I've got a series of questions for you on different issues.  I'll post them in separate comments for your convenience.  - Lowell

Top political strategists generally agree that to defeat an incumbent, you need to do two things.  First, you have to convince voters that the incumbent should be booted out.  Second, you have to convince them that you would make an attractive alternative.  Please explain how you would go about both of these tasks with regard specifically to Mark Cole.

I am online now, and if you all will bear with me I will take a moment and read through these questions.....

First off, thanks for Lowell, Josh and Chris Guy for the help and opportunity to talk with RaisingKaine readers and activists tonight. It's a welcome break from fundraising and a good chance to discuss politics and policy.

As for Del. Cole, his work has certainly been disappointingly weak and unfocused the past 6 years. He spends his time focusing on backhanded TRAP laws, getting private schools access to public school buses when none of the state's school boards asked for it and generally voting against progress in our state. He's stood against Mark Warner and Tim Kaine  time and time again, but has rarely offered an alternative for the challenges we face.  So I think the case against Del. Cole is pretty strong and I look forward to discussing it with the voters of the 88th.

I'm excited to serve our state because I have the combination of public service and private sector experience that best prepares me to make sure the state is a partner with our schools, our businesses and our public safety officials. As the campaign goes forward, I'll be rolling our more and more policy ideas and proposals that tackle the tough issues. I think that as the voters in the 88th hear about my personal experience and my vision for the area and commonwealth, they'll see that I'm a better choice for this seat.

From starting my business, to volunteering with my son's Boy Scout troops, and raising funds with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, my family and I have been very involved in our community. I am extremely proud of my sons, two of which have earned the rank of Eagle,one the rank of Life Scout, and one who just entered Boy Scouting, and all of whom are porducts of Virginia public schools.  My sctivities with JDRF have kept me deeply engaged with all segments of the community.

I have served my country since I was 17 years old, when I was first accepted into the Naval Academy.  I have always felt passionately that as Americans our greatest responsibility is to serve our country and community in whatever way possible.  I am extremely proud of my 26 years of service in the military, including my service during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  Now, as a small business owner I have experienced challenges of a different nature.  I cannot think of a more noble cause than to apply these life lessons now in the betterment of the public good.  Now more than ever we need leaders who have experienced difficult challenges and are willing to put aside partisanship to advance the issues of constituents and not their own personal agendas.  I aspire to be that type of public servant.

Please describe your political philosophy - progressive, moderate, conservative, or none of the above - and how that philosophy meshes with the 88th District.

I'm pretty reluctant to put myself in one category or another because I don't think anyone necessarily fits completely and neatly in just one. With that said, I tend to be a moderate to conservative Democrat. I believe strongly in personal responsibility and community involvement. I think state government should be a partner with state, regional and local businesses, and I think we should provide incentives for and reward those businesses that take care of their workers, their environment and their communities.

I think it's critical that Democrats and Republicans work together in Richmond, and to do so, we are going to have to compromise on the details without compromising our values or futures. I think that we can find innovative solutions to address the issues and concerns that are common to moderates in both parties.

The top 3 issues are Traffic & Transportation, Education and Economic Development

On Traffic & Transportation, the key here is that State Government find a comprehensive solution that directs money where we most need it and works with, not against, local governments. I haven't finished going through the Governor's amendments to the transportation bill, but I think there are some good things in this bill. It's not necessarily the way I would have written the bill if it was completely up to me, but I understand the negotiations and give and take necessary to get something done in Richmond. It's also important that we recognize the importance of land use and regional planning when it comes to transportation. For instance with regard to the 88th, we need Stafford, Fauquier and Spotsylvania counties, and the City of Fredericksburg, to talk and work together.

On Education, the keys here are to make sure Teachers are paid appropriately. It's not enough to just support teachers in political speeches and stand in front of them in photo ops; we need to support them in deed and stand behind them with the resources to get the best job done. We cannot afford to lose great teachers to other states because they pay them a little more. And long term, we need to make sure that every college student that thinks about becoming a teacher knows they can make a decent living in the profession. I also very strongly believe in reducing class sizes, because every academic study and every piece of common sense tells us that the more attention a student gets, especially early in their education, the better they will learn.

