Thursday's Forum at Mayo High School: January 24

The format of the forum was sent to me and is being posted with permission:

First, the candidates will each have 5 minutes to introduce themselves after the following prompt:

Tell us about yourself and why you are running for congress. Is there one issue or experience that motivated you to run?

Each candidate will be allowed a 4 minute response to each of the following 8 questions (in no particular order).

1. Describe your policy on education funding and more specifically your stance on No Child Left Behind.

2. Where do we go from here in Iraq and how do we do it in a fiscally responsible way?

3. With the National Debt over 9 Trillion dollars, students feel that older generations are passing the buck to us. What actions will you take to ease the burden on the next generation?

4. Today's youth will be entering an age where our competition is not sitting in the next classroom, but in China, India, and other developing nations. What plans and/or economic policies do you plan to implement that will keep jobs in the United States?

5. What will you take to stem the flow of illegal immigration and what rights should immigrants have in the United States?

6. What specific initiatives will you take to reduce our dependence on foreign oil?

7. The United States spends 17% of our GDP on health care, higher than any other industrialized nation, yet the soaring costs are too much for many Americans. What will you do to improve the system and lower the costs?

Candidates will also be given 4 minutes for Closing Statements

Also, candidates will be asked to respond yes or no to the following issues:

Do you oppose abortion?

Do you oppose civil unions for gay couples?

Do you believe that global climate change is caused by human actions?

Do you support the PATRIOT Act? (Yes, No, Yes, with some modifications)


Here is the schedule for Thursday evening:

6:00 Opening remarks by First District Chair of the Minnesota Teenage Republicans, Matt Payne

6:03 Senator Dave Senjem, opening speaker

6:15 Introduction by Simon Zais, President of Century's Young Conservatives (this will be very brief, candidates will be expected to introduce themselves in their opening statement)

6:19 Candidates begin opening statements and other questions posed by moderators. (Michael Hicks- John Marshall, Todd Nickel- Century, Katelyn Alexander- Lourdes, Britt Koball- Mayo)

7:30 Closing statement by Matt Payne

We hope to see you there!