The+Candidates+on+the+Issues

Current Position || Russell Voting/Position History || Johnny Hurley Current Position || Hurley Voting/Position History ||
 * Campaign Issue || Joseph Russell
 * Education || Cities and towns understand the needs of their schools systems best, so control should be in the hands of city and town leaders || Served on the School Board of Des Moines, IA and oversaw the restructing of its core curriculum || Invest in our schools, restructure NCLB || Supported MA DESE in joining Common Core standards ||
 * Childhood Obesity || The government has no right to interfere in the lives of citizens like this. Parents are responsible enough to control what their children eat. || As chair of Des Moines school board instituted healthy living initiative || Promote exercise and health initiatives in schools, Congress should not classify pizza as a vegetable || As governor, initiated $4.5 million childhood healthy living program ||
 * Bullying || State officials have adopted strict laws recently regarding bullying, these should be supported with encouragement, but the American taxpayer should not bear the burden of enforcing these laws outside of their home states. || As chair of Des Moines school board oversaw and approved writing of $1.2 million bullying education and prevention policy. || Establish nationwide laws instituting harsher punishments for bulliyng in schools || Signed into law some of the toughest bullying laws in the nation in the wake of the Phoebe Prince death in Holyoke, MA ||
 * Economy || The middle class is bearing the burden of the economic crisis. Americans should be able to keep their money in order to invest themselves. The middle class is what will revive our economy, we need to give them the money to do so by lowering taxes. || Increased spending in Des Moines schools to support various initiatives. || Regulate banks much tighter, Support American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and continue to invest in these types of initiatives || Has directed his office as Governor to look into bad mortgages by major banks in MA. Oversaw the final stages of the costly Big Dig in MA. ||
 * Immigration || Illegal immigrants take American jobs. If you want to come to the United States we welcome anyone who is willing to come here legally to participate in our open democratic society. || Found out to be hiring (not to his knowledge) illegal immigrants to do landscaping at this palatial Des Moines estate. Fired the landscapign company once he found out. || Make the process for naturalization easier for all, opposes illegal immigration believes that these take away from legal immigrants, but should be allowed a grace period of 2 years to become naturalized citizens || Mother is an immigrant and she has been a productive member of American society. ||
 * Health Care || Americans should not need to pay to send others to the doctors when so many are struggling now just to pay their own bills. || Has spoken out against "Obamacare" as being socialist, but does find pieces of it useful for certain states. || Universal Health Care for all, but it should be privatized || Supported Gov. Romney's universal health care law in MA as a DA ||
 * Abortion || This is an issue best left to the states to decide. || Has supported various laws restricting abortion in Iowa. || At age of consent, abortion access should be universal || Has prosecuted against abortion rights advocates who tried to protect young women seeking abortions from attacks by Anti-abortion activists. ||
 * Same Sex Marriage || States should have the right to determine their regulations concerning this topic. The federal government has no right to impose its beliefs on states. || Has openly gay son and supports his equal rights. || Allow it, people in same sex relationships are entitled to the same rights as all other citizens || As a Christian has morally opposed same sex marriage in the past, but now openly welcomes its legalization. ||
 * Marijuana Legalization || This is illegal for a reason! It has a negative long term effect on Americans health and will cause a drain on American society. || Has witnessed the destructiveness of this drug through the shooting death of students at Des Moines area high schools. || Legal for medical purposes, continue research and if that shows little long term effects, then supports full legalization as it would provide economic benefits to the US || Daughter was recently arrested by Malden Police for possession of more than 10 oz. of Marijuana. ||
 * Foreigh policy || The United States has an obligation to protect democracy around the world so as to prevent tyranny, give all people a voice in their own governments and to reduce the threat of terrorism in America ||  || Follow Obama's approach, while we have power, use it carefully so as to seem as if we're not bossing other nations around. ||   ||
 * Evironmental Policy || Further research needs to be done into how the environment is changing, and how to best utilize our resources to benefit this country both economically and environmentally. || Has instituted a green policy in the Iowa public schools || Adopt a Cap and Trade system for CO2 emissions but do not want to join the Kyoto Protocol || As a prosecutor, brought to trial (and won) a lawsuit against the owners of a chemical factory in Woburn, MA for damaging water supplies through illegal dumping. ||