10/27/18 Joe Answers Questions Posed by The Culpeper Star-Exponent

Press Release: Joe Walton for Congress Answers Questions Posed by The Culpeper Star-Exponent

Joe Walton for Congress – VA 7^th District
For Immediate Release: 10/27/2018
804-476-0768
press@joeforvirginia.com

Joe Walton for Congress Answers Questions Posed by The Culpeper Star-Exponent
Joe is happy to have had an opportunity to answer questions of The Culpeper Star-Exponent and gratified they are covering the full ballot for Virginia’s 7^th District!

Powhatan, Virginia: The Joe for Virginia campaign recently answered questions posed by The Culpeper Star-Exponent and is making them available electronically so the voters of the 7^th District outside of The Culpeper Star-Exponent’s area also have a chance to learn more about Joe Walton and his campaign for the 7^th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Below are Joe’s answers to those questions which continue his effort to fully clarify his positions through his website and other media, including www.ballotpedia.org’s candidate survey on issues and political philosophy (neither Rep. Brat nor Democrat Spanberger have completed this exposition) available here: https://ballotpedia.org/Joe_Walton

Below are the questions from The Culpeper Star-Exponent and Joe’s answers:

• What is your experience?

I was born and raised in central Virginia and lives in Powhatan, Virginia with my two daughters.  I have been a leader in technology and business administration for over twenty years serving in entrepreneurial, large enterprise, and policy roles.  I also have been active in public and non-profit service in central Virginia for many years, and in various capacities.  I previously served in elective office for a term on the County of Powhatan Board of Supervisors from 2008-2011.  I was elected Vice-chair and Chair of the Board during my tenure and was a leader in community and regional initiatives.  My accomplishments for that service are: planning and securing funding for the widening of Huguenot Trail east of Route 288, planning for the well-designed Wal-mart development on Route 60 and new Comprehensive Plan, and creating the Huguenot Trail Advisory Committee.

I earned my B. S. in Science, with a minor in Physics from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).  I also hold a Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduate degree from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU.  I am currently a dissertation-phase doctoral student in the Public Policy and Administration Ph.D. program at the Wilder School.  My doctoral research focuses on cryptocurrency, socio-economic value, social and technical change, and public policy.

• Name your legislative priority if reelected to Congress.

My first priority will be to improve constituent services and accountability in the 7th District by holding town halls throughout the district and also regular office hours in Washington and in the District.  Secondarily I will pursue greater oversight of the Executive Branch and the agencies which have not been held to high enough standards in the current Congress and by the incumbent.  Here in Virginia and the 7th District I will pursue aggressive public-private partnerships with broadband providers, the localities, state, and federal government for getting universal broadband internet service provided to the entire state.  Just as water and electricity have become essential and expected, our elected leaders should do everything they can to get universal broadband working for Virginians.  I have a unique technical background and direct experience with broadband development and deployment and I’ll bring that expertise to bear on this issue in Congress.

• What is your solution to the issue of undocumented immigration to this country? Do you support a pathway to citizenship or mass deportation? What does immigration reform look like to you?

I support a modernized immigration system, path to citizenship, work permit, and DACA fix.  We need to control our borders but letting our country thrive as it always has with robust immigration.  The New Colossus (the sonnet from where we get, in part: give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free) is what’s on the Statue of Liberty and we should live it still today!

• If someone can’t afford to pay for healthcare in this country, how should they receive it? What is the future of Medicaid and Medicare?

America has a responsibility as a country to create an economy in which health care and health insurance is affordable and available regardless of employer.  Under the current system, health care and/or insurance linked to employment is a disservice to Americans and an economic inefficiency.  Healthy citizens create a better society and are better, more competitive workers and citizens.  American health care should be among the best outcome/least expensive systems in the world; America is currently among the worst outcome and most expensive in the world.

Virginia should accept the finality of the Affordable Care Act on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth and the health care and insurance providers. Stop wasting resources on resisting Medicaid expansion (which has occurred as of May, 2018) and move on to improving its administration and effectiveness.  I support the Alexander/Murray Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act 2017 and other improvements towards a more efficient and effective health care and insurance marketplace as they may be identified by outcome-improvement-focused experts.

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About Joe for Virginia: Joe Walton is a candidate for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District and former Chair of the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors with a record of accountable and effective leadership in central Virginia. He is a sensible centrist with a genuine interest in working with constituents, leaders across the state, and federal peers to solve problems in Washington. He believes in and advocates for socially inclusive and fiscally responsible approaches to public policy. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree and is a Ph.D. student in Public Policy at VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

Learn more: Web: www.joeforvirginia.com | Twitter: @joeforvirginia | Facebook: @joeforvirginia

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