The Duncan Banner emailed some questions to all the candidates running for political office that members of Stephens County will be voting on Nov. 4. What follows is this candidate's responses to these questions.



Questions to Tom Cole, Republican candidate, US House of Representatives, 4th District of Oklahoma::



1) What qualifications do you have for running for U.S. Representative District No. 4?



Since January 2003, I have had the honor of representing the citizens of the Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to that I was the Oklahoma Secretary of State and served in the Oklahoma State Senate. I am a fifth generation Oklahoman, a small businessman, and the only enrolled member of a Native American tribe serving in the U.S. Congress.



2) Why are you running for U.S. Representative District No. 4?



I believe I have earned the support of my constituents for four important reasons. The first, and most important, is that my staff and I are responsive to the citizens of the Fourth Congressional District. Since being elected I have responded to nearly 200,000 phone calls, letters and e-mails. And we've helped tens of thousands of citizens solve problems they were having with the federal government. Secondly, I believe I've represented Oklahoma's common sense, conservative values in the U.S. House. I've fought for a strong national defense, a fiscally responsible federal government, and traditional family values. Thirdly, I've been a tireless supporter of Oklahoma's higher education system as well as for programs like TRIO and Gear Up that make college possible for Oklahoma students who might not otherwise be able to attend. Finally, I've been an effective advocate for Oklahoma's interests. I've voted and worked to make America energy independent, I've looked after the needs of our state when disaster has struck, and I've made sure the men and women of the armed forces who are stationed in Oklahoma have the things they need in order to succeed in their mission.



3) What is the most important issue to you and how will you work to alleviate the problem if elected?



Addressing the crisis in our financial markets and rescuing our economy must be among the highest priorities of the next President and the next Congress. The best way to accomplish this is to break Washington's addition to wasteful spending and to prevent tax increases on middle class families and small businesses. And we must make absolutely certain that the people who created this financial meltdown are held accountable. If the taxpayers haven't gotten back every penny they put into this deal within five years, the President has to put a plan in front of Congress to recover all of the remaining amount at the expense of the financial institutions that benefited from the federal rescue.



4) With the ever increasing costs for construction materials, road construction/maintenance costs are increasing exponentially, what can be done to alleviate the problem? In other words, can the number of road projects remain steady or will the number of projects need to decrease yearly unless taxes are raised?



The Federal Highway Reauthorization Act is due to be renewed in the next Congress. Federal policy makers are going to be faced with difficult choices. Right now we fund this construction with a federal gasoline tax that is based on a gallon of gas, rather than as a percentage of the total purchase price. With gasoline prices at near record levels, I do not believe there is any real desire to raise gas taxes. Combine this with the fact that our cars and trucks are getting better gas mileage and you have a infrastructure need that is expanding, while the revenue stream to pay for it is diminishing. Congress needs to consider replacing the gas tax with something different, allowing greater use of tolls, tap into the general fund or maybe even getting out of the interstate highway system all together and letting state governments build and maintain our roads and bridges. I do not know what the ultimate answer will be, but the fact remains that with construction prices increasing, and gasoline tax revenues decreasing, we cannot continue to build and / or maintain our roads and bridges at the levels we have in the past.



5) Oklahoma has a prison capacity of about 25,000. We stay filled at between 96% and 98% yearly, which is well into overcrowded status. What is the answer for prison overcrowding in Oklahoma and how will you work to alleviate the problem? Do you think taxes need to be raised to solve the (any) problem?



Prison construction and capacity is a uniquely state issue. As a member of the federal branch of government, I do not have any say into this matter. However, as a concerned citizen of Oklahoma, I hope the Governor and the Legislature find a way to work together that protects the public safety, as well as the taxpayer. I think we ought to expand the use of private prison facilities and take a hard look at our state budget to make sure our spending priorities reflect the values and priorities of Oklahoma families.



6) Recidivism is measured as the percentage of all prisoners within a given year who return to incarceration within three years. For fiscal year 2005, the recidivism rate is 27.8%. What will you do to lower that percentage?



Again, this is an issue that is dealt with at the state level. I recognize it is a very serious challenge for our state legislators and the Governor and I hope they find a way to work across party lines to make the best decisions on behalf of the citizens of Oklahoma.



The last six questions come from a Duncan Banner reader.



7) What have been some "positives" that have happened during your campaigning?



I've had the opportunity to meet some truly remarkable people as I travel throughout the Fourth Congressional District. And it has reinforced my long held belief that if the leaders in Washington acted more like Oklahomans live, there is no problem we can't solve.



8) How can we make public schools better?



K-12 education is another issue that is best left to the control of the state and local governments. Generally speaking, however, greater accountability and broader choices are approaches I would favor. At the University level the single biggest issue facing our young people is access and affordability. This is why I have been a strong supporter of programs like Gear-up and TRIO, which help provide low-income and otherwise disadvantaged students with the academic and financial support necessary to help them not only get into college, but to succeed there after they do.



9) Do you stand with your party affiliation on the issues of abortion and marriage? Why?



Yes I do. Throughout my tenure in both the State Legislature, as well as the Congress, I have consistently promoted the sanctity of human life. I believe it is a fundamental responsibility of the government to protect and defend the truly defenseless among us and nothing better fits that description than an unborn child.



The institution of marriage has been the foundation of civilized society for thousands of years. Each generation, culture and society has deemed it an important enough institution to require well-defined and widely accepted definitions and rules. I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman.



10) Would you ever cross party lines in a voting session? Why?



Yes, I frequently cross party lines when voting in Congress. I tend to break with my party when it comes to issues of higher education, specifically GEAR-UP and TRIO. And I typically join a majority of Democrats when it comes to supporting things like Native American Housing and Health issues. Oklahomans are conservative but they aren't especially partisan. They expect their elected officials to roll up their sleeves and get to work solving problems. And they know that good ideas aren't the exclusive property of either Republicans or Democrats.



11) Are you for or against Tort Reform? Why?



I am strongly in favor of Tort Reform. Today in America, our civil justice system costs nearly $250 billion per year. This expense is a tax on American industry that makes health care less affordable, unfairly targets specific companies, and makes a mockery of the notion of personal responsibility. And far too often the proceeds of this tax end up in the pockets of trial attorneys rather than in the hands of anyone who has actually suffered a wrong. In my opinion, Tort Reform is one of the single most important steps we should take to help stabilize our economy and start to reward productivity and entrepreneurship, rather than engaging in a form of "lawsuit lottery."