Presidential Candidates and their positions (plus a teen’s view)

States will be offered freedom from federal regulation, but held accountable for academic results. He wants to have yearly progress tests and checks.

Bush will maintain a strong federal environmental role, but will return a lot of authority to the states and local communities.

He wants to make a plan that provides a $2,000 refundable health credit, so low-income families can purchase their own health insurance. He wants individuals to be in charge of health care decisions, without government influence.

Bush is against same sex marriages and hate crime legislation. He also said he would not ban gays from serving in the Bush administration.

Vice President Al Gore (Democrat)
He stands firmly with a pro-choice decision and believes that women have the right to choose to have abortions. He wants to prevent attempts to reduce Medicare funding for abortions.

He wants smaller schools and classes, so students can get more attention in the classroom. By his definition, smaller high schools contain fewer than 600 students. He wants to raise standards for all students and give financial incentives to states to adopt high school exit exams.

Gore supports renewable energy, such as solar power, wind and biomass. He wants to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and will give tax breaks up to $6,000 for consumers who purchase more fuel-efficient cars, trucks and homes.

He wants to make sure every child receives health insurance by the year 2004. He hopes to create a patient’s bill of rights that will provide health refund credits. In the end, he wants affordable health care for all.

Gore supports hate crime legislation, which would punish people committing crimes based on the victim’s race or sexual orientation. He wants to eliminate the ban of homosexuals in the military.

Ralph Nader (The Green Party)
He’s OK with abortion, but wants to reduce the usage of it.

He wants to raise standards and make schools safer. He believes that improving education should start as early as elementary school.

Nader believes in programs that boost renewable energy sources. He wants to crack down on anti-environment corporations.

He wants to put price restraints on drugs paid for by seniors who live on fixed incomes. He also believes in paying less tax money for health care, because it supports administrative costs instead of patients.

Nader believes that homosexuals have rights to marry.

Daniel Torres-Rangel, 17, National Youth Convention Delegate, Gabrielino High School in San Gabriel

A woman should have the right to choose. If a baby is born into circumstances where an abortion was considered, then the child will be subjected to a life not worth living.

Get youth involved in education decisions. Schools need to form partnerships with businesses, school districts and colleges so they can receive outside funding. School vouchers will not work.

We need to think globally and act locally. We need to crack down on polluters, but not limit it to everyday citizens. We need to reduce the amount of waste from factories and big business and make them more efficient and environmentally conscious.

We need to establish better individual health care programs for everyone to ensure that individuals from every walk of life will be given the opportunity to receive benefits and opportunities to protect their families and themselves.