Name: Jill Derby
Age: 68
Address: P.O. Box 1901, Minden, NV 89423
Phone number and campaign Web site: 775-770-2008
Education:
Ph.D. University of California, Davis - Anthropology 1988
M.A. University of California, Davis - Anthropology 1974
B.A. University of Nevada, Las Vegas - Anthropology 1970
B.S. University of California, San Francisco - Dental Hygiene
Profession: Educator
Political experience: 18 years unpaid service on Nevada's non-partisan Board of Regents
Please write a short biography of yourself (this answer may be up to 200
words; you might include such things as birthplace, career, community
involvement, family, etc.):
I have spent my career as an educator, teaching at Western Nevada Community College, Sierra Nevada College, the National Judicial College and the University of California, San Francisco. I have also served 18 years on the Nevada Board of Regents, a non-partisan, elected governing board for the Nevada System of Higher Education. As a Regent, I served as chairman and vice chairman. I have also served in many other capacities on the board including as chairman of the Committee on Diversity, as well as leading the charge to bring satellite campuses and distance learning opportunities to rural Nevada communities.
What will be your top three priorities if elected?
-Restoring our Economy
-Establishing Energy Independence
-Solving our Healthcare crisis.
How would you alter our nation1s immigration policies?
What realistic solutions do you support?
The first thing we must do is to secure our borders. That means expanding our Border Patrol and providing them the best technology to do their job. We also must enforce penalties on employers who willfully hire illegal immigrants. I oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants. There is no reason why we can't rely on legal immigration to meet America's labor needs. I will take the steps needed to make immigration reform a reality.
Would you vote to formally establish English as the national language, and
require its exclusive use in all public institutions and on all public
material?
I am a strong supporter of English as the national language. It is already the de facto national language and new Americans must learn English to be productive members of our society. I am strongly opposed to blanket government mandates that infringe upon state's rights. For that reason, it should be left up to states as to whether public materials and institutions use English exclusively
What if anything should the federal government do to make health care more
accessible and affordable to Americans?
Unlike my opponent, Congressman Dean Heller, I would have voted for the bill to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which would have immediately provided healthcare for 70,000 children in our state. In the long term, we need fundamental healthcare reform in America. I will work across the aisle to build a permanent solution that ensures:
-affordability
-the right to choose your own healthcare provider
-the highest quality of care with an emphasis on prevention
-access to health care services for rural Nevadans
-a focus on preventative care to drive down costs.
-affordable prescription drugs for our seniors
Should the 3No child Left Behind2 law be changed, abolished, improved? Explain your answer. "No Child Left Behind" has been a significantly underfunded program that has failed to accomplish its key goals. NCLB must either be fully funded and improved or it must be replaced. We owe America's children results when it comes to their education, not empty promises.
Can Social Security be saved for future generations of Americans? How?
Our current economic crisis is the best possible example of why we must save social security for current and future generations. There are many options to increase the solvency of the program. First, we must restore our faltering economy so that Americans are able to contribute to the system. In the long term, we must explore every option to ensure the permanent stability of the social security system so that seniors have a reliable base income in the coming decades. We owe it to our children to give them the same protections"free from market fluctuations"that our parents gave us.
Summarize a federal energy policy you would support.
I have released a comprehensive energy plan called "Energy Freedom in the 21st Century." My plan includes new domestic drilling to act as a bridge to energy independence while we make significant and rapid investments in renewable energy. Nevada is rich with alternative energy resources like geo-thermal, solar and wind. By harnessing these homegrown resources we can create a strong supply of well paying, sustainable jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. By reducing our demand, increasing our domestic oil production and building a renewable energy economy, we can strengthen our national security and build a a energy independent future.
Do you believe humans hold some responsibility for global warming? To what
degree would you support restrictions on CO2 emissions?
The human impact on global warming cannot be ignored. Immediate steps must be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the board. Fortunately, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is an additional benefit of my plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As we increase our national security and renew our economy by investing in renewable energy sources, we are simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is a win-win-win situation and Nevada stands to benefit greatly from its implementation.
What Iraq War strategy do you support?
I have signed on the "Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq," a plan that calls for steps to bring a measured, responsible end to our commitment in Iraq and to repair the damage done to our military and our Constitution over the last eight years. I am encouraged by the success of the Surge and the efforts of America's troops. The Iraqi people are making progress in stabilizing their own nation and taking control of their future. We must bring our troops home in a phased withdrawal that allows us to maintain security while leaving a stabilized Iraq.
Do you believe enough efforts have been made to capture Osama Bin Laden?
What efforts would you support toward this end?
Our nations Armed Forces and intelligence services continue every day to make a brave effort to bring Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants to justice. The Bush Administration, however, diverted vital resources from their battle against al Qaida and the Taliban to fight an unnecessary war in Iraq. As we being a responsible withdrawal from Iraq, I support a diversion of resources to Afghanistan to fight the terrorists. I also support efforts to work with Pakistan in bringing these criminals to justice. We must take every opportunity to end the threat of Osama bin Laden once and for all.
What strategy would you support for dealing with Afghanistan?
The intensified conflict in Afghanistan is very troublesome. The resurgent Taliban must be suppressed and I strongly support efforts to bolster U.S. combat troops and intelligence services in the region. I also support increased efforts at cooperation with Pakistan and neighboring countries. At the end of the day, however, we must keep every option on the table to deal with the turmoil in Afghanistan and hunt down Osama bin Laden, including unilateral strikes.
Do you support the $700 billion bailout of the financial services industry?
Why?
During the most critical economic threat of our time, it is clear that Congress needed to act. Nevadans are losing their homes to foreclosure, seeing their retirement savings decline in an unstable market, and struggling to get loans to open businesses. However, both versions of the rescue legislation failed to address the broader problem of economic instability facing Main Street. I could not support these bills, because they did not provide sufficient provisions to help homeowners facing foreclosures, which is the root of the current financial crisis. The second version also included hundreds of millions of dollars in pork projects that were added to entice politicians to forget Main Street for their own political advantage. I refuse to buy into a culture of bailout and buyout that leaves the American people behind.
Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
My opponent Dean Heller's borrow-and-spend record has been a fiscal disaster. I am a staunch supporter of "Pay-as-You-Go" budgeting"only spending money that you have by finding an offset elsewhere. If America's families can balance their budgets and spend only what they have, our government can do so as well.
Do you support reducing government regulation of the private sector? Why?
My opponent's consistent support of the Bush Administration's dangerous fiscal policies of reckless deregulation has contributed greatly to our current economic meltdown. Such reckless deregulation in the name of short-term profits is fundamentally dangerous to middle America and Nevadans are paying the price. We need responsible management of our system"clear, fair rules of the road and responsible deregulation whenever possible. Never again can we expose America's economy to the abuse and mismanagement that we have seen over the past eight years.