Candidate name: Ron Miller

Party affiliation: Republican

Place of residence: Huntingtown

Date of birth: August 11, 1959

Place of birth: Lake Charles, LA

Occupation: Technology executive

Education: B.A., Political Science, Texas Tech University; M.S., International Relations, Troy State University European Region

Community associations, involvement: No answer

Professional associations: Council for Excellence in Government

Family: Wife, Annik; Three children, 18, 14 and 11

Campaign office address and telephone: 10816 Town Center Blvd., #231, Dunkirk, MD 20754, (410) 474-3778

Link to candidate’s website: www.ronmillerformaryland.com

Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

1) Education, 2) small business development and growth, and 3) government transformation for better citizen service delivery and more efficient use of taxpayer resources.

How would you rate the performance of the current representatives of your district: excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

Poor - Too much emphasis on partisanship and obstructionism and too little on doing the people’s business.

Do you support amending the constitution to give the legislature more budget authority?

No

Is the rate of growth in Maryland too fast, too slow or about right, and why?

Taken as a whole, the rate is probably just about right. The perceptions are different from county to county, but the Governor has done an outstanding job of balancing economic growth with environmental preservation.

What programs would you like to add or cut from the state budget? How would you pay for additional programs? What would you do with the money from any cuts you make?

I have no specific targets, but as a military veteran, business executive and technology leader, I intend to bring world-class management practices to state government. Programs must be measured by outcome rather than income, and I will stress accountability for achieving the results the taxpayers demand. I would look to invest savings in my three priority areas and return what’s left to the rightful owners - the people of Maryland.

What must be done to ensure the long-term success of Prince George’s Hospital Center?

I would continue the collaborative relationship initiated by Governor Ehrlich and Jack Johnson, the Prince George’s County executive, to keep Prince George’s Hospital Center financially viable until new management is identified to operate and transform the center into a state-of-the-art medical facility.

Is there adequate federal emergency and preparedness support for Prince George’s County given its proximity to the nation’s capital?

No. As a former Department of Homeland Security official and a current homeland security subject matter expert, I am uniquely qualified to work with the federal government to ensure the proper allocation of resources to prepare our communities against international or domestic terrorism.

Are there specific taxes or fees that you would cut?

I have no specific targets, but I would always look for efficiencies in government so we can return money back to the people who earned it in the first place.

Do you support slot machines for Maryland? Why or why not?

I am philosophically opposed to gambling, to include slot machines. I believe gambling tempts and traps people who can least afford to squander their discretionary income on games of chance, and the government shouldn’t seek to profit from the vulnerability of its people.

Do you support giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants?

No. A driver’s license is a privilege, and illegal aliens are lawbreakers with no right to demand the same privileges as law-abiding people.

Do you