Tamara Zwinak Candidate U.S. House of Rep. Dist-11

Upon election, what do you think is the most important policy or action for you to accomplish in your first year? Answer The most important policy or action that must be accomplished the first year is to manage the pandemic. The coronavirus has killed nearly 200,000 Americans of which nearly 50% are seniors; and Black and Brown people. Of those who have recovered, thousands still suffer from lingering symptoms that may leave them permanently disabled. Over 35 million people are unemployed, millions more are discouraged workers and only half of the unemployed receive unemployment insurance. My immediate plan is to manage the pandemic with Social Distancing, Mask Mandates, Rapid Testing with Immediate Results, a Safe and Effective vaccine available to all; production of PPE, medications and vaccines in the US; and testing of waste water in order to reopen schools and businesses safely.  Employment, income security ...

 2020 Disability Rights North Carolina General Election Questionnaire US House Question 1 I am a candidate for US House of Representatives Dist-11 from North Carolina with a Green platform focused on Healthcare (including the pandemic response), Sustainability (protecting the environment and responding to climate change), and protecting Social Security for the disabled with the goal of passing Universal Basic Income. US House Question 2 As a disabled person, I benefited from Vocational Rehabilitation programs and without them I may never have graduated from college.  I will pass legislation to federally fund Vocational Rehabilitation programs to pay for college tuition, books and travel expenses for eligible disabled clients.    US House Question 3 Rural communities have seen hospitals close and doctors move away as the profits are not sufficient to cover the cost of running a healthcare business.  Government has a role to play in healthcare if we w...

  Who are you? Tell us about yourself. Ms. Zwinak previously ran for office in New York as a Green Party candidate for an Orangetown County Legislative seat in the late 90s. Her campaign set the agenda for healthcare reform, sustainable development, and social justice decades before these became a staple of every politician's campaign promise; the agenda for the climate change movement and the police reform movement. Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was encouraging to watch millions of people all over the world out on the street marching for climate change and now millions are marching for Black Lives Matter and social justice. The coronavirus pandemic has made it apparent that these issues intersect. As the Republicans push for more drastic crack downs using military force to silence protestors, they have nominated candidates who no longer represent the American people. This party is now on par with a domestic terrorist group, with QAnon candidates an...

COVID-19 is having significant negative effects on the WNC job market while the area’s cost of living has continued to rise. What will you do to create employment opportunities that pay a living wage?   The pandemic shuttered business and caused record unemployment rates. Govt. stepped in to provide stimulus checks and additional unemployment benefits. As a member of Congress, the way to create employment opportunities in the region is by lowering taxes on business or offering tax incentives. In a capitalist economy, free markets are the best way to increase employment and to start new and innovative businesses. I support raising the federal minimum wage to $18 an hour.   How does your approach to climate change address its accompanying social challenges, such as climate-driven migration and disproportionate impacts on low-income communities?  We are in a global emergency that is much larger than climate change. The pandemic is the result of the destruction of the r...

President Trump announced shortly after midnight that he tested positive for the coronavirus and reporters are asking how is he able to keep the country safe from the virus when he hasn't protected himself? Trump has repeatedly refused to wear a mask.  On Wednesday, he held a campaign rally the day after a raucous debate with presidential candidate Joe Biden, whom he mocked for wearing a mask. To protect the public and the Executive Office, I am calling for President Trump to invoke the Twenty-fifth Amendment immediately, until he has fully recovered.     Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020

 Bryan Overstreet, Special Projects Producer WLOS-TV Asheville, North Carolina                                       Cell: 804-263-8551 E-mail: bsoverstreet@sbgtv.com Re: Candidate Questions 1)  Why are you running for office? I am a Green candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives-District 11.  For decades the environmentalists have exerted great effort to protect nature.  This week the UN Summit on Biodiversity gathered experts and leaders from around the world to talk about the progress we have made protecting biodiversity.  Our goals have not been met.  We are in the final hour of our fight to protect nature and our place in it.  If we do not act immediately, one million species face extinction in the next few years.  Human activity has already caused the e...