GoLocalProv Voter’s Guide - Candidates for Congress: John Loughlin

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

GoLocalProv Politics Team

 

John Loughlin
Republican Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives (1st Congressional District)

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Born:
March 3, 1959 in Worcester, MA; Grew up in Lincoln, RI

Education:
State University of New York (BS in Sociology)

Career Highlights:
• Enlisted in Rhode Island National Guard
• Graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1982, Armor Basic Course in 1983 and US Army Aviation Center, Helicopter Flight School in 1984
• In 1986, served as the Adjutant General’s Public Affairs Officer for the Rhode Island National Guard
• Served in active duty in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1995-1996) and in training units in Ft. Bragg, NC (2003)
• Served as a Public Affairs Officer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as the NASA Headquarters in Washington DC
• Has received a variety of rewards related to his work in aeronautics and space, such as special recognition for STS-37 and the Space Shuttle Atlantis mission
• Owner of Media-Rite LLC, a television, radio and film production company

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Personal Information:
Loughlin was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America, eventually becoming an Eagle Scout. He also served as a volunteer fireman and EMT during college.

Views on Key Issues:
• Do you think RI is culturally too accepting of public corruption?
Unfortunately corruption has been an unwelcome part of our political system for generations. I don’t think it’s part of the culture of the state though – we have far more honest public servants than dishonest.

• Do you think RI effectively spends its education dollars?
Clearly not. We have some of the highest per pupil expenditures and some of the lowest test scores.

• Do you favor a state law to allow gay marriage?
I believe that government needs to get out of the marriage business. I am for civil unions, which would provide gay and straight couples with the same legal rights. Marriage falls under the purview of the church. Under the 10th amendment, the federal government has no jurisdiction in this area; so I would vote against a federal law that attempts to usurp this right from the states.

• Do you think RI should enact restrictive immigration legislation?
Governor Carcieri’s executive order (which is very similar to Arizona’s SB1070) is strong but it needs to be enforced. Having Mayor Cicilline all but declare Providence a “sanctuary city” puts out the welcome mat for illegal aliens. We also need an E-Verify law so that unscrupulous employers cannot take advantage of the illegal population. I’ve supported this bill for the past 3 years.

• Do you think municipal government has done enough to cut spending?
I think that some have certainly done better than others but most of them are at the mercy of school budgets and have watched their funding levels rise and fall depending on the state aid to education dollars. Perhaps the funding formula will provide them with a more predictable tool for managing their budgets.

• What is your strategy to address the federal budget deficit? Please be specific, i.e. what cuts or revenue enhancements you are proposing.
We need to stop spending before we can begin to think about cutting the deficit. No more bailouts, no more stimulus packages. We need to cut the size of the federal government, eliminate wasteful spending and pay only for programs that we can. We have been funding tunnels for turtles and programs that teach Chinese hookers how to drink responsibly – there is definitely room to cut in this budget.

• What specifically will you do to improve employment for Rhode Islanders?
We will only increase employment by putting money back in the hands of the people who actually create jobs – small businesses owners and entrepreneurs. I propose across the board tax cuts and an indexing of the capital gains tax to make private business investment more attractive in times of economic distress.

• How would you deal with the cost of social security programs?
Would you raise the eligibility age, decrease benefits, or increase taxes? Please elaborate. First of all, I think it’s a real shame that the current Congress has seen fit to rob the Social Security trust fund to pay for President Obama’s outrageous spending habits. Second, a bipartisan Social Security Commission is currently working on a report due later this year and I want to read it before making up my mind – they are the experts.

• Do you favor a specific time-table for withdrawal from Afghanistan?
General Petraeus is preparing a report that will indicate what he needs to execute the mission. I believe we have to wait for his report to proceed. I will say that giving our enemies a specific timetable just shows our hand and gives them a firm date to re-infiltrate.

• Do you favor a second stimulus program?
No. Never.

 

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