Interview with Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich
World Exlusive:Congressman Dennis Kucinich's answers to questions from The Monument Newspaper, Gray, Maine

US Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, a Democrat of Ohio, is running for President of the United States. With the new Hampshire primary just days away, Kucinich took the time to answer interview questions from The Monument Newspaper.

Kucinich's website offers more information about the candidate, his platform, and how to get involved: http://www.kucinich.us/

The Monument: You have campaigned more than once in Maine. Have you been to other states that often?

Dennis: As of Jan. 21 I will have campaigned in Maine on four occasions, and we plan to be a here a fifth time on Sunday, Feb. 8, the date of the Maine caucuses. We have been in some other states more times than this. We have spent considerable time in New Hampshire, Iowa and California, as well as several other states. We are running a 50-state campaign.
Our Maine campaign stops to date have been Aug. 29 in Portland; Sept. 19 in Bangor and the Common Ground Fair in Unity; and Jan. 14 in Lewiston and Westbrook. Our Jan 21 trip has planned stops in Bangor, Brewer, Orono, Old Town, Bucksport, Belfast, Rockland, Bath, South Portland and Portland.

The Monument: Why spend so much valuable time campaigning in Maine?

Dennis: Maine is a very important part of our campaign strategy. Maine has 28 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, one more than New Hampshire. The Maine caucus follows fairly closely on the heels of the New Hampshire primary. Maine has a population of progressively minded citizens who are active participants in the presidential election process.

The early going has been rough for our campaign only because the national media has not seen fit to give us the same exposure it has bestowed on some other candidates. We will do much better than predictions in New Hampshire, and will follow that with excellent results in Maine. Maine will fuel our move to the front of the pack and play a great part in helping us earn better coverage from the national media.

The Monument: Our area is a mixture of farmlands, suburbs and small cities. What do you see are the current problems facing citizens in these areas and what would President Kucinich do to help us?

Dennis: Something's wrong when profits of agribusiness corporations skyrocket, but farmers must find off-farm jobs or sell their farms to survive. As President, I will implement farm policies to benefit farmers, provide our nation with wholesome food, protect our natural resources, and restore our rural communities.

The first act of a Kucinich Administration will be to cancel NAFTA and the WTO, replacing them with bilateral trade agreements designed to benefit family farmers and workers while protecting the health of communities and
the environment. Country-of-origin labeling will be required.

A Kucinich Administration will empower farmers in the marketplace by providing incentives to join a collective bargaining unit -- with voluntary membership open only to active producers and the right to bring suit in federal court if an agribusiness doesn't bargain in good faith.

A Kucinich Administration will advocate only for responsible farm sector biotechnology, creating an indemnity fund -- financed by the corporations responsible for the technology -- for farmers who incur losses caused
by genetically modified organisms (GMOs). To protect farmers, labeling GMO seeds with disclosure and liability information will be required. To protect consumers, food containing GMOs will also require labeling.

A Kucinich Administration will shift USDA funding and focus away from the promotion of concentrated intensive and industrial agribusiness. The new focus will benefit family farmers, rural communities, the environment, and consumers, with policies crafted to enable farmers to earn a fair price and to provide safe, nutritious food to all people.

A Kucinich Administration will increase funding for regional food processing facilities, marketing assistance, farm-to-school programs, on-farm renewable energy, and the Farmers Market Nutrition program. Agricultural research and development institutions will be given funding priority to help family farmers make a transition to profitable and sustainable agriculture.

As President, I will give strong and unwavering support to our organic family farmers. This approach to the land provides the safest foods, the best incomes for our farmers, and new products for this nation to export.

Another big problem facing rural areas and small cities is education. Communities facing rising education costs must raise property taxes.
Raising property taxes hurts land-based businesses like farming.
The right of every American child to a high-quality free public education is one of America's most treasured principles. Education and the well-being of our nation's children is a collective responsibility all Americans share.

Education is a life-long process. I intend to improve the quality of public education in those schools that are struggling, and to expand public education to include pre-kindergarten beginning at age 3 for any families that want it, as well as tuition-free college for millions of students.

There are 12 million young Americans who attend public institutions, colleges, and universities. They pay an average of four thousand dollars a year. That adds up to 48 billion dollars a year. That's less than a third of the President's most recent tax cut for the wealthy. Even allowing for an increase in the cost per student and in the number of students enrolled, this remains a question of shifting priorities, not a need for new resources.

Education is the only solution proven to reduce poverty levels. This conclusion is backed by thousands of national studies. Given the opportunity, education and training pave a path out of poverty for many families.

The Monument: Tell us a little about the support you receive in Maine and your Maine organization.

