Lisa on the issues

To guarantee safety and security, enhanced well-being, and betterment for all Kansans, I am committed to principles that promote:

Fiscal priorities and accountability

We must reduce our skyrocketing national debt by carefully setting spending priorities and moving forward with financial reform
We should ensure U.S. corporations pay U.S. taxes
Promote fiscal responsibility and wise investment of government resources

Read more about Lisa's position on economic strength

One of the most important tasks for addressing our skyrocketing national debt and ensuring fiscal responsibility is to force ourselves to set priorities as a nation and to decide what is a necessity and what is a luxury. This is what most American families do every day at home. They work within their budget to make sure the necessities are paid for before buying the little extras. The federal government needs to get back to this very basic principle. We must be sure that we are not spending money on items that are not essential so that when we need to invest in important necessities or vital new programs the money is available to pay for what we really need. We do not need to stop spending to achieve fiscal responsibility. We simply must invest our resources in the programs and initiatives that will be the most beneficial for our nation.

We also need to ensure that reasonable regulations exist for businesses and industry. The recent financial institution crisis demonstrated clearly that we cannot afford to allow our societal economic stability to rest in the hands of largely self-regulated financial institutions. We all need checks and balances along with accountability. For example, elected leaders are accountable to their constituents. If the voters are unhappy, they have the option to elect another candidate. Most people would be very uncomfortable with no accountability for elected officials because this would allow the possibility of repetitive damaging decisions with no possible consequences. A complete lack of regulation has the potential to be disastrous especially in the financial sector. All groups need to be accountable and to be provided parameters to guide their actions to prevent negative and damaging outcomes.

Additionally, we need to do a better job of explaining the basics of economics to citizens. The consumer confidence index has an impact on the markets and interest rates. And, consumer spending is vital to the success of our businesses. Because of these important links, we all need to understand the importance of keeping a level head during difficult economic periods rather than jumping to drastically negative conclusions. The worst thing to do in a financial crisis is to stop normal spending patterns and foster negative sentiments. Keeping things in perspective and engaging in normal spending can help the economy to continue to move in the right direction.

Job creation and economic stability

We should support Kansas business, industry, and agriculture, and encourage new industries in the state
We must avoid policies that hurt small business
As businesses and industries regain their economic stability, more job creation will result
We should also focus on creating new jobs in industries that will benefit our nation

Read more about Lisa's position on job creation

Job creation is linked to our overall economic conditions. As our economic strength returns, businesses that were forced to implement hiring freezes or layoffs can begin to replenish their workforce. This will allow more Kansans who lost their jobs to get back to work. We also need to actively encourage businesses to open additional locations in Kansas, which can create a large number of new jobs. Looking out for small businesses is very important as well. We must be sure that new policies do not make it more difficult for small businesses to stay afloat and thrive.

In addition to shoring up the strength of current businesses and institutions, we must also look for innovative, new opportunities to encourage new businesses and industries in beneficial sectors such as clean energy technology. These new initiatives will not only create new jobs for Kansans and all Americans but also have the potential to create substantial improvements to our economic strength because we will no longer be saddled with the skyrocketing cost of purchasing oil from other countries.

Education

Education is vital to the future of our state and our nation and it must be a top priority.
We must provide an excellent educational foundation at the K – 12 level.
We should devote resources to making college more accessible and affordable for all citizens

Read more about Lisa's position on education

Unfortunately, no child left behind left many children behind. We have not realized the gains in achievement levels that were hoped for when this program was implemented. We are still lagging behind many other countries in fundamental areas like math and science. In order to continue to lead the world, we must be sure that future generations have the educational foundation that they will need to lead in the future. We cannot afford to become complacent while other countries surpass us in educational achievement.

Even though education is a substantial investment, it must be a priority at both the state and federal level. Although each state has oversight of its own educational system and most of the funding for education comes from the state, the federal government should maximize the resources available to states in order to support education. We must also be sure that we are not implementing policies at the federal level that are too difficult or too costly for the states to implement successfully.

Recently the White House released a report indicating that we have slipped from 1st to 10th in the world in the proportion of students pursuing higher education. This is a frightening statistic as an increasing number of occupations require college degrees to be considered for entry-level employment. We must place a priority on providing financial resources such as grants and loans for students to pursue college degrees. If we are to continue to lead the world, we must be sure that we are not only providing a K – 12 educational foundation but that our citizens are pursuing college degrees. We must work toward reclaiming the rank of 1st for the proportion of those seeking higher education.

Integrity, leadership and better access to the legislative process

We need true representation for the people – not politicians who work for special interests
Reduce legal jargon and end political gamesmanship
Require straightforward, plain language summaries of bills and laws that anyone can read and understand
Require these summaries to be posted on the web prior to congressional votes to allow constituent review and feedback

Read more about Lisa's position on improving access to the legislative process

We need more politicians who are focused on being genuine and having an open dialogue with their constituents. Political games, spin, and talking points do not help Americans to understand the important issues. We need more honesty and transparency in government to allow everyday citizens a way to become informed about potential legislation so that they can provide feedback to their elected officials.

For this reason, I believe it is important to make plain language summaries of all bills available for citizens to read and consider. These documents should be free from crafty language designed to spin the presentation of the potential legislation. The summaries should simply include the facts so that each individual can make a decision about the content of the legislation without being influenced by a particular method of presentation by politicians or by the media.

