AZ-01 candidate profiles - Shanker

Howard Shanker
First up, from Flagstaff, AZ, Mr. Shanker has been a resident and local lawyer working on behalf of local Tribal groups, and environmental groups for 15 years. All of the quotes below are liberated from the Yavapai Democrat.
His top issue he declares is "as a nation, we need to be working toward a non-carbon based economy." He points out that the district can be a "net exporter of energy derived from renewable resources." To do that, it would require building a solar power plant, which would take free sunshine, and convert it to electricity, and be renewable every day. These kinds of programs create jobs, they reduce greenhouse gases, and they reduce our dependence on foriegn oil.
On Iraq, he states, "we need to end our involvement in Iraq as expeditiously and responsibly as possible." This requires diplomacy within Iraq between the different factions, and regionally with Syria, the Saudis, and Iran. The conundrum is that as long as we fight the violence in Iraq with more violence, we wind up with more violence. Convincing Emperor Shitforbrains, and his ChickenHawk followers that we need to reach political settlements with all the players in order to change the internal and external dynamicsof Iraq is a lost cause.
As for Pres. Bush's rebate, Shanker says "I don't think giving this rebate to people will stimulate the economy. It's good to give money back if we have it, but this is all borrowed." Of course not, the best long term solution is to stimulate job growth now, through road building projects, a new Public Works program, and to put in place tariffs to protect our jobs, and help keep wages high.
Shanker is in favor of Universal Healthcare, noting the system we have now is broken. Of course, Sen. John McCain this week unveiled his $5,000 rebate to every family, so they can go out and buy $12,000 worth of HMO premiums. I think Sen. McCain doesn't realize that we all can't just ask our heiress wife for a few million to cover the costs.
Shanker's biggest hurdle up to now has been fundraising, which is a circular problem - "I need money to run, but I don't have the money to hold fund raisers." Locally, for state races, we have public financing, but not for national races, that isn't available.