufficient training for officers seems like it would get us to a better place than we are now.  Yes, I would support doing this, with some immunity remaining for specific situations.

Q5: Would you support major tax reform, including raising taxes on billionaires and large corporations?  

A5: Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  We need major tax reform!  Enough with the many confusing changes and tons of loop holes.  We need to make sure that it's fair and reasonable.  Plus it has to bring in enough taxes cover the full budget.  We cannot continue with a deficit.  This may have to be implemented in steps to allow people time to adjust to a new tax system, but it must be done.  This includes the drastic reduction or removal of tariffs that form a harsh tax on consumers.

Q6: Do you support federal student debt cancellation and tuition-free public college?  

A6: I support drastic reductions in the cost of a college education.  The tuition at my university has increased to over 14 times what it was 45 years ago, an annual increase of over 31%.  That is about ten times the rate of inflation.  Student loans have become a way for the government to funnel cash to universities, while leaving the students on the hook.  For public universities, we have control and should do all we can to make college education tuition free.  For private universities, we need to use the influence of the government to force prices back down.  This is part of one of my core values of 'helping everyone achieve their full potential'.

On federal student debt cancellation, that is trickier from the fairness aspect.  Some people have just finished or nearly finished paying their off, do they get a refund?  Should there be some means testing?  Should the entire debt be cancelled?  Perhaps reducing the interest rate?  But remember this is all tax payer money now getting re-allocated.  I do agree with maintaining and standing by the programs that cancel federal student loan debt after ten years of specified public service work.  Also, remember, federal student loan debt is only part of the issue.  Many students refinance with private companies.  What happens then?  I think it should be studied, but the real key is getting cost of a college education way down.

Q7: Should Congress codify the right to abortion nationwide and repeal the Hyde Amendment?  

A7: These are important issues.  I'm in favor of codifying abortion rights to the level we had them under the old Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision before its recent overturning.  The Hyde Amendment has to do with using federal money for elective abortions.  The Hyde Amendment has also been the norm for the last 50 years.  My first priority is to get us back to where we were as far as established rights with this issue.  I can see the Hyde Amendment fight as important, and needs to be addressed.  I believe that this Amendment is renewed with each year’s budget.  It wouldn't need to be repealed, simply not renewed.

Q8: Do you support ending U.S. military aid to countries with ongoing human rights abuses, including Israel and Egypt?  

A8: Yes, but relationships, alliances, and partnerships between nations are rarely simple.  Communication and diplomacy are key.  Ending military aid can be a tool that can be used partially or 100%.  There are red lines but then again, we have national interests and priorities.  I'd like to end all military aid in these cases, but we must be aware of the global consequences.  It might be better to keep a friend and work to end their human rights abuses than to lose a friend to an opposition alliance.

Q9: Should the U.S. demilitarize the southern border and repeal harmful immigration policies?  

A9: First, we need to decide what our immigration policy should be.  Then we should manage all access points accordingly.  America actually needs immigrants.  We need to counter the right-wing immigrant phobia and embrace the role played by immigration.  And yes, that includes removing harmful policies and replacing them with correct ones.

The Southern Border is a major focus, but not the only location for illegal immigration.  We need to have adequate amounts of the correct resources, like border patrol but also asylum courts to more rapidly process those with claims.  The current level of fear, hate and concern whipped up by politicians (right wing) has led us to over-spend and over-militarize portions of our border.  We need to be smarter.

Q10: Do you support a federal jobs guarantee and large-scale public investment in housing, transit, and care infrastructure?  

A10: Federal Jobs Guarantee idea has pro's and con's, like many ideas.  I would like to see a pilot program in a location that has significant unemployment and need for infrastructure improving work.  If successful, growing the program might be best on a location need basis rather than trying to force one model of the program all across the country.

Housing, transit and care infrastructure likely needs some public investment, but we also need to look into what is happening in the private sector and provide some regulation.  Are corporations buying up too much housing?  Are houses being built that are too large and unaffordable compared to the need?  Are hospitals being correctly managed or are they victims of venture capitalists selling off their assets?  Both public and private need to be coordinated to provide the full solution.

Q11: Should Congress ban corporate PAC money and implement public campaign financing?  

A11: Yes, corporate PAC money is stealing the voice of the voter.  Most voters can only contribute small amounts.  One corporate PAC donation can offset very many individual voter donations and skew the ability of candidates to fund a campaign.  In some cases, corporations accept money from their employees, but only a few executives decide which politicians get the PAC money.  This gives those executives an exaggerated say in which campaigns have the funds to be successful.

If public campaign funding includes every candidate being able to claim part of a public campaign fund, I am not a fan.  In my mind, non-viable candidates can potentially enter this process and reduce the effectiveness.

