OCF Candidate Survey 2006
Candidate: Ron Kind
Party: Democrat
District: 3
Running For: US House
State: Wisconsin
1
QDo you think organic agriculture should receive a fair share (at least 2.5%) of government resources spent on agriculture?
A Yes
Comment:
2
QDo you support strict standards for processed foods, dairy, and body care products that are labeled or marketed as organic?
A Yes
Comment:
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 Not Answered
Comment: States have led the way in identifying local health risks. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for food production companies to manufacture and market their products when they must comply with different labeling requirements in each state. I would prefer a system in which consumers were informed of health risks in all states, not just in those that have passed their own labeling laws.
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 Not Answered
Comment: I believe that consumers should have the information they need to make responsible food choices. Similarly, producers, processors, and merchants need more information about genetically modified products. More emphasis should be placed on studying these products and their effects, and on making this data available to the public. Organic producers are particularly vulnerable to a rise in bioengineered products, because contamination from adjacent or nearby farms would destroy the integrity of an organic operation. Therefore, clear guidelines as to the production and handling of genetically modified crops and the measures of preventing drift must be developed along with those for consumer notification.
6b
QDo you support mandatory pre-market safety testing for all genetically modified foods and crops?
A Not Answered
Comment: While I agree that genetically modified products need to be tested to ensure their safety, I am concerned about the burden such testing could place on farmers. Any safety program must be designed so that the financial and administrative costs do not fall on producers.
7
QDo you support universal testing for Mad Cow disease and a ban on feeding slaughterhouse waste to farm animals?
A No
Comment: Universal testing would place an enormous burden on the livestock industry and would be extremely difficult to implement. The risk of Mad Cow disease remains very low in this country, and the current testing regime has proven effective in protecting the U.S. food supply from contamination.
8
QDo you support a restructuring of trade-distorting US farm subsidies?
A Yes
Comment: During the debate over the 2002 farm bill, I led a movement in the House to shift money away from the costly, trade-distorting subsidy programs that benefit a small minority of farmers, and into conservation programs that are open to all producers who volunteer to help conserve our water, soil, and other natural resources. In anticipation of a farm bill renewal next year, I have introduced H.R. 6064, the Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act. This bill seeks additional funds for farm conservation, biofuels production, and programs that link farmers to consumers and provide people with more healthy food choices. This bill also provides transition payments for farmers making the transition to organic production and increased funding for organic research.
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:
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: These programs are included in my Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act.
12
QDo you support universal health care with a preventive focus and a major emphasis on better nutrition?
A Not Answered
Comment: When 45 million Americans lack health insurance and far too many hardworking Americans are underinsured, it is clearly past time for Congress to step in and address the problem. I have written legislation, the Small Employer and Family Farmer Health Benefits Program Act of 2005, which would create a health insurance pool for farmers and employees of businesses with fewer than 100 people, as well as tax incentives for businesses with low income employees.
13
QDo you support 80%-by-2050 reduction in climate destabilizing greenhouse gas pollution?
A Yes
Comment: I am a cosponsor of the Safe Climate Act, which establishes this goal.
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 Not Answered
Comment: In the absence of a clear strategy from the Administration for success in Iraq, some have proposed an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. I believe we should bring our troops home as soon as possible, but given the high stakes in Iraq, we have to manage our exit in a responsible way, taking care not to leave chaos or civil war in our wake. Therefore, I will continue to push for the Administration to articulate a clear policy in Iraq that will establish objective benchmarks to measure whether the progress being made is adequate enough to allow our troops to come home.
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 Not Answered
Comment: I am an original cosponsor of the Clean Money, Clean Elections Act, which would allow candidates who opt to campaign without outside contributions to use money from a special fund established in the U.S. Treasury.
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:
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