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Here's the newest "puff piece" from MSN to you, the voters in District Three...

remember, no matter what you see in the booth, there are really only two levers, right?...um, no.

Jon Runyan, Shelley Adler have their say (so, why wasn't anyone else on the ballot invited - all five of us?)
By David Levinsky Staff Writer for George Norcross and George Gilmore.
PhillyBurbs.com

updated 10/19/2012 6:46:20 AM ET MEDFORD With little time left before voters head to the polls, 3rd Congressional District candidates Jon Runyan and Shelley Adler faced off again Thursday night during a debate at the Medford Leas retirement community.

No invite for the independents, even though we asked - nicely, too. Guess they were worried after having their respective clocks cleaned like what happened in Asbury Park.
Sponsored and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Burlington County, the debate highlighted the two candidates differences on issues such as Medicare and Social Security reform, gun control and transportation infrastructure funding. Three subjects that really have nothing to do with backing us away from Shelley's FISCAL CLIFF. Soft soap, folks - nothing to see here....back to work. On Medicare, the two continued to spar on the future of the program with the Republican incumbent favoring his partys House budget proposal which would provide premium support payments to Americans to help pay for coverage from private insurers. The change would apply only to Americans who are now under 55 years old and a traditional Medicare plan would remain available. That's because he needs the 55 and older vote. I paid into that system for 35 years. I expect that the debt will be honored. It's an eligibility, not an entitlement...and we paid for it. To be a serious leader on the issue, you have to admit theres a problem, Runyan said about the impending insolvency of both Medicare and Social Security in 2024 and 2034 respectively. These numbers are there. Its real, its going to happen. Now is the time to step up and stop kicking the can down the road. To be a serious leader, you need answers, not cliches. Where did the 2024 and 2034 numbers come from? I call BS! All you have to do is make them mandatory funding items - but you need the political will, and a budget, to do this. Political Will is sadly lacking in this Congress - hence the 10% OR LESS approval rating. Adler said she strongly opposes the GOP proposal because the proposed government vouchers wont cover all seniors health care costs, a claim that Runyan and other GOP candidates have disputed. Why are either of these guys talking about anything other than re-structuring the existing program, rather than creating a new bureaucracy that duplicates the work already being done. Expand the access to Medicare/Medicaid, and make them mandatory items in the annual (yeah <snort!>, "Annual"...sorry if I made anyone do a spit-take, folks - 1200 days and counting)

