U.S. Representative, 7th District: Ron Lapham, Democrat

Ron Lapham, Democrat

Lapham is a general contractor by trade and has spent 10 years as an executive for Global Wireless USA, a telecommunications company.

What is your position on the death tax?

Lapham is against the death tax involving inheritance for family members. "I think we're being taxed to death, because they're finding new ways to tax us. I'd like to eliminate that one completely."

What is your position on tort reform to alleviate frivolous lawsuits and excessive jury awards?

Lapham is in favor of legislation restricting the occurrence and high awards associated with these lawsuits.

"I think we've all seen examples of frivolous lawsuits, which hinder business more than help business."

What is your position on association health plans?

"It's a good idea; I think it should be encouraged." Lapham said such an affiliation would give smaller businesses a chance at the kinds of insurance rates larger businesses regularly get.

What is your plan to stimulate the national economy?

The loss of work for American laborers due to the North American Free Trade Agreement has been an economic problem nationally, Lapham said.

"I'd like to see if there's something we can't do to try and close that door. I think there's a better way to spur the competition with importers and exporters without going to that extent to where we're forcing our manufacturers to go somewhere else to get it cheaper, where labor is 12 cents an hour instead of $10 or $15 an hour."

Lapham said finding alternatives to standard fuel solutions could benefit the economy. He is opposed to oil drilling in Alaska.

What are your top five legislative priorities in terms of business issues and economic growth?

Retirement savings. Lapham said executive stock options should be accounted for and disclosed along with all other business finances.

Minimum wage. "I'd like to design a minimum wage that works a little differently than what most politicians want. I think that maybe we ought to make it tax-free." He would consider excluding minimum-wage earners from paying into Social Security until their pay rates exceed that level.

International trade. "I think there's incentives that we can give businesses to keep them from" taking their jobs to other countries. He favors either a specific tax levied on goods marketed back to this country by U.S. companies who have taken their operations elsewhere, or tax incentives for U.S. companies opting to remain in operation here.

War. "What I'm afraid of is we're going to use war to boost our economy. And I'm not in favor of that."

Social Security benefits. He favors reevaluating this fund and repaying dollars that were borrowed from it in the past. If repayment is not made, "it speaks real loudly about the integrity of government." He said Social Security should be off limits as a future money source.

by Paul Schreiber

SBJ Reporter