On Economic Development, the 88th District is in need of a champion who can help attract good paying jobs. We are experiencing the changes that come with the growing Northern Virginia economy, but we are not benefiting from the sort of high paying jobs that are more and more common to Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William. I want to make sure that we attract these good jobs so that residents can live and work here, and don't all have to commute 2 hours in order to make $60,000 or more a year. My experience as a small business owner, and on the US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council, has taught me what needs to be done to make this happen.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm still reading through the Governor's amendments to the Transportation bill, so I can't speak to all of them in specific. Here's what I think about what we need for a solution to the transportation funding issue:

I don't like the idea of deep cuts into the General Fund, because that money is badly needed for schools, healthcare and public servants like police, firefighters and the like. It's not going to do us any good to fund transportation if we canabalize the money from schools or the like. I can't imagine anyone would say it's progress to have less crowded roads and overcrowded classrooms or hospitals.

I do think that we need a dedicated source of funding. Responsible borrowing, where the interest and principle payments don't break our budgets or unduly burden our kids, is a good option. But we absolutely cannot go on a borrowing spree, like the Federal Government is content to do, which ends up being a short term fix that is a major long term problem.

As for the taxes and fees, I'm reluctant to put a huge burden on working class commuters, while so much of the region's money goes elsewhere in the state. I like the idea of moderate increases in penalties and violator fees, but let's make sure it doesn't get out of hand. We don't want to make speeding 10 miles over the limit a $2,500 offense.

We need to look at innovative ideas, like public-private partnerships (which have a mechanism that prevents outrageous toll amounts), increased Federal funding to assist with regional transportation issues along the I95 corridor, and ways to make slugging and carpooling more attractive. Many times when I'm going up to the Pentagon or other NoVA/DC locations for business, I pick up slugs. I think there are more people who would do so if we take appropriate steps.

And there a little things we can do that will have a big impact. Locally, for instance, one of the main parking lots for the Fredericksburg VRE is being closed down with no replacement ready. That's just silly to say to hundreds of people who want to take mass transit that they can't, or must park far away to be able to.

As a parent of a child who suffers from juvenile diabetes and the husband of a wife who suffers from lupus, I believe that we should support medical research that could potentially lead to a cure for such diseases and many more that impact the lives of our loved ones.  I have for the past twelve years raised much needed funds for medical research with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and as a legislator I would support new advances that would unquestionably ease the burden of individuals suffering from these horrible diseases.  I think it is the legislature's role to represent their constituents and make difficult governing decisions, however I would not oppose a referendum on this issue. 

I know local governments tend not to like the Dillon Rule, but I do appreciate the need to have some uniformity with our state laws. I don't want a race to the bottom between counties where, for example, Loudoun relaxes environmental laws to attract business, and Prince William relaxes land use laws to attract residential construction and everyone who stands firm for their convictions is left in the cold.  Now, there are areas, like zoning and land use, where local governments could use more tools. And state government should, generally, allow localities that want to go above and beyond to do so. It is also very important that state government fund their mandates to the localities. Finally, it's crucial that State Government function as a partner with local governments, not as an overbearing bully.

I'm a big fan of Carbon offsetting. Carbon Fund has a great program where you donate to an efficient way to offset your carbon impact. It's a great, market-based approach to reducing carbon pollution and increasing the remediation processes that we desperately need. There are other things we can do, like making sure the state fleet is made up of hybrids (where possible). Conservation programs can make a huge difference, and in doing so, can eliminate the push for these dangerous high voltage powerlines. Finally, we can encourage environmentally-friendly construction techniques.

I think the state must retain our commitment to clean up the Bay and reduce runoff in the tributaries. Some localities are doing interesting work with runoff plans from new construction, essentially rewarding builders and homeowners who reduce runoff. It's easy to forget what happens to all the water that spills down the sewer drain, but in many cases, that runoff is what is causing so much trouble. We have the knowledge and technology to significantly reduce this, but what we need now is the will to make it an affordable option to do so. It's not very much money, and it's certainly cheaper to reduce the source point than to try to clean it up after the fact.

The Massachusetts plan has a lot of common sense solutions that would apply here in Virginia.  Much more needs to be studied, but in broad strokes, the plan:

1) Allows health care providers to enroll qualified patients into Medicare on site- this is not an expansion of services, merely ensuring that those who already qualify for Medicare are using the coverage

2) Works with insurers to create affordable, quality plans with flexible coverage and higher deductibles that are more attractive to those who can afford coverage but chose not to purchase health care policies on the open market. This benefits not only the Commonwealth with fewer uninsured claims, but also companies selling thousands of additional policies.

