Race

A

For

CONGRESS

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Candidates in 12th U.S. House District continue campazgning.

tempting to unseat incumbent Democrat Rep. Sander Levin in the race for U.S. Congress in Michigan's 12th District is manage-

rnent consultant Bart Baron, a Republican.
Baron says he's running for Congress "to preserve the American Dream for my children and grandchildren in times that are
seemingly void of national direction.” He says he hopes to "make positive things happen through negotiation and consensus build-

tng.
While both candidates agree that education, health care and peace are of the highest priorities, their platforms differ.
In 1999, Levin supported the position of the National Education Association 100 percent of the time. But Baron says, "It's time to
rethink elementary, intermediate and secondary education." He looks to schools in his hometown of Troy as a model for adopting a man-
dated core-course program, striving for additional parental involvement with students and providing a suitable and safe study environment.
White Levin sees support of Israel as the center of American foreign aid, Baron sees issues in the Middle East as a worldwide focus.
While the 12th District has welcomed Levin in his current position for 18 years, Baron looks toward a new direction. "It's time for someone
to lead," he says. "Those who choose not to, should follow or get out of the way."

Medicare's oldest and sickest beneficiaries.
Finally, we must ensure that when people do need
to enter nursing homes, they can choose facilities
that suit their needs, regardless of whether their care
is paid for by savings, private insurance, or
Medicaid.

ISSUES
Q: In an era of shrinking congressional budgets,

including foreign aid, how will you work to
secure needed funds for the Israelis and the
Palestinians, should they reach a final agreement?
Levin: There is no higher priority in America's for-
eign aid budget than the security of Israel.
Whether or not there is a final agreement between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the United
States must continue to actively support Israel.
While the peace process has been shaken by recent
events in the Middle East, it is clear that American
leadership and support will be needed if and when
an agreement is reached.
On the subject of foreign assistance, one of
my disagreements with the current Republican
leadership of Congress is that they constantly
shortchange so many important priorities —
including foreign aid, education and health care
— in order to accommodate their oversized $1
trillion tax cut agenda.

Baron: Quite honestly, peace in the Middle East
is not only a American priority but is a world
priority.
I would ask the United Nations to set up a fund
through the auspices of the World Bank. Nations
would be asked to contribute to the fund in pro-
portion to their Gross National Product. In this
way, [the U.S.] would not be carrying the total
burden but the world would be participating in a
way that everyone would work diligently to insure
that peace, a permanent and lasting peace, can be
achieved. When everyone puts their money up
they have a stake to make Middle East peace in our
time a reality.

10/27
2000

is

Baron: I fully understand the needs of today's elder-
ly and the burgeoning senior population that will
require us to revisit our long-term care policies.
Unfortunately, before we can clearly address this
need, we have to work to make Social Security and
Medicare solvent and add a prescription-drug bene-
fit for seniors and all those in critical need. Once
these are accomplished, then and only then, can we
proceed with the discussion to formulate policy with
regard to long term care.
Anyone who promises otherwise may be the same
individuals who have been using the "saving of
Social Security and Medicare" as political fodder for
the past 10 years to scare seniors. Eni

Q: Our community has, as a high priority, the pro-
vision of critical services to the growing numbers
of Jewish frail elderly. How will you work to make
long-term care for the elderly a Congressional pri-
ority?
Levin: Developing and financing the continuum of
care our growing elderly population needs is one of
our greatest challenges. A few years ago, I proposed
legislation to offer support services to family care-
givers th at faced the difficult challenge of support-
ing both their children and elderly parents. This year
the president proposed a similar program, but the
flawed Republican-crafted budget did not fund it.
I have also led the fight to restore adequate health
and safety-net benefits for legal immigrants and
have been active in the effort to restore full funding
•
for home-health services, which are used by

Election 2000

COUNTDOWN

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polls will be
open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Other political parties are offering candidates
to represent Michigan's 12th congressional dis-
trict. They are:
• Thomas P. Ness, Green Parry
• Andrew LeCureaux, Libertarian Party
• Fred D. Rosenberg, Natural Law Parry

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