Dennis: We have hundreds of volunteers all over the state who are working on our behalf. They're holding house parties, raising funds, putting up signs, registering and enrolling voters. We have students at many campuses distributing literature. We have two state co-coordinators, one in each
Congressional district, as well as coordinators in the counties. We have a media response team, a labor coordinator and a webmaster for the Maine Kucinich web site, which is reached via the national web site, www.Kucinich.us. All of our team are volunteers. Some are small business owners and farmers who have been able to cut back on their operations and donate more time to the campaign.

The Monument: How has the reception been during your visits to Maine?

Dennis: Our reception in Maine has been overwhelming. From the first visit to Portland to the recent stops at Bates College in Lewiston, and the PACE union hall in Westbrook, we have been greeted with enthusiastic supporters who understand the issues. We have had Maine Greens and Republicans enroll as Democrats for the sole purpose of supporting us in their caucuses. Greens support us for our environmental and social action positions, Libertarians for our opposition to the Patriot Act, Republicans because they see the way the war in Iraq is destabilizing the economy.

The Monument: Can you update us on the Peace Marchers who began in Maine?

Right now they're in New Mexico. They are on time for a Feb. 29 arrival in San Francisco and will join the Get-Out-The-Vote efforts for the March 2nd California primary. You can track their progress at http://www.kucinich.us/walkfordennis.

The Monument: Carol Moseley-Braun dropped out of the race and threw her support behind Howard Dean. Dick Gephardt has also dropped out after Iowa. Do you intend to stay in until the end of the race?

Dennis: Will I stay in the race until the Democratic Convention? Yes I am in this all the way. Many of my supporters were disappointed that Carol did not give us her support, as she was closer to our position on many issues than she was to those of Gov. Dean. For example she was an outspoken advocate for single-payer, privately delivered universal health care, which Dr. Dean does not support. She, Al Sharpton and I were the only three candidates who unconditionally supported same-sex marriage, not just civil unions as Gov. Dean does. But she made her decision and I respect her for it. Carol is a good friend. I wish her well.

The Monument: Can you win?

Dennis: The short answer to that is of course I can win if people vote for me. The more detailed answer is if I win every state Al Gore won plus Ohio I win the election.

My Congressional district includes the suburb of Parma, Ohio. It's
one of the original homes of the Reagan Democrats. I carried it by 74 percent in 2002. Being a success there is a better predictor of national success than holding statewide office in a liberal stronghold like Vermont or Massachusetts.

Nationwide my campaign is bringing voters back into the Democratic Party. I beat an incumbent Republican for mayor in 1977. I beat an incumbent Republican for state senator in 1994, overcoming the national right-wing tide. I beat an incumbent Republican for U.S. Congress in 1996. I will win
Ohio and I will beat an incumbent Republican for President in 2004.

The Monument: Is it difficult raising money for your campaign? How much do you need to raise to make yourself competitive against Howard Dean and the other candidates?

Dennis: It's very difficult to raise money. We are not taking bundled corporate contributions, or money from Political Action Committees.
Many of our supporters are out of work, or in low-paying jobs. They have no health insurance, they are struggling to put food on their table. Some see no hope of sending their children to college. But they send me five and 10 and 20 dollar contributions.

On the other hand, I have been blessed with the support of many people who have the privilege of wealth and want to do something with their money that will make a real difference in America. These include celebrities like Ed Asner and his wife Cindy, and actor and peace activist Danny Glover, as well as progressive business people like Ben Cohen. We have raised more than $5 million.

Our showing in New Hampshire and Maine will inspire more people to contribute. We are frugal campaigners, running a grass-roots volunteer driven campaign. Our campaign is in the black. I am a strong supporter of campaign finance reform, and will abide by the public financing rules. We had a large number of Dean supporters who came over to our campaign after Gov. Dean decided to opt out of campaign matching funds.

The Monument: Are there any Mainers on your staff and would you tap any Mainers for a position in your administration?

Dennis: Ms. Lu Bauer is co-coordinator of my Maine campaign-I believe you've interviewed her.

Right now we're focusing on gaining the Democratic nomination; selecting personnel for my White House administration is a luxury I'll not indulge in until after Boston next July.

The Monument: The environment is very important in Maine. We are a leader in recreational, outdoor activities. What would you do to curb the pollution coming from smoke stacks in states west of Maine that end up polluting our skies due to prevailing winds?

Dennis: It is now crucial that the lethal impacts of air pollution be
realized and acted upon. Soot from the oldest and dirtiest power plants -- many of which I am sad to say are located in my home state of Ohio -- kills 30,100 Americans each year. Contrast that to drunk driving, which kills 17,000 people a year, or the 18,000 homicides in this country each
year.

These same power plants emit pollution that triggers 603,000 asthma attacks annually, most of which occur in children. The technology to clean up these plants has literally existed for decades. If these old power plants were made to be as clean as newer power plants, we'd save three times as many lives as are saved by seatbelts.

