DELAND-DELTONA BEACON: District 7 congressional candidates talk about priorities

October 28, 2008 District 7 congressional candidates talk about priorities

Faye Armitage, left, John Mica, right.


By Jennifer Horton
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Oct 28, 2008 - 8:58:31am

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U.S. Rep. John Mica, the District 7 representative to Congress since 1993, faces a challenge Nov. 4 from political newcomer Faye Armitage, an economist.

While both agree something must be done to create jobs, that's about where their similarities end.

Mica, a Republican, said he brings to the table experience and a deep knowledge of the communities he serves.

Armitage, a Democrat, is a former economics professor. She said it's time to replace businessmen and politicians in Congress with economists. She said she is more of an average citizen than her opponent is.



Armitage


Armitage said she once was among those who had what she calls "the other AIDs — apathy, ignorance and denial."

Then, she became a community advocate, and began to research the voting records of those in charge.

"I was shocked at what I discovered," she said.

Armitage made the decision to run for office, because she believes Congress currently reacts to crisis; she said it's time to look at real, proactive solutions to old problems.

If elected, Armitage's top three priorities will be creating a universal health-care system, stabilizing the financial market, and using green technology and energy independence to create new jobs.

Armitage has been a single mother; she raised five children, and has a son-in-law in Iraq, and a son who is a quadriplegic.

She said she is an average American, and will be able to better connect to her constituents.

"I want to be the people's voice in Washington," she said.

Once in Washington, Armitage wants people to break out of the "apathy, ignorance and denial" and keep an eye on her.

"I would expect them to hold me accountable," she said.

She suggested voters check out three Web sites that help her keep tabs on elected officials: smartvotes.org, themiddleclass.org and LCV.org.



Armitage on health care


"I believe we're way past time to have gotten a universal health-care system in place," she said. "It's a human right."

Armitage wants to see a Medicare-for-all system that would give people a choice in primary-care physicians, and still encourage employers to offer private insurance.

According to Armitage, universal health care could save Americans $350 billion a year.

"Thirty-one cents out of every dollar spent on private insurance goes to overhead and profit," she said. "Just 3 cents per dollar of Medicare goes to overhead."

In addition, insurers would save big dollars by making primary care accessible to everyone.

"Universal health care will save the dollars spent in emergency rooms, which is far more than preventative care," she said.



Armitage on going green


"I believe we need to invest in green technology, to create green-collar jobs," Armitage said.

She envisions using methods that will lead to energy independence, to stimulate the local job market.

"In the past, in District 7, construction used to be an economic engine," she said. "If we could give government incentives to retrofit older homes with green technology like tankless water heaters and solar panels, we could get those people back to work. It would boost our economy."



Armitage on the financial market


"A No. 1 priority is to stabilize our financial market," she said.

Part of financial stability is enforcing economic justice, she said. Armitage believes there should be penalties and safeguards to prevent practices like predatory lending. Her experience as an economist would give her a leg up in determining good or bad financial plans. she said.

"I am an economist. I would be able to assess good plans. We're had attorneys, doctors and businessmen in office. An economist has the ability for more long-range thinking."

John Mica


Mica said he has been responsive to the community since 1993.

"I've taken priorities from the community that have lingered for years," Mica said.

He said solutions are not created by a single person, but by many people working together.

"We've got to roll up our sleeves and work together," he said.

In his 15 years in Congress, Mica said, he's faced difficult challenges. In

Volusia County
alone, he's reacted to storms, tornados and flooding, brought affordable housing to poor areas, implemented progressive programs in local colleges and universities, and improved services to veterans.

He said he listens to his constituents, and he finds realistic solutions to their problems.

When the shape and size of his congressional district changed five years ago, Mica noted, the number of his constituents with low incomes increased.

"I acquired some of the poorest areas," Mica said. "In Daytona Beach, people talked about replacing pre-World War II public housing. Within 23 months, all 399 units were taken down. We have 320 units completed. It's decent, affordable housing."

Before he began working on the problem, people had talked about the need for decades, Mica said.

Seminole County had a rat problem.

"In Seminole County they brought me rats in a cage," he said.

He worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to rehabilitate the area and get rid of the rats.

If re-elected, Mica's top three priorities will be economic development and job creation, improving transportation, and providing services for veterans and seniors.



Mica on economic development


"The economy is on everyone's mind," he said.

Mica wants to continue attracting and retaining new industry, especially information technology, to the counties he serves.

He listed some examples of successes.

"DeLand Crossings is a good example of one of the economic developments," he said. "We had a successful project in Flagler County. We were to retain Palm Coast Data which is the largest employer in the Flagler/Palm Coast area. We've not only retained Palm Coast Data, we've expanded it."



Mica on transportation


Mica was selected to lead the largest committee in congress — the Transportation Committee.

"We want to provide transportation for folks who don't have it," he said.

Mica said commuter rail is high on his priority list, as is continuing to improve VOTRAN, Volusia County's mass-transit system.

"We've helped VOTRAN acquire new buses," he said.

Putnam County, needs not just new buses, but new types of buses that can travel on dirt roads normal buses can't handle.

"In Putnam, for example, we plan for new buses designed for rural areas," he said. "These are smaller buses with more traction.

He's also been supportive, and will remain supportive, he said, of updating infrastructure, including large projects such as making Interstate 4 and Interstate 95 both six lanes.



Mica on veterans and senior citizens


Mica has systematically worked to replace blighted, unsafe or outdated housing with affordable housing in District 7

In addition to tearing down and replacing public housing in Daytona Beach, he recently was part of relocating more than 100 senior citizens in Putnam County.

"We took down a multistory Soviet-style building that was a blight on the St. Johns River. More than 100 seniors lived there," he said. "We've provided them decent housing."

Mica also said services to veterans have been improved and expanded throughout District 7.