The candidates battling for the democratic nod in June's primary for the 7th congressional district discussed imperative issues at the Ocean Reef Hotel in Myrtle Beach Sunday.
Parnell Diggs, Ted Vick, Gloria Tinubu, and Preston Brittain all participated in the debate moderated by NewsChannel 15 anchor and Carolina this Week host Tim McGinnis.
The event was hosted by the Democratic Clubs of Horry County and the Myrtle Beach NAACP.
The new 7th congressional district will be anchored in Horry County and includes the counties of Georgetown, Marion, Dillon, Darlington, Marlboro, Chesterfield and a portion of Florence.
The event lasted for an hour and a half and included questions from a panel. Each candidate was given two minutes to answer the question. Below we've listed each question and highlights of each candidates answer.
Q-Jobs: What are you going to do to create more jobs, especially locally?
Parnell Diggs- "It's wise to have faith in the power of the American people to make a difference"
Preston Brittain- "Manufacturing. To Mexico alone we've lost 680,000 jobs, most of which, have been manufacturing jobs."
Ted Vick- "There are things that we can cut back on and put our priorities on things like i73, the dredging of the port"
Gloria Tinubu- "One of the things is to invest in a solid, public system of education…we've got to do that we need to have young people who are competitive with those students that they'll be faced with in the international economy."
Q-Gas prices have been rising. How do you plan to promote energy independence?
Parnell Diggs- "We are drilling more in our country more than ever before. I'm not sure we're going to convince the oil companies to lower prices just because we're producing oil in the U.S., we need to look at alternative sources and quick protecting the oil so much."
Ted Vick- "We have to have a sustainable model where we use our own sustainable energy, We need to invest in bio-mass and bio-diesel, and natural gas. Mine our own soils in an environmentally friendly way."
Gloria Tinubu-"There's a Georgetown county company looking at algae for energy. We need to invest in wind and solar energy, and use agriculture industry to explore new ideas."
Preston Brittain- "Domestic drilling part of the solution invest in alternative forms of energy. We need to invest in wind, solar power, hydrofracking if there's more environmentally friendly way to do it."
Q- How do you plan to get projects like I-73 finished and getting money from Washington?
Parnell Diggs- "We need to consider the infrastructure in place. I noticed our friends in Dillon feel left out, in Dillon county and Marlboro County, we need to keep in mind the affect that has on the businesses."
Ted Vick- "I have already worked in Columbia, we had a bill passed to identity toll roads. You have to lobby for it, you have to win the hearts and minds of the people."
Gloria Tinubu- "The effort would have to be part of a national effort to improve transportation and we'd have to work with other parts of country. I would work cooperate with Congressman Clyburn to ensure we have the resources, but it also has to be done at the state level."
Preston Brittain- "The democrats budget includes 47 billion for infrastructure. That's a budget that would allow us to build I-73. This should be an easy sell for us. I'm going to be pushing for common sense solutions and building I-73 is the most common sense solution."
Q-In regards to the real estate markets, what would you do to avoid a repeat of the collapse we've seen?
Parnell Diggs-"I'm not sure the Dod Frank act went too far."
Ted Vick-"Every home mortgage out to be adjusted to 3% immediately."
Gloria Tinubu-"We've got to go back and make sure we reinstate Glass-Steagall Act.
Preston Brittain- "Protect your consumer. Watch the selling of derivatives. We have to be careful of overregulation."
Q- How would you lower the national deficit?
Parnell Diggs-"The Bush tax cuts have hurt us so badly, we have to take one bite at a time to get it reduce."
Ted Vick-"We need to look at deficit spending, programs including military programs, and we need to balance our budget."
Gloria Tinubu-"Those people at the top percent, they have to pay their fare share. There is no question about that. We have to do something about separating our capital budget with our general expense budget. We don't separate our capital budget from our regular spending."
Preston Brittain-"The top one percent has seen their income double. We have to let the Bush tax cuts expire on the supper wealthy, consider the buffet rule, and give more cuts for middle class, like parents sending their kids to school. We need to ask top 1% to pay their fare share"
Q What are your thoughts on Voter ID?
