John Carney in 2016 DE Governor's race

On Families & Children: Respite care programs for family caregivers

John Carney: Recently, I lost my father and mother-in-law after illnesses and hospitalization of varying lengths. I saw firsthand the confusing, stressful, and emotionally draining situations that family members acting as caretakers can find themselves in. As Governor, I'd support legislation encouraging employers to give caretakers more flexibility in tending to their loved ones. I would also support respite care programs that allow caregivers to get a rest while knowing their loved ones are being cared for.

On Social Security: Expect to work longer than our parents did before retiring

John Carney: As a baby boomer, I know we can expect to work for much longer than our parents did before retiring. As former Sec. of Finance, I understand the importance of saving throughout one's career. I helped revamp the state employee deferred compensation plan to enable more state employees to save for retirement. For future seniors to live comfortably in retirement, we need solutions to encourage long-term saving from an early age. While being sensitive to small businesses for whom offering a payroll deduction may be burdensome, I'd support measures to encourage employers to offer a retirement savings plan as an option.

On Crime: Rehabilitating offenders is key to safer communities

• Target our resources on high-risk offenders, so police are keeping a closer eye on those individuals with a history of serious and violent crimes.
• End the school-to-prison pipeline by giving young people employment and educational options that keep them off the streets.
• Provide better access to mental health care and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
• Allocate police resources with the needs of the community in mind.
• Improve education and training programs to prepare inmates for reentry into society.
• Work with law enforcement to develop trust within the communities they serve.

On Free Trade: Ideas to bring jobs back instead of arguing about offshoring

"This is a big deal," said U.S. Rep. John Carney, a Democratic candidate for governor. In Congress, "we argue until the cows come home about offshoring, but we don't come with many practical ideas about how to bring jobs back to the United States," he said. "This is the best way you could give back by creating jobs and bringing them back from overseas."

On Gun Control: Enforce existing gun laws; do more on mental health

Carney also discussed the importance of mental health. He shared a story where he asked a school principal if he had one more dollar, where would it go? The principal responded by saying it would go to a mental health therapist.

Current politics, according to Carney, is dominated by partisanship. He said that he tries his best to not only represent his constituency, but also to be a moderate, staying away from extremes. But being a moderate means taking shots from both sides, which makes that choice especially hard.

On Jobs: Focus on trade school training and apprenticeships

I later inquired about his views on the future of trade schools as a way to build a greater workforce. He said that everyone needs welders, yet we seem to not have enough. We focus on only the highest jobs through college or the lowest jobs, and don't focus on the decently paying middle jobs, occupations vital for Americans such as welding, or plumbing or other trades.

He cited Germany's apprenticeship programs as an excellent example and something we could emulate in Delaware. In addition, he saw the pathway program in schools as an important first step in pushing for education that can still get students good jobs without spending thousands of dollars on college.