THIS QUESTIONNAIRE MAY HAVE BEEN TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ORIGINAL BY SENIORS FOR AMERICA FOR EASE OF VIEWING ON THE WEB. WHILE WE HAVE TRIED HARD TO BE TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL, MINOR TRANSCRIPTION ERRORS MAY HAVE OCCURRED AND SHOULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ANY CANDIDATE OR CAMPAIGN. FOR A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT, PLEASE CONTACT .

Please answer all of the following questions and return to:

Seniors for America, 179 Oak Street #L, San Francisco CA 94102.

Questionnaire must be received by 5 pm, Friday, September 3, 2004.

Endorsements will be announced at Noon, Wednesday, September 15, 2004.

1) Is this your first campaign? If so, what or who inspired you to run for office?

I was first elected to the Kentucky State Senate in 2000 and I was reelected in 2002 despite being redistricted into a heavily Republican district. I have tried to serve my community in some way all my adult life. Inspired by the loss of my brother to a preventable medical error as a child, I dedicated my life to becoming a doctor and working to improve our healthcare system.

After medical school, I returned to my small Appalachian hometown where Id a free medical clinic. Through the course of interacting with my patients and my experience as chief of staff of the local hospital, I became intimately aware of the systematic problems facing healthcare.

Frustrated by the incumbent Democratic state senator's seeming indifference to improving healthcare, I ran for the seat myself and won. In the State Senate, in addition to fighting to improve the quality of healthcare, I have fought to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, expand access to safe drinking water and for the welfare of rural families. I am running for the U.S. Senate because I know more has to be done for our working families, seniors and children.

 

2) What is your Party affiliation? 

Democrat

 

3) What elected offices have you held? Years? 

In 2000, I challenged and defeated my own party's incumbent State Senator. After only 2 years in the Senate, I was redistricted by the Senate Leadership of the opposition party. Although I was their number one targeted race, my messaged reached voters from both parties and I was able to win that race as well - 68% to 32%. I currently am still serving the people Kentucky's 30th State Senate District.

 

4) Please list the three most important issues to your campaign.

1. Healthcare
2. Jobs
3. Education

As a physician I understand the importance of access to quality healthcare for all Americans. It is unconscionable that 45 million Americans are going without the healthcare they need. I am also highly distressed that the supposed Medicare prescription drug "benefit" has left so many seniors behind. As a United States Senator, I will work to ensure that no one goes without the healthcare or prescription drugs they deserve in order to live a healthy life.

Ensuring that the people of this nation have quality jobs will be another one of my top priorities. While the people of my state alone have lost over 38,000 jobs, Washington politicians have offered no response. I will support programs and tax credits that help create and maintain quality jobs for all Americans.

Providing the best education for future generations should be a priority for our nation. Being the first member of my family to attend college I understand the importance of a quality education. As a United States Senator I will support reforming the un-funded mandates of the "No Child Left Behind Act" and expanding scholarship and financial aid opportunities for new generations of college students.

 

5) What do you feel sets you apart from your opponent(s)?

The people of Kentucky have a very clear choice in the race for the United States Senate. While my opponent, Jim Bunning, has his pockets lined by big business interests, Kentuckians are going without quality healthcare, jobs and education.
Unlike my opponent, I support making healthcare more accessible by lowering the cost of prescription drugs. I support the safe importation of prescription drugs and collective negotiation for the cost of prescription drugs in order to lower the cost to all Americans. Unfortunately, my opponent, who is supported by big drug companies, opposes such legislation.

While Kentuckians have lost 38,000 manufacturing jobs in recent years my opponent has offered no solutions. In fact, he even sided with big business, voting three times to cut overtime pay for nearly 6 million workers. As a United States Senator, I will support the creation of jobs by closing tax loopholes that encourage off-shoring, while creating tax incentives to help small businesses pay for healthcare insurance for their employees. Additionally, I will support funding for innovative programs like the Manufacturing Extension Program that has a proven record of creating jobs.

My opponent supports imposing un-funded mandates on already overburdened schools. He voted for "No Child Left Behind Act" without equipping schools with the resources necessary to succeed. As a United States Senator, I will support funding for our schools and making education a priority. I think it is important that we equip our schools with the resources necessary to provide the best education possible.

 

6) Please list your other endorsements.

Amongst others, I am proud to have been endorsed by:
Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police
Kentucky Professional Firefighters (IAFF)
National Education Association
Kentucky Education Association
Jefferson County Teachers Association
AFL-CIO
United Auto Workers of America
United Mine Workers of America

 

7) Please list your other grassroots support.

As I have witnessed so many times as a doctor, most solutions to the pressing issues lie with the people on the frontlines - the patients, nurses and doctors. They understand the problem best, because it affects them the most. I think the same is true of government. The answer to the most pressing issues lies in the common sense of the people on the frontlines of the problem - the grassroots. Too often, however, government looks to impose its will without the input of the governed.

Grassroots will and must play an extraordinary role in my campaign. I believe that campaigns should be built from the ground up. In the past I have always gone door-to-door to meet the people, and that is what it is going to take to win this election. My opponent will be well-financed by the special interests, but if Kentuckians come together behind my campaign and reach out to the millions out there who are ready for a new direction, I have no doubt we will celebrate a great victory this November.

I believe Seniors for America and the Democracy for America movement have demonstrated the vision, energy and commitment to secure change from the ground up. While our campaign has thousands of supporters across Kentucky, I would very much appreciate the vitality Seniors for America could bring to our cause.

 

8) Please state your previous occupation and professional affiliations.

I have been a surgeon for nearly twenty years. In addition to my duties in the State Senate, I continue to practice medicine to this day.

 

9) Please list your hobbies and other interests.

I am an avid aviator, sportsman and reader.

 

10) Seniors for America member referral. 

L'Ann Bingham

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PERSON WHO COMPLETED FORM:

Name:  Dr. Daniel Mongiardo

Campaign Position:  Candidate

Signature: __________________

Date prepared:  August 30, 2004