Parnell Diggs- "I had announced publicly that I would allow free services from my law offices to people who would be denied the right to vote."
Ted Vick-"I voted against the voter id bill in the house. Anything that stops the voter's right to get out and vote is morally wrong."
Gloria Tinubu- "It's clearly one of the issue that is so undemocratic for what this country stands for. We as a party have to fight this, not only in our state, but in numerous states across the nation."
Preston Brittain-"This maybe one of the most frustrating, and one of the most sad."
Q- More and more jobs are requiring a post secondary degree. What do you think about making that more accessible?
Parnell Diggs-"I'm a product of the system, we've got to have a federal education system."
Ted Vick-"The GI bill is a good thing that helps. So are Pell grants. I will fight hard, I believe in education. It's the only true way that can get someone out of poverty."
Gloria Tinubu-"Not having an educated workforce is a national security issue, and we have to make a college education more affordable."
Preston Brittain - "Federal education funding is only 10.8 percent. We have to address the rising cost of tuition. We need to let schools know that we're serious by cutting federal funding to colleges that continue to gauge tuition. We also need to increase pell grants."
Q- What are you thoughts on campaign finance by the PAC and Super PACs?
Parnell Diggs-"I think about how I have raised money. It's been from blind friends of mine. All i can do is get and meet people the old fashioned way. Elections are not there to be bought, they are there to be earned."
Ted Vick-"I'm a pro business democrat, but until a corporation can pick up a weapon and stand a post they should never have the right regular citizens can. The 527's need to be outlawed."
Gloria Tinubu- "Unless we go to public financing of elections, you're not going to have good solid people running for office. That's the thing that we have to do."
Preston Brittain- "I think we need to reform. I do not have a specific plan yet."
Q What issues would you plan to champion specific to contraception?
Parnell Diggs- "There are a lot of women who have other medical reasons who justify the reasons for contraception. I will preserve the right for women to receive contraception service and that insurance should pay for it."
Ted Vick- "It's more radical as we go along, that's why this seat is so important. What are we doing? Do we really want some slick politician to tell us how we should plan our families?"
Gloria Tinubu- "We can not go back to the old days. We should not even be having this conversation."
Preston Brittain- "We know preventative measures other than family planning. They are wasting our time, they are wasting our tax dollars."
Q-There's been a lot of division with Congress across party lines. What is one thing you agree with the republicans about?
Parnell Diggs- "Let's agree to disagree on something's. We all want better education and we want economic prosperity. I'm sure the republicans love their children as I love my son."
Ted Vick- "I agree we need to balance the budget, I don't agree with how they want to do it. We work hard, we compromise and we come up with something that moves the country."
Gloria Tinubu- "I'm sorry I can not think of a single thing. I can't I just don't, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't be able to look at a position of what is in the best interest of this country."
Preston Brittain- "One of the things is creating a competitive corporate tax rate for a company that brings jobs back to this country. Close the loopholes, but I agree we need to do something to get the jobs back in America."
Q- Are there aspects of the Affordable Healthcare Act you feel are non-negotiable?
Parnell Diggs-"When you look at the Affordable healthcare act some say it's unconstitutional. How many of us have been denied coverage by a pre-existing condition? I'm going to fight to preserve, if anything we ought to expand it."
Ted Vick - "I resent that they call it Obamacare. Congress passed it. It's a law that can be amended. I want to know from republicans about how they can fix it."
Gloria Tinubu- "Pre-existing conditions, having our young people, 26 and younger still to be carried is non negotiable. The provision that make women to access health care, the preventative is also non negotiable. I know people are concerned about the mandate, the way the system is going to work is because we are going to have more economies of scale because we are going to have more people in the system."
Preston Brittain-"Pre-exisitng conditions-that's good. We need to keep that. It closes the prescription doughnut hole, we need to keep that. We need to get more American's insured. I'm concerned about the mandates, but creating a marketplace for competition will help us with healthcare costs."
Click here to see a list of candidates, Republican and Democrat, running for the 7th congressional district.