3) Provides sliding scale payments for working families who make too much money to qualify for Medicare but not enough to afford coverage.  No one should be penalized for working.  By allowing workers to pay what they can afford, and making up the difference from the uninsured coverage pool all ready in existence in the state budget, more families have access to quality health care.

I also strongly believe that any state wide health care policy should provide tax incentives for small businesses who employ a large part of the workforce in order to ensure that they can afford to provide quality heath care coverage to their employees.

What factors led to your decision to run for office?

Thanks for all your support on this website.  I really appreciated you live blogging from my kick off.

I think I answered your question under Lowell's first one, so if you have a follow up please let me know.

I look forward to seeing you next weekend.

money do you calculate it will take to win your District? In your analysis, what does it take for you to carry the District in this election (did Kaine or Webb carry precincts, by how much compared to the Republican's District candidate?)

I don't want to give away too much here, but Teddy, your financial support so far has been a big help!  This area hasn't seen much attention from statewide candidates recently, so we dont have a great barometer of what would happen if it did. For instance, in the state senate, Ed Houck won all the precincts he represents in my district in his 2003 election, and the rest of the district is in the Chichester district, which demands moderate, common-sense representation (Albert Pollard couldn't be a better fit and I look forward to working with him in the campaign and in Richmond).

Here's what it takes for me to win: 1) raise enough money to make sure we get our message out in the paid methods; 2) knock on the doors in the district so that voters get a chance to meet and talk with me in person; 3)organize a stellar field operation so that all the activists and volunteers who are helping are best utilized (my campaign manager, Matt Henley, is a master field organizer, and that is one of the skills he brings to this campaign that I'm very happy to have); 4) respond to the likely negative and distorted attacks that are sadly the hallmark of modern politics; 5) have fun and never forget why I'm so excited to represent my community.

laws in drug cases? 

I have no patience for people who traffic in drugs, or who distribute them to our children, or who endanger people with Meth labs, which are known to explode. I think people who need help with drug addictions should be able to get it, in prison if they are sentenced there for breaking the law or in private clinics if they take positive action themselves. People who want to get help should be afforded that help, but we all still have a responsibility to follow the laws. I'd take a look at the sentencing guidelines and make sure they are fair and just, and that all are being treated equally under the law.

Who is your favorite Virginia Democrat and why?

I think Mark Warner did a great job as Governor and I think Jim Webb is going to be a good Senator. Warner had the business acumen, charitable spirit, and moral integrity to lead Virginia in the right direction. He made tough choices and proved that it is possible to work across party lines to achieve significant victories in education and advancing Virginia as the #1 state in which to do business. He continues to be involved supporting candidates at all levels. Senator Webb in a short period of time has demonstrated the courage of conviction to take principled stands on the issues important to all Americans.  His leadership is greatly needed in Washington.

John Chichester, while I didn't always agree with everything he said or did, also worked across party lines and did what he thought was right for the state. Now, I am aware that he took a bunch of heat from some in his party, but I respect him standing up for what he believed in.

The internet has become a powerful vehicle for candidates to get their message out to as wide a group of people as possible.  I greatly appreciate the support of the RK community.

If anyone would like more information, or if I missed anyone's questions, please head over to my website at www.DelToroforDelegate.com.

Another huge thank you to Lowell and the RK leadership for all their help.

We will be kicking off our canvassing the weekend of April 14th and 15th.  If anyone would like to meet me and volunteer, please email my campaign manager Matt Henley at matt@deltorofordelegate.com.

Let's turn Virginia blue in 2007!

With many thanks,
Carlos

First of all, thanks for putting yourself and running for public office.  That's a great thing, especially when we see how many incumbents run unopposed every year.

Second, thanks for your excellent, thoughtful, and extremely thorough answers tonight.  If those are any indication of how you'd do in the House of Delegates, we have a great deal to look forward to indeed!

Finally, thanks for your inspiration and enthusiasm...it's contagious!  Just let us know what Raising Kaine can do to help you, and we'll do our best to make it happen. :)