I also think it is important for elected officials to spend as much time as possible in their home states so that they are available to meet with their constituents to hear their ideas and concerns. If elected, I would want to be as available as possible to the people of Kansas rather than simply staying in Washington D.C. throughout the year. My priority would be to work for what is best for Kansans and spend as much time as possible back home.

Health care and wellness

Doctors and patients should not need to fight with insurance companies to get coverage for treatment that is needed
We need more options for Americans to get better quality care at a lower cost
Promote wellness and the well-being of all citizens

Read more about Lisa's position on health care and wellness

Medical treatment should be determined by physicians in consultation with their patients. Doctors should not be required to argue and haggle with insurance company bureaucrats and administrators about providing the medical treatment that is needed. We should require the insurance industry to change their current model of collecting premiums and paying for as little treatment as possible and to adopt a true health and wellness model. This would allow all individuals with health coverage to get the full extent of any treatment recommended by their physician.

An important part of keeping Americans safe is providing for their health care needs. All Americans should be guaranteed high quality and complete care for all health conditions. We should not be forced to live in fear of being kicked off our insurance plan or having coverage denied when we get sick. People should not lose their savings, their retirements, and their homes because of insurance companies that won't live up to their responsibility to provide coverage when we are ill.

It is also important that we continue to enhance health and wellness education. We should increase the availability of wellness programs. We also need to be sure that people understand the principles for healthy living and good nutrition. The quality of the food we eat is extremely important to our health now and in the future. We need to be sure that schools are providing healthy meals rather than over processed foods that have little nutritional value. It is also important that we carefully examine our food safety standards and ensure appropriate standards and regulations are in place to diminish the possibility of food contamination.

Individual liberty and freedom

Our country was founded on the principle of individual liberty and that each of us deserves the right to follow our own path and to find what brings us joy and fulfillment in life
Every individual should be able to make her or his own choices and should be guaranteed the rights and privileges spelled out in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights which includes both 1st and 2nd amendment rights

Read more about Lisa's position on individual liberty and freedom

Our country was founded on the principles of individual liberty and freedom. The founding fathers believed that all Americans were entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Their passion for liberty and freedom was an outgrowth of the judgment and persecution they experienced prior to founding our great nation. They understood that every person was entitled to freedom of belief and freedom of choice.

I firmly believe in this vision. No American should be persecuted because of who they are or what they believe. It is not our place to sit in judgment of another person simply because they hold a view that is different from our own. What promotes the liberty and happiness of one person can be very different from what allows another person to feel happy and fulfilled. Even if we do not understand these differences, we must respect them. This principle is one of the many ideals that makes our nation great. Embracing diversity strengthens us as a nation and fulfills the vision of our founding fathers.

National security and International relations

Diplomatic efforts should be our first course of action whenever possible
We must respond to genuine threats to national security with appropriate military action

Read more about Lisa's position on national security and international relations

Whenever possible, diplomacy should always be our first course of action for promoting international relations. Sometimes we can work through difficulties by reasoned discussed or firm sanctions. We should never hastily initiate military conflict. If we must put the lives of our fighting men and women on the line, we must be absolutely sure this is necessary for our nation's safety.

If the security of our nation is threatened, we must be willing to respond with decisive military action to protect our citizens. We must be sure that the military strategy is appropriate for the particular threat. We must also place a priority on minimizing the amount of time our troops are in harms way and minimizing our spending on such actions. We should not continue to spend our nation's money if the country involved has the financial resources to fund stabilization efforts as has been the case in Iraq for many years. We have spent gigantic amounts of U.S. taxpayer money while the Iraqi government had ample budget surpluses of billions of dollars. If we jeopardize our economy by spending more money than necessary on military action, we create a threat to the stability of our own nation.

Sound environmental policy

We only have one Earth and we must be sure that as we advance as a society we do so in a way that does not damage our planet
We should encourage individuals and businesses to use emerging green technology

Read more about Lisa's position on sound environmental policy

Just as the safety of the citizens of our country must be a top priority when it comes to national security and defense, I see environmental policy as a safety issue as well. We must be sure that we have policies in place that keep our environment and planet from becoming damaged or dangerous. We must think not only about ourselves but also about maintaining the environment for future generations.

Not only must we be sure appropriate regulations are in place to prevent environmental damage but we should also provide incentives for companies that are focused on operating in an environmentally safe fashion. We should also consider offering tax incentives for green companies that are both creating new jobs and helping our country by developing new sources of cleaner and cost-effective energy.

Support for seniors and veterans

Those who have provided for our needs and our safety deserve our support
We must protect Social Security, Medicare, and supportive services for veterans including health care

Read more about Lisa's position on support for seniors and veterans

We need to fulfill our commitments to provide for the needs of our senior citizens and our veterans. Our seniors count Social Security and Medicare so we must ensure that these programs remain strong and fiscally viable in the years ahead.

Our veterans make the ultimate sacrifice by putting their lives on the line for our national security. When they return home from service, we owe it to them to ensure that they receive the best medical care and the support necessary to make an effective transition from wartime to everyday life back home. We also must place a priority on fulfilling commitments to veterans for benefits such as the GI Bill, which allows veterans to further their education upon returning home.