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Bruce Lunsford is the first in a series of Q&A with local politicians before the election.
Q: What political position are you running for and why?
-The Louisville Cardinal
A: I’m running for the United States Senate as a Democrat against 24 year incumbent by the name of Mitch McConnell.
I have three daughters and I think this election, more than any in my lifetime, is about their future and about the future of the youth in this country. This country has itself in a spot with this financial crisis. This just didn’t happen.
I grew up in a really poor family on a farm and I had a chance to live the American dream. I’m concerned our children aren’t getting the opportunities my generation had.
By doing some of the things my generation has done to accumulate such a debt on the country. By not taking care the 47 million people who are uninsured and not dealing with the structure of our country that has really limited these opportunities. It is a selfish act of our generation.
Q: There is a lot of talk about lowering college tuition. I want to know what’s getting done about that?
-Tim Horton, junior, accounting major
A: It’s very obvious that tuition hasn’t been going down,–it’s been going up. In many cases it’s causing difficulty for especially students like me who had to pay a substantial portion of their education while attending college.
Now fortunately we have developed some areas of financial aid to help those who need it the most, but in the end, we’ve got to make our education system more efficient and we’ve got to provide assets that make sense, not just buildings with senators’ names on them.
Q: Are you fighting to lower college tuition?
-K.J. Fields, junior, biology major
A: I have a lot of education involvement in my life. I was on the Board of Trustees at University of Kentucky and Centre College. I have seen it both internally and externally.
Private school systems work in such a way that those who can afford to pay, pay the full load. Those who can’t, pay less. It’s probably one of the more effective ways of distributing our wealth in the country, rather than a tax structure and it’s probably more efficient. I would like to see our system designed for those who can afford and for those who can’t to have the financial benefit to go, that would be a great equalizer.
Q: What are your plans to lower crime in our neighborhoods?
-Amanda Roberts, junior, undecided major
A: What I’m running against is political use of dollars to help those for political purposes.
Crime prevention and homeland security should be areas that are non-political. We should have a game plan for the whole country concentrating on the high areas of crime, rather than because they’re politically close to the senator. It should be done based on principles that make sense.
Q: What makes you a Democrat?
-John Weber, freshman, political science
A: I consider myself a centrist in many ways, because letting the government get too big can be hurtful for the country. That’s what is really unfortunate about the Republicans.
They talk about keeping the size of government down, but yet they increase the deficit more than the Democrats do.
Middle America deserves great opportunities and to have a chance to live the American dream. I’m not sure the Republican philosophy does that.
I believe that Democrats believe everyone should be entitled to an opportunity to succeed in terms of education. I believe that Democrats want to see everyone have the ability to get health insurance and want there to be good entry level jobs with good living wage.
That dream that so many immigrants have come to this country for years to try to live.
I’m a centrist in the sense that I’m not far left or far right. I think that my views are fairly moderate, fairly conservative, but are built around the value of people.
Democrats are much more concerned about people as a whole. That compassion has always been a signature of the Democratic Party.
-Editor’s Note: In future issues, look for more candidate interviews. The Louisville Cardinal will have endorsements in the Oct. 28 issue.