Q12: Do you support expanding the Supreme Court or instituting term limits for justices?  

A12: No and Yes.  As far as expanding the Supreme Court, that is an escalation that has no natural limit.  It could continue to expand. So, No.  I do believe in term limits for members of the Supreme Court, Ethics rules for the Supreme Court, and a significant probationary period within which if they rule in a manner contrary to what they led Senators to believe, then they could be removed.  Some of our current right-wing justices have mis-led Senators during the confirmation process and then ruled 'contrary to settled law' soon after confirmation.

Q13: Should the Senate abolish or reform the filibuster to pass major legislation? 

A13: This is a fun opinion piece, but it is not for me to say.  What keeps current rules in place is the knowledge that changing them might put the shoe on the other foot when majorities change.  I think it might be fun to make the senators actually stand and filibuster rather than  just have a say-so filibuster, but that would technically end the practice.  Filibusters have been ended for certain purposes.  Fine. 

It's important to note that the reconciliation bills are not subject to the filibuster and that is how the Republican's recently passed their One Big Bill (Big because they had to shove everything they wanted into that one bill) over the objections of the minority.  I'm not sure how they got the senate parliamentarian to agree to allow all of that in the reconciliation bill.  But loss of the filibuster here has allowed the Big Money Republicans to serve their masters and hurt the bulk of Americans.  It is only the use of the filibuster now that is working so hard to save many from financial ruin due to coming health care changes.

Even though the Democrats in the house have nearly equal seating as the majority, they were powerless to stop the One Big Bill or the current continuing resolution. 

Q14: Do you support DC statehood, Puerto Rico self-determination, and expanding voting rights through federal law?  

A14: DC Statehood - I'm not opposed if that is what the voting population of DC wants. 

Puerto Rico, similar to DC, I would support their self-determination.  While I would prefer Puerto Rico to become a state, they may see it differently.  They have held some of these votes in the past with uncertain results.  I would think that the vote would need to be more than a simple majority.

Yes, and there is precedent for federal voting rights.  It seems odd to me that states can impose their own forms of voter suppression having nothing to do with that state's particular needs or features, only what party is in charge of that state.

Q15: Should Congress investigate and take action against far-right extremism, including the role of sitting lawmakers in January 6 and other anti-democracy efforts?  

Yes, and it has been done.  Congress already had the January Sixth committee with some live televised hearings.  The take action part is what went missing.  The right-wing disinformation strategy held strong but was clearly seen through.  The scale and scope of the dishonesty of it all should disqualify some lawmakers from continued public office.

Since we don't have that, we need to do a better job of educating voters.

Q16: Bonus Question: Who are your political role models, living or dead?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was truly for the people and put their needs first.  When we found the FDR memorial hidden in the trees past the Jefferson Memorial, we were delighted and re-invigorated to do more for the people.

Martin Luther King, Jr.  (Rev, Dr) was an exceptional man.  He knew the path to take between confrontation and peaceful protest.  He truly gave of himself for the many.

Many others had more Pro's than Con's, like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, JFK, RFK, George Washington, and the long list of those who strove to do the best they could for all Americans and the world at large.

OMG, did I leave out Jimmy Carter!  What a huge heart and giving spirit!

Q17: Bonus Question: What does being a Democrat mean to you in 2026?

Being a Democrat means:

Love your neighbor and we are all neighbors.

When you succeed, turn around and help the next person.

The time is always right to do what's right.

Putting People's Needs First!

See something, Fix it and leave it all better than you found it.

We are not owners but merely stewards for the many generations yet to come.

Statesmanship, Respect, Cooperation, Progress.

While someone somewhere suffers, the job is not done.

We are not controlled, not ordered to agree, but we each in turn perform our evaluation and come to the conclusion of what is right, what is best, and most often we tend to agree on that.

Q18: Bonus Question: How will you engage and energize disillusioned or low-turnout voters, especially young people, communities of color, and the working class?

By being there!  By showing up!  By giving them a real person with a real heart for service and concern for the people.  By being steadfast and consistent.

For those that will listen, I can explain the dangerous path we are on, pointing out the milestones that we have already past, but reassure them that it is not too late if we act now.

For others, sometimes you have to wait until they are ready.  I would ask them to take their time and really consider what they see in the world as getting better and worse, trying not to rely on media hype or political speech, but what do they see and feel.  I'd ask them to share that with me that i might take that on as a challenge to work on. 

I want to work for all people.  No divisions among us.  Remove and reduce hate, fear, and bad feelings.  Working to relevel the economy to make it more fair to the working and middle class.   To make life more affordable, through better wages and benefits, but also through reduced costs and better communities.

I can't make them drink, but I can sure show them a clean, clear opportunity.