When people who are 55 and younger turn 65, theyll still have to pay that extra out-of-pocket cost, the Democratic former Cherry Hill councilwoman said, adding that she favors smaller reforms such as allowing Medicare to negotiate for better prescription drug costs and other cost reductions. Wait until you see what the Democratic-Republicans have put together on that issue. Asked by the moderator whether she would support a ban on assault weapons, Adler responded simply and emphatically yes, while Runyan said that such a law would only infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Shelley can't have my guns. Runyan wouldn't know what to do with them. Its a disgrace to dismantle one of the greatest documents in U.S. history, he said. It's also a disgrace to ignore it - especially when you discover that there's a part of it that hasn't been applied in 220 years. You swore an oath - will you uphold it, or will you try to weasel out of it. (Yup - "Article the First", again). The two candidates agreed on some issues. Both said they support legislation to guarantee equal pay for women and both said they would be cautious about reducing the U.S. military, due to still emerging threats. But most questions produced disagreement. Asked about transportation funding, Runyan said Congress was "close to passing a bill" (what's the hold-up?) that would expedite the process for states and county to receive federal funds for highway, bridge and other infrastructure repairs and upgrades but that it stalled due to disagreement over the sale of unused federal lands to fund some of the costs. This do-nothing Congress would sooner pass a kidney stone. Sale of unused Federal Lands to fund some of the costs?? Did you catch that? TO WHO?? Developers, strip-miners, China, or just major donors? We need to have a "yard sale" to fund a transportation budget? Who's getting the benefit of this little boondoggle. You know, not too many years ago, folks got hung for stealing. If we stop giving away $40 billion in subsidies to Big Oil, we can start working on improving our infrastructure, Adler said during her response. Another talking point that has nothing to do in substance with why she should stand out versus Runyan. To put things in perspective, and even if we allow that her point, often marked as a lie in the past - see NJPolitifact.com, if there actually were a Federal Budget, and there's not - now over 1200 days and counting - the DEFICIT is 15 TRILLION Dollars. Essentially, if you made 60,000 a year, the comparable expense is 160 bucks....about the cost of a month's electricity for a typical home in the district. It isn't a factor, but screaming a big number gets attention...just remember, there's "big", and there's "BIG". Runyan also told the packed auditorium that his top priorities if re-elected to Congress would be to continue representing the 3rd Districts interests through strong constituent services, the protection of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the districts large tri-service military installation, and preservation of veterans benefits so that the less than one percent who raised their hand and volunteered to defend this country get the benefits they were promised. If the D's or the R's could protect a base from BRAC, then Fort Monmouth and CECOM would still be in Monmouth County. For right now, the Joint Base isn't going anywhere. What WOULD be a good idea is a training facility for Nuclear Power Generation - building a plant ON THE BASE for training members of the Armed Services in the engineering, operation, and maintenance of nuclear power. Want to know who the world's EXPERTS are on nuclear power generation? Hint - "Anchors Aweigh"...Think of all the qualified, jobready personnel the Navy can produce at a facility like that - all the while dumping electricity back to our local grid as a by-product. He wants to help put a statue up for Gold Star Mothers. That's very nice. I would like to see a benefit package prepared for them to be applied as necessary in the event of financial need in their waning years - as their ability to rely on the assistance of their son or daughter has been removed from the playing field. We have removed their safety net, because their children served all of us. That is a debt of honor owed by ever man, woman, and child in this Nation, and I know of no one who would begrudge adding this to the Federal Budget as a benefit to Veterans. We are also sadly lacking in Mental Health Care for all our veterans, not just this latest "crop". Adler said her top priorities would be passing legislation to grow jobs, stave off damaging sequestration cuts and preserving Medicare and Social Security. Okay, and exactly what would such legislation say? Be SPECIFIC! (can't - no plan.) If you want to create an environment where jobs can be created, you have to take the hand-cuffs off developing small businesses. "NonCompete" legislation protecting existing "donors" by over-regulating and fee-ing to death of start-ups makes them go elsewhere to open their doors. Why would you incorporate a new business in NJ and be taxed, rather than open in Delaware? Why would you elect to

locate where the taxes and employee's living expenses are among the highest in the Nation? Businesses are fleeing the Garden State because the cost of doing business is too high. You can preserve Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security with the stroke of a pen. You MAKE it a mandatory budget item, funding each years' anticipated expenses as the first order of business in creating a budget - of course, to do this, you ACTUALLY HAVE TO PRODUCE A BUDGET. Twelve HUNDRED DAYS, folks. NO BUDGET in 1200 Days. How do you know where to cut if you don't know Who you owe, What you have, Where you're spending, WHEN you need to make changes, and WHY you're spending what you are, and HOW you're going to raise the capital to do so without running at a deficit.

Who What Where When Why, and HOW.... They have no idea. This is my competition? No wonder the news won't cover us. Lots of "D" and "R" advertising dollars to be made...can't have someone out there proposing solutions, now, can we? Three points 1.) Article the First is ratified. It reduces Congressional District Size BY THE CONSTITUTION to 50,000 persons or less. No more phony bi-partisan gridlock. 2.) Ballot Position - no more cheating, and no more false implication promoting the illusion of two party dominance in a mostly independent electorate. Equal protection under the Constitution, and no subrogation of First Amendment Rights. 3.) The "Change the Rules" Pledge - removing influence-peddling and and the payto-pay contract "rewards" system by applying the Separation of Powers clause to prevent interference by the Judicial and Executive Branches, and holding the Congress and Senate to a standard of ethical behavior and personal PUBLIC accountability.

That's who the Democratic-Republicans are - no wonder they need to keep you from finding out.

FREDERICK JOHN LAVERGNE, "Democratic-Republican" Candidate for Congress, NJ District THREE.

NationalTruth.org Democratic-RepublicanParty.org ChangetheRulesPledge.org

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