Incumbent Roscoe Bartlett was not there.
Republican 6th District Congressional candidates talked about a number of issues during a forum Tuesday night at Frederick Community College, including contraception, which has generated a lot of controversy recently. They were asked whether the government should mandate employers to include it in their employee health plans, even if it's an organization has moral or religious reservation about it. In addition, they were asked if a woman should have the freedom to make a choice when it comes to contraception, even if that includes abortion.
"I don't believe the federal government should be paying for contraceptives. That's not the function of the federal government. I don't support it," said Joseph Krysztoforski, who said he's pro-life candidate and was raised as a Catholic. "Life begins at conception," he said.
Delegate Kathy Afzali said birth control is a personal choice. "When the government dictates to a private company that they have to provide birth control coverage for their employees, especially when that's a religious organization like a Catholic Church or a charity, I do have a problem with that."
Robin Ficker said he has the support of pro-life organizations, but, as an attorney, he has seen a lot of teenagers who have become parents when they were not ready for the responsibility. "We have too many teenage mothers and fathers, and if providing them contraception will decrease those numbers, then I'm for providing them with contraception," he said.
Incumbent Congressman Roscoe Bartlett didn't attend Tuesday night's forum. He sent word that he had business in Washington, and couldn't get to the event in time. GOP candidate Brandon Rippeon also did not attend.
Even though Bartlett was absent, that didn't prevent the Republicans who want his job from criticizing him. State Senator David Brinkley said the election was referendum on Bartlett, who has been a Congressman since 1993. "I supported Roscoe Bartlett for 20 years, and I might have again if things were different, or if things were better or Congress was listening," he said. "But stunningly, by his own admission, he has cast many, many votes against good bills, and many, many votes for bad bills."
Delegate Afzali took Bartlett to task for not supporting domestic oil and gas drilling. "He actually, on numerous occasions, voted against drilling in this country, both in ANWR and the Gulf, and I think this has been a travesty because this was back during the {George W.} Bush Administration and prior to that," she says. "If we started drilling back then, we certainly wouldn't be having some of the issues with supply and demand that we're having now."
But both Brinkley and Afzali came under criticism for wanting to represent the 6th District, but not living there. "Here we have two legislators who are running away from their constituents. They're running in the 6th District, but all of their constituents are in the 8th District. That's not a good thing to do," said Robin Ficker. Robert Coblentz followed up on that criticism. "I feel that is a liability, especially in the general election when you're advocating to the independent voters. I think the Democrats will use that to siphon votes off," he says.
Another issue the candidates discussed was under what conditions would a preemptive strike against Iran be justified. The Iranians have been accused of developing nuclear weapons or may have them already. Peter James says he's against. "I'm half-Greek, and I haven't really been concerned about Iran invading anywhere since Xerses in 300 BC," he said.
"I think we do need to continue the sanctions, especially the economic ones, and tighten them down as much as possible," says Coblentz. "I'm for a preemptive strike, but I don't want another Iraq. I think we need clear, irrefutable evidence Iran does have a nuclear weapon." Brinkley reminded his fellow Republicans that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and we need to support that country. He says any surgical strike would probably come from the Israelis.
The Candidates also talked about farm subsidies, in light of a bill in Congress where these payments could be cut. "The farm subsidies are important to some extent. But we have to eliminate those farm subsidies which go to Park Avenue millionaires who don't farm, but own farmland," says Kryszorski.
James, whose a farmer and believes in a strict interpretation of the US Constitution, says the document doesn't say anything about farm subsidies. He also criticized Congressman Bartlett for supporting funding to eradicate stinkbugs. "My tomato crop was wiped out last summer with stinkbugs, but I don't see any authority for Congress to give these subsidies," he said.
Tuesday's forum was sponsored by WFMD, the Frederick News-Post, the Hagerstown Herald-Mail and FCC.
Primary election day is April 3rd, but early voting is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 AM till 8:00 PM at the Frederick County Senior Center on Taney Avenue.