The Bush Clear Skies Initiative is a clear step backwards for the quality of the environment and for every American. Even the EPA has admitted that the Clear Skies Initiative will create more pollution from the electric power industry than if the EPA had enforced existing programs. As written, the Clear Skies Initiative will allow 36 percent more nitrogen oxides, 50 percent more sulfur dioxide, and as much as 500 percent more mercury to be released into our air. This will mean millions more asthma attacks, heavier
acid rainfalls, and more toxic bodies of water where the fish cannot be eaten.

The Bush administration has seriously weakened the Clean Air Act, raising the health costs of everyone; I will restore it. These are some of the steps I will take:

--Reinvigorate the Clean Air Act and reverse the actions of the Bush administration to impede it.
--Offer incentives for wind, solar, and other non-polluting forms of energy. This will help clean our air and reduce our dependence on polluting forms of energy and on foreign oil and gas.
--Offer incentives for more efficient devices and systems that use or generate power. Automobiles can be more efficient and safer without being less comfortable. Many of our power plants can be more efficient and produce fewer pollutants. Mega-farms can produce much less toxic gas.
--Support the Kyoto Treaty to join international efforts to
decrease our emissions of greenhouse gases and thus curb global warming.
--Work cooperatively with other nations. Air is a universal resource; our efforts to improve air quality mustn't end at the US borders.
--Commit to 20 percent renewable energy use by 2010.

The Monument:: Do you support the proposed Northwoods National Park in northern Maine?

Dennis: I have not taken any position on this issue. I understand it is contentious in New England, and that there is concern a national park of the size proposed would close off access to some recreational uses.
Also, many believe a park would mean the end of the Maine paper industry because it would preclude logging.

Currently public forests comprise less than four percent of the timber supply derived from this country. Beyond that, half of the trees cut in the United States are exported as minimally processed wood, pulp, or chips. A Kucinich Administration would end public lands logging and insist on export of only finished wood products, thus protecting both the environment and American jobs.

The other side of this coin is that Maine has a great history of private land owners donating their land for public purposes. Baxter State Park is the best example of that. Recently Roxanne Quimby has purchased a large portion of Maine woodland with the stated purpose of donating it to this park, should it ever be established. Ironically the decision of a private person to purchase property on the open market and then donate it to a cause she supports is being challenged by persons who claim to be advocates for
property rights.

It is not lack of raw material that threatens the U.S. logging industry, especially in Maine, which has the highest percentage of privately owned forest land of any state in the nation. Clearly NAFTA and the WTO have caused much more serious job loss than any loss of fiber.

The Sappi Mill in Westbrook has laid off workers. Two more mills in Maine, in Lincoln and Brewer, closed last week. Katahdin Paper Company shut down for a day last week because there was more money to be made for its parent company in selling electricity from its hydro facilities during the cold snap than there was to continue making paper. In northern Maine loggers are refusing to work because the pay is so low.

These are not fiber-related issues, these are trade-related issues. As President I will cancel our participation in NAFTA and the WTO and renegotiate fair treaties which protect the global environment, workers rights, and U.S. jobs.

The Monument: Maine is one of the nation's poorest states. What would Dennis Kucinich do to offer economic hope for Mainers and small businesses in Maine?

Dennis: I will stimulate the economy through investment in a jobs program restoring infrastructure. Such a program will give a boost to small businesses in urban areas, in contrast to the lack of stimulus provided by President Bush's massive investment in weapons and in tax cuts for the wealthy. This effort will begin rebuilding our decaying infrastructure nationwide such as schools, roads, water treatment and environmental systems through jobs programs paid for by zero-interest federal loans to states and local governments.

I will shift the nation's energy policy away from support for major oil, coal, and nuclear companies to smaller businesses developing renewable energy technologies.

I will support a bill to establish a National Housing Trust Fund that follows the example set by local housing trust funds, which have a strong record of stimulating the economy and small businesses as well as creating affordable housing.

Our nation will be restored with new manufacturing policy, where the maintenance of our industrial base is understood to be vital to our national economic welfare. We can fuel domestic steel production and consumption by rebuilding our nation's infrastructure with American made steel, utilizing the productive capacity of our mills. We need to spend at least $500 billion to rebuild our schools, roads, bridges, ports, sewer systems, water systems, our government buildings. A highly trained, highly skilled workforce backed by Davis-Bacon guarantees will make it happen. A federal bank of infrastructure modernization can be created to fund this program with zero interest loans to the states.

My economic plan, focused on investing in jobs rather than wars and tax cuts, will restore some fiscal balance while stimulating the economy. It will put money in the hands of people who actually need it. I will repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, while retaining those small cuts that
have gone to ordinary Americans.