Gordon Ball in Survey of 2014 Senate campaign websites
On Budget & Economy:
Balanced budget amendment to restore fiscal discipline
America is still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression and still facing a jobs crisis. At the same time, our rising debt threatens America's ability to pursue our priorities and to respond to such crises.
I'm for a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget and restore fiscal discipline in Washington.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Education:
I believe in public education
I grew up in Cocke County, one of the poorest counties in our state. It was my public education that allowed me to become a success in life and gain the opportunity to be where I am today. I want the same opportunity for all our children, whether they
live in a poor county, an inner-city housing project or a prosperous suburb. Equal opportunity demands it. That's the American dream. I believe in public education.We need to return to viewing education as an investment in our future.
We need to support early childhood education and give kids a fair shot at success from their earliest days. We need to continue support for school lunch programs. No child needs to worry more about being hungry than about an education. We need to impress
upon our state legislatures the importance of incorporating financial literacy into curriculums for grades 6-12. We need to work collaboratively with teachers, not against them, to improve the performance of students, teachers, and schools.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Energy & Oil:
Transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean renewables
The choice is simple. Will we continue to subsidize dirty fossil fuels, or will we transition to 21st century clean, renewable energy? If we invest now in a 21st century energy system, we can lower the costs of production for all of our businesses. We
know that we can generate power with alternative energy sources--wind, solar, and hydro-power--and that we can make energy usage far more efficient. We must commit ourselves to clean energy and energy efficiency now.The energy challenges facing Americ
are so critical that a concentrated investment in energy research and development should be undertaken. We send well over a billion dollars every day out of our country to buy oil and energy from other countries. I agree with experts who have proposed
that we create a new "Manhattan Project" or Apollo-type initiative on energy to initiate breakthroughs in energy technology. Moving away from an oil economy and finding a real solution to our energy crisis will require a sustained commitment by America.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Energy & Oil:
Commercial solar & wind, and also clean coal
My own analysis of dozens of other energy plans proposed over the past five years guides me to propose a ten-year national energy plan to:- push the next generation of bio-fuels
- create a domestic bio-fuels
industry through advances in biotechnology and cellulose-to-ethanol conversion
- advance commercialization of plug-in hybrids
- advance and promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy and technologies such as solar and wind
- invest in low-emission coal plants
- begin the transition to a digital electricity grid
- develop hydrogen fuel cells
- promote "green" buildings
- construct high-speed rail
- substitute part of the saved gas for oil or convert it to hydrogen
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Environment:
No one has the right to pollute America's air and water
No one has the right to pollute America's air and water. Not business, not industry, and not even TVA. When a manufacturer or factory uses the land, we must demand that they put the land they used back into the same condition it was when they found it.
You can depend on me as Senator to continue what I've done all my life--fight polluters.I grew up on the Pigeon River and saw first hand what paper companies have been doing to the river and Tennessee communities for a century. I've sued them over and
over again to force them to clean up the river or pay landowners.
TVA has done a lot for Tennessee. But TVA is also one of the worst polluters in America. For instance, we've had an environmental disaster at the TVA Kingston Steam plant, when fly-ash
was allowed to accumulate to dangerous levels. I'll press the EPA to pursue polluters--whether it's TVA or a paper mill--and bring them to justice. As your Senator, I will fight polluters, regardless of who they are or where they are located.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Foreign Policy:
Promote human rights as cornerstone of US foreign policy
America's foreign policy should be focused on advancing peace and prosperity here at home and abroad. From advancing nuclear non-proliferation to eliminating conditions that breed terrorism, to combating global public health challenges,
I will continue to advocate for policies that promote human rights and democratic policies that are the cornerstone of American foreign policy. Let me be clear: I will never advocate nation-building by America.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Free Trade:
Fair trade is vital; but don't ship jobs overseas
To grow our economy, we need to sell our products to the rest of the world. But we have to have a level playing field, strong trade laws and strong enforcement. As a Senator, I will look hard at any trade agreement to determine how it would impact jobs
here in Tennessee.Fair trade is vital to our nation's economic future. Trade can create new jobs in exporting industries, expand markets for our businesses, and ensure our workers and businesses are competing on a level playing field in the global
marketplace. But for too long, our workers, small businesses, and manufacturers have paid a steep price for an outdated trade agenda. I will fight wrong-headed trade policies that ship jobs overseas and shutter manufacturing facilities. That means
fighting back against currency manipulation by trading partners. We need a trade agenda that promotes American workers and helps expand the "Made in America" label to markets around the world.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Gun Control:
Second Amendment protects Americans from tyranny
Not only is responsible gun ownership a part of the fabric of Tennessee, but it is also a fundamental constitutional right. The Second Amendment gives Americans the right to keep and bear arms.I am often amused by political candidates who go out with
their (camo) suits and shotguns and pretend to shoot ducks to show their support for the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment isn't about hunting, it's there to protect Americans from tyranny, to safeguard our families, and to protect our property.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Health Care:
ObamaCare is over the top, but keep the good parts
The Affordable Healthcare Act has a number of good provisions:- Ending the practice of insurance companies denying people with preexisting conditions
- Allowing young people to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26
-
Providing tax breaks for small businesses who provide health care
- Preventing insurance discrimination against women
We cannot roll back these and other necessary provisions, because they are too important for American families.
However, any legislation that is over 2,200 pages long and is administered by the IRS is, from its inception, way over-the-top. We must fix this, retaining provisions that benefit citizens and throwing out the bad ones.
It is inconceivable to me that anyone in Congress read all of this bill before it was passed.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Homeland Security:
Ensure our troops receive the support & resources they need
Supporting our troops and their families is an imperative we all share. We must do what it takes to ensure our troops receive the support and resources they need to defend our freedom and security. From providing top-of-the-line body armor, ensuring fair
pay for service members, and easing the transition to civilian life for returning service members, I will fight for the benefits earned by Tennesseans who serve in our Armed Forces.As Senator, I will do all I can to support service members, their
families, and veterans. I support fully funding the Veterans Administration, cutting red-tape to help make claims-servicing easier and more streamlined, and improving the quality of life for veterans by increasing compensation and guaranteeing world-
class health care in state-of-the-art medical facilities.
I will also work hard to help ease the return to civilian life by supporting a strong GI Bill and ensuring that veterans have world-class medical care and realistic job opportunities.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Immigration:
Fair and just path to citizenship
Our country owes its very existence to immigrants. America is unique precisely because we embrace so many differences. That diversity makes us stronger, more innovative, and more creative. It always has. Our descendants were immigrants. Millions of
Americans can tell countless stories, all of them uniquely American, and reaching back for generations, about their immigrant-ancestors.We need common sense immigration reform that will contain two basic components:- It must uphold existing laws,
protecting our borders and enforcing our laws against recruiting, hiring, and exploiting undocumented workers.
- It must be fair to all taxpayers and to legal immigrants. We must have a fair and just path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, one
that would require them to pay taxes and be registered before their path to citizenship begins.
This type of reform will be true to the rule of law, to America's tradition as a nation of immigrants, and to our need to invest in America's future.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Social Security:
No scare tactics: system is solvent for next 20 years
Too many politicians have been using scare tactics when it comes to Social Security. The problems in Social Security funding are serious, but they are fixable.
Social Security is safe for at least the next 20 years, and if we act quickly, we can make modest changes that will keep the system solvent without cutting back on benefits. We need honesty and political will to move forward.
Social Security is a promise made to our seniors, and it would be a breach of trust not to mention poor economic policy to jeopardize this program with unnecessary cuts or risky privatization schemes.
As Senator, I'll fight for Tennessee's one million seniors to ensure that they receive the respect and care they deserve in their retirement.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On Technology:
We send too little on infrastructure
We must upgrade our aging transportation system. This is how we get manufactured goods to market. China spends 9% of its GDP on infrastructure, and Europe spends about 5% of its GDP. The U.S. spends 2.4% and is looking for cuts.
We can't build a competitive future by trailing China and Europe. Improvements are needed right now.
Investing in our infrastructure creates jobs and ensures safer roads, railways, and bridges; and upgrades to water, sewer, and broadband systems. It means expanding commerce across Tennessee and creating new jobs in our communities.
I will work to ensure Tennessee receives targeted federal investments that improve our state's infrastructure and strengthen Tennessee's economy.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On War & Peace:
Time for our service members to come home from Afghanistan
For more than a decade, our country has been engaged in wars abroad--wars that stretched our military, our families, & our finances. We should always exhaust all other options before going to war, and we must never again put the price of wars on a credit
card for our grandchildren to pay for. Any war that is unavoidable and in our national interest should be paid for as it is being fought.I also believe it is time for our service members to come home from Afghanistan. We need to get out as quickly as
possible, in a manner consistent with the safety of our troops and with a transition to Afghan control. Ultimately, the Afghans must take responsibility for their own future.
It's been a while since the death of Osama bin Laden, and America's
operations have eliminated many of Al Qaeda's affiliates. However, the threat of attack still exists, and America must remain vigilant and continue all of our efforts--political, military, economic, and diplomatic--against Al Qaeda and its affiliates.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
On War & Peace:
Critical to avoid nukes in North Korea and Iran
In North Korea and Iran--to name only two--the proliferation of nuclear weapons remains a critical challenge. Every additional finger on the nuclear button makes Americans and the world less safe. Every new country with nuclear weapons creates the very
real risk of those weapons being lost or stolen. And every new country with nuclear weapons makes it more likely that their neighbors will also seek to develop nuclear weapons.In Asia, the leadership transition in North Korea and its failed missile
launch in April 2012 are developments that require continued American monitoring and attention, in addition to continued close cooperation with our allies and continued efforts with other nations in the region.
To have progress, North Korea must demonstrate good faith, including suspending enrichment, halting missile tests, and allowing international inspectors into the country.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com
Aug 7, 2014
Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018