By Nathan DiBagno
POWDERSVILLE – Energy independence, the authority of the Constitution, health care and term limits — these were a few of the issues mentioned during a Chamber-sponsored forum including Congressional candidates Jeff Duncan and Jane Dyer Thursday afternoon at the Taste of Distinction.
Dyer, the Democrat candidate and a FedEx pilot, said her father ran for Congress as a Republican several years ago.
“He ran for the United States Congress when he was a Republican when most of you in this room all voted Democrat,” she said to a group of about 80 people at the August luncheon for the Easley Chamber of Commerce and the Powdersville Business Council.
Dyer criticized the Republican Party for not having tackled the issue of women’s pay.
“I cannot imagine that because I’m a woman that I would get paid 77 percent of what a guy got paid,” she said. “Those are the kinds of issues that have come up in the past … but Republicans have been opposed to the idea that women should get equal pay.”
Duncan, a businessman and state legislator in Laurens, said he believes in repealing or defunding “Obamacare.” He refers to himself as a Reagan Republican.
“I don’t believe that more government spending and more government is the solution to the problems that we have today,” he said. “I believe in Reagonomics.”
Health care
Duncan didn’t hesitate to blast the health care legislation that passed this year, questioning whether “Obamacare” is Constitutional.
He said he supports repealing it or at least defunding it.
Dyer said that although the health care legislation is an imperfect bill, it does have some good parts to it.
“We wish it were different, but at least we’re headed somewhere,” Dyer said.
Drilling for oil
Duncan said he supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, saying that it would be much safer than drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dyer said she opposes drilling in ANWAR, adding that she would prefer that the United States stop depending on oil and start relying on alternative fuels.
Illegal immigration
Dyer said Congress needs to do its job and begin securing the border. She also said American employers should work to hire people from their own country.
“Hire American. That’s the easiest way to start solving this problem,” she said.
But she added that it would be cumbersome to send back those who are already in the United States.
“There are estimates that it would cost $15,000 per immigrant to take them back,” she said. “That right now we cannot do today because we do not have the money.”
Duncan said the United States need to secure the border and have absolutely no amnesty.
“I don’t believe in rewarding bad behavior,” he said. “My mom and dad taught me that something earned is worth more than something given. These folks who have come here illegally don’t need to be given citizenship.”
Term limits
Duncan said he believes in term limits, as long as they’re enforced on all politicians.
“Let’s say that I’m a great congressman, a guy that you loved, but I decided that I was going to term-limit myself voluntarily after a period of time,” he said. “There are others out there that you may not like — Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, and some of the others — who haven’t term-limited themselves. They can still be in charge.”
Dyer referred to the discussion of term limits as “great political football,” and said she opposes passing legislation imposing term limits on all legislators.
“We have term limits. It’s called elections,” she said. “What I’m saying is we need to do our job as citizens,” she said. “If someone is a bad politician, we need to work together and get rid of them.”
Constitution
Duncan said he carries a copy of the Constitution with him everywhere he goes, and does not believe it’s a changing document.
“It hasn’t grown an inch since it’s been in my pocket over the past 18 months,” she said. “I believe the Constitution is a firm document.”
Dyer said she vowed to uphold the Constitution when she first joined the Air Force.
She said although many in Washington have tried to change the Constitution, she believes it’s a document that shouldn’t change.
“We need people in Washington who will work to fix the problems, and not change our
Constitution,” she said. “I’ve supported our Constitution before, and I look forward to supporting it again,” Dyer said.
Dyer and Duncan will be on the ballot in the third congressional district during the Nov. 2 general election. Constitution Party candidate John Dalen is also running for the seat.
Scott Buckheister with DunBurks moderated the debate.
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