Voter Guide: Abel Collins Profile (2nd District)

Monday, November 05, 2012

Dan McGowan, GoLocalProv News Editor

Voter Guide: Abel Collins Profile (2nd District)

Birth date: 6-29-78

Education: Brown University Class of 2000, BA in Political Science

Bio:

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I am a lifelong resident of Matunuck where I was raised on a small farm. I live on the same farm now with my wife Amber and our four children Eve, Abel, Ezra, and Moses. My family heritage stretches back to the founding of Rhode Island, and I feel a deep commitment to the state. I consider myself something of a jack of all trades; farmer, poet, activist, and executive. More than anything, I’m a concerned citizen who wants to be able to look his children in the eyes when they’re grown and tell them honestly that I did all I could to avoid that disasters we are currently headed towards. As an experienced grassroots campaigner, I have the blend of skills and experience necessary to change the way politics works so I felt it was my civic duty and a matter of conscience to run for Congress.

On the Issues:

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How can you create jobs in Rhode Island? I propose two things. One, retool our trade agreements to demand that our trading partners meet the same labor and environmental standards that we expect of our industries here. Two, institute a works program that would renew Rhode Island’s and America’s transportation, agricultural, energy, and telecommunications infrastructures to set the conditions for a durable 21^st century economy.

Social Security/Medicare: For social security, we must raise the cap on income that is taxable to fund the program. Medicare or a system similar to it should be extended to every American. It is absurd how much money our economy loses to our inefficient profit-driven healthcare system.

Affordable Care Act: The ACA did nothing to fix the healthcare problem in our country, which is entirely attributable to the enormous and unaccountable power of the health insurance industry. We should move with all due haste toward a single-payer system managed by doctors and healthcare professionals.

Abortion: The way to reduce the number of abortions in this country is not by making them illegal. It is by creating a society that is secure and filled with opportunity for the children of unintended pregnancies. As such, we must do more to support women including equal pay for equal work, access to healthcare, and a serious effort to stop domestic abuse. The government should not be sticking its nose in the private affairs and choices of women. The decision to abort if it becomes necessary should be made by the woman with input from her doctor, family, and if she chooses, her faith community.

Education: College education must become affordable for working class families. Elementary and secondary education need to be put in the hands of teachers with more control over and flexibility in their curricula. We should also provide students with more vocational opportunities that would ideally transition into apprentice/on-the-job training programs with local businesses.

Same Sex Marriage: I am a proponent for marriage equality.

Afghanistan: There is no benefit to our military presence for either our country or the people of Afghanistan. We should make as quick an exit as possible.

Energy & the Environment: We must pull out the stops and transition away from our fossil fuel based economy toward a renewable energy economy. This initiative will entail investments in alternative modes of transportation, development of small and large scale renewable energy projects, shifting subsidies to less oil intensive agricultural models, emphasizing recycling and reuse in our waste stream, and funding these initiatives by ending subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.

Illegal Immigration : We cannot address illegal immigration without addressing the forces that drive people here illegally. Thus a broader look at our trade, drug, and foreign policies is in order. NAFTA and the drug war have created immense pressures for the displaced workers of the ruined Central American agrarian economy to come here and/or be driven to drug trafficking. Moreover, our aggressive foreign policy has created refugees that have no other place to turn to. In the end, we need a more sensible immigration policy that allows more people in, which at the same time selects those people for the skills and experience that they can add to our economy.

DREAM Act: I support the dream act. Anyone who is willing to put their life on the line for our country should be given citizenship.

Do you support right-to-work? No. Thirteen of the fourteen worst states in terms of percentage of workers found in the 47% of Americans who pay no income tax are right-to-work states. If we want to impoverish our communities and the reduce the ability of our government to provide services, there is no surer way than passing this self-defeating legislation.

Quick Hitters:

What is the single most important issue you want to tackle in 2013?

Restoration of the financial industry to its appropriate role as a utility that allocates capital to productive business and away from the fraud riddled casino it has become.

Who is your favorite member of the opposite party?

I don’t have an opposite party, but I’ll go with Ron Paul.

In one paragraph, why should voters support you?

I’m the only candidate who will represent the interests of Rhode Island citizens rather than some misguided party line.

Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @danmcgowan.

Voter Guide: Abel Collins Profile (2nd District)