[PAA-Discuss] Henley for Congress site now open for business

[Sarah Gonzales]

All,

as you are hopefully aware, Jim Henley will kick off his campaign for  
CD 7 this coming Sunday, details are on the webite:
http://www.paa-tx.org/node/854

I just discovered his website is now up - below are the beginnings of  
his platform - wanted you all to have a look see prior to Sunday.

	http://www.henleyforcongress.com/

His issues are outlined below along with the web address
<snip>
JIM HENLEY
DEMOCRAT FOR CONGRESS - DISTRICT 7
WAR IN IRAQ

http://tinyurl.com/7mpxv
My position on the war in Iraq has been consistent .  While  
supporting the war in Afghanistan, I opposed the invasion of Iraq.   
The preemptive unilateral invasion of the Arab heartland was a  
strategic blunder for our country.

Solution I:  Immediate Withdrawal

Our immediate withdrawal from Iraq would be almost as great a  
strategic blunder as was our invasion.  An immediate withdrawal would  
make our country less secure.  The invasion of Iraq created a haven  
for terrorists and our immediate withdrawal would most likely result  
in Iraq becoming a failed state as was pre-war Afghanistan.

Solution II:  Stay the Course

This is President Bush's current policy and it fails to recognize the  
reality that our presence in Iraq feeds and reinforces the  
insurgency.  Military experts estimate that success over the  
insurgents could take six to ten years.  This prospect is  
unacceptable to the American people.

Solution III:  My Position

The United States should complete a phased withdrawal of all its  
forces from Iraq  by December 2006.  The United States should  
immediately seek an honest broker to arbitrate a compromise between  
the major Iraqi factions.  This honest broker could be a respected  
elder statesman from the United Nations or the Arab League.  The goal  
would be to create stability among the people in Iraq in exchange for  
our orderly withdrawal.

EDUCATION
I am committed to fulfilling our promise of a quality education in a  
safe school for every child. As an educator for the past nineteen  
years, I have a sense of what will improve the educational  
opportunities for our children. First, we need the brightest and the  
best teaching our next generation in public schools. We cannot  
recruit the brightest and the best with the salaries currently paid  
today's teachers. Teacher pay and teacher competence must be a part  
of an overall strategy to improve our nation's public schools. To  
accomplish this I will work to increase funding for education. I  
support incentive pay programs which reward teachers for improved  
performance and attract talented people to join the teaching  
profession. I also support the innovative proposal by Senator Barack  
Obama of a National Teacher Academy that would place 25,000 new  
teachers in high-need public schools over five years.

ENERGY
The cost of gasoline and utilities has become an unreasonable burden  
on American families today.  High demand and limited supply have  
driven energy costs to record levels. I believe that energy policy  
must address both supply and demand.
By creating incentives to promote conservation and development of  
alternative energy sources we can reduce demand on existing resources  
and create new energy sources to meet our future needs. We can do  
this by offering tax incentives to businesses and consumers who  
purchase hybrid vehicles and high efficiency appliances and  
equipment.  We must also offer long term tax incentives to industry  
to develop alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and solar  
which are not financially viable today.  I believe energy policy must  
always operate in harmony with foreign policy, the economy and the  
environment. We must avoid dependence on foreign oil which creates  
economic hardship at home and leads us into unnecessary military  
conflict abroad.  Furthermore, all of our energy needs should be met  
by cleaner energy sources.

ECONOMY
I am a fiscal conservative and I believe in a balanced budget. Our  
economy and national security is undermined by the unprecedented  
growth of budget deficits under the present administration. To  
balance the budget and shore up our economy for the future I will,
1. Vote NOT to extend tax cuts which are set to expire over the next  
few years.

2. Work to change The Medicare Prescription Drug program that cost  
three quarters of a trillion dollars. Our seniors need a real  
Medicare prescription drug law that allows the federal government to  
negotiate drug prices.

3. Vote to end all "earmarks" (pork) placed in appropriation bills. I  
am opposed to "bridges to no where" in Alaska or in Texas.

4. Vote to close loopholes that encourage companies to move jobs abroad.

5. Reward companies that create quality jobs in America.

6. Ensure fair trade by enforcing existing trade agreements.

7. Encourage research and development.

8. Increase the minimum wage in order for working Americans to feed  
and cloth their families.