OCF Candidate Survey 2006

Candidate: Larry Cafiero
Party: Green Party
Running For: Insurance Commissioner
State: California

1

QDo you think organic agriculture should receive a fair share (at least 2.5%) of government resources spent on agriculture?

A Yes

Comment: In fact, I think organic agriculture should receive more than 2.5 percent of government resources.
2

QDo you support strict standards for processed foods, dairy, and body care products that are labeled or marketed as organic?

A Yes

Comment: Comment: The current USDA standard for organics, in my opinion, is too low. I believe that the national standards should be raised at least to the standard of California or Oregon, both of which are higher.
3

QDo you support more aggressive government action to assess the harms of pesticides, take harmful pesticides off the market, and hold companies responsible for diseases and environmental damage caused by pesticides?

A Yes

Comment:
4

QShould people have the right to pass consumer safety laws at the state or local level that require food labels to include information on dangerous ingredients?

A Yes

Comment: This is a big issue in California, where the legislature is trying to pass a bill nullifying local laws banning genetically engineered crops from being grown. This Monsanto-backed bill is bad news and I am campaigning against it even though it is not really an insurance issue.
5a

QDo you support Country of Origin and labeling that helps consumers choose local products?

A Yes

Comment:
5b

QDo you support government action to help US farmers develop local and regional markets and to reduce non-renewable energy use on their farms?

A Yes

Comment:
6a

QDo you support mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients?

A Yes

Comment: Ideally, the demand for GE food will drop to a point where people no longer buy it and corporations will stop developing it (A lofty dream, I will be the first to admit). But until then, there should be strict standards including mandatory labeling
6b

QDo you support mandatory pre-market safety testing for all genetically modified foods and crops?

A Yes

Comment:
7

QDo you support universal testing for Mad Cow disease and a ban on feeding slaughterhouse waste to farm animals?

A Yes

Comment:
8

QDo you support a restructuring of trade-distorting US farm subsidies?

A Yes

Comment:
9

QDo you support a significant shift in US farm subsidies to help family farmers and ranchers make the transition to organic?

A Yes

Comment:
10

QDo you support a significant shift in subsidies to help US farmers adopt conservation and renewable energy practices on farms?

A Yes

Comment: We have a situation in the Central Valley of California that cries out for this kind of change, and I would proudly support legislation to reflect this shift.
11

QDo you support increases for WIC (Women, Infant and Children), the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and other programs to help low-income Americans buy organic food?

A Yes

Comment: Our household is a single-income household, and our family of three eats strictly organic food (even the cat). We know first-hand the extra expense buying organic food entails, and we budget accordingly. I recognize that many low-income families cannot afford organic food. So I would wholeheartedly support programs aimed at allowing low-income families (and individuals) to use food stamps and other scrip to purchase organic food at stores and farmers markets.
12

QDo you support universal health care with a preventive focus and a major emphasis on better nutrition?

A Yes

Comment: This is truly a no-brainer, even for the multinational insurance companies. Why they are not on the bandwagon for this is a mystery.
13

QDo you support 80%-by-2050 reduction in climate destabilizing greenhouse gas pollution?

A Yes

Comment: I think that an 80 percent reduction in a much shorter time, say 2020 (or earlier), is more reasonable and clearly achievable.
14

QDo you support ending the Iraq war and redirecting funds from the $500 billion annual military spending in the U.S. toward greening the U.S. economy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and converting U.S. agriculture to organic practices?

A Yes

Comment:
15

Q Do you support requiring electronic voting machines to produce voter-verified paper records and election officials to use these records to conduct mandatory audits of election results?

A Yes

Comment:
16

QDo you support eliminating the distorting effect of special interest money on our elections and politicians by requiring full public funding for all federal, state, and local elections?

A Yes

Comment: Like other Green Party candidates, I do not take corporate campaign contributions, which may put me at a disadvantage when it comes to campaign spending, but it catapults me ahead, ethically speaking, because I can make policy in California's Department of Insurance unencumbered by paying back political debt. The candidates for the two major parties cannot say this.
17

QDo you support legislation to prevent internet companies from rigging the system to serve only the highest-paying users and discriminate against users they don’t like?

A Yes

Comment: Net neutrality is as important as maintaining a free press.

 

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