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Carol Moseley-Braun on Government ReformFormer IL Senator; Democratic Candidate for President |
A: My candidacy is predicated on being a voice for people who need to hear an alternative message than that currently being fed by the administration. As a woman of color, I know that perceptions are important. I hope that my effort to speak truth to power will have a transforming effect on the debate, and that by stirring the currents of opinion, we may be able to spark the imagination of the American people.
MOSELEY BRAUN: The first and most important thing is to get the economy going again so that the tax revenues flow into state coffers sufficient to meet their budget obligations. But what we're watching here is a shift of responsibility from the federal government, making rules and not paying the cost-talking the talk but not being willing to pay for it.
I proposed in the Senate, [relevant to] unfunded mandates, to make certain that the federal government sent the dollars behind their dictates to the states and also to invest in infrastructure in ways that would have the federal government picking up its fair share, [including education and Medicaid]. We have to transform the [federal-state relationship to provide] some fairness between who pays for what and that the national politicians don't keep getting away with saying they're cutting taxes and just pushing them down to the lowest possible level.
MOSELEY-BRAUN: We need to make absolutely certain that the barriers to access are removed, that voting is made easier, that people are given motor-voter and at-home registration. We need to pursue opportunities for individuals to vote instead of making it a high hurdle that they have to leap, and in all cases make certain that we never again allow for the stealing of an election, as happened in 2004.