Free Press Covers Rocky vs. Peters Debate: Rocky Rails Against Taxes, Peters Takes Heat for His Big Government Vote for Healthcare Takeover Scheme

Congressional candidates tackle health care, jobs during debate
BY KATHLEEN GRAY
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

One of the hottest congressional races in the state got even hotter this afternoon as candidates for the 9th Congressional seat, which covers most of Oakland County, gathered for their final debate to try to make a final impact before the Nov. 2 general election.

U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, took most of the heat from the other candidates and the crowd for his support for health care reform.

Three of the candidates – Republican Andrew (Rocky) Raczkowski, Green Party candidate Douglas Campbell and Independent Bob Gray – said they would repeal the health care reform bill passed earlier this year. But Campbell said he would replace it with a socialized medicine system, such as what Canada offers.

“It was a power grab by our government,” Raczkowski said. “I pledge to repeal it.”

But Peters defended his vote, saying he still feels it’s critical to provide affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, noting that it does a variety of important things, like prohibit insurance companies from rescinding coverage for people who get sick and allow children to stay on their parents’ insurance until the age of 26.

For most people it was a day to rake the lawn, watch a rare Lions victory or take in some fall colors. But for about 200 politically engaged people, it was a day to support their favorite candidate as they debated issues ranging from health care to the deficit to the economy. The debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters Oakland Area, was held at Oakland University in Auburn Hills.

The candidates also tackled the thorny issue of creating jobs. Peters, Raczkowski and Gray said it wasn’t up to the government to create jobs while Independent Matthew Kuofie said it was up to government, academia and the private sector to create jobs, while Green said it’s been an appropriate role of government over they years to create jobs.

“The real creator of growth is going to be small business and there is a real inability to get loans for basic working capital,” Peters said. “That’s why I worked very aggressively on a small business lending bill.”

Most of the candidate supported extending the Bush tax cuts, although Green said he would vote against the extension and Peters said he would make the tax cuts permanent for people making $250,000 or less and for a few years for people making more than $250,000 while the economy continues to recover.

“We’re taxing too much already,” Raczkowski said.

The biggest applause line of the day, though, was when an audience member announced the score of the Detroit Lions football game, 34-6, in the fourth quarter over the Rams.

The debate will be available to watch online in about three days at www.civiccentertv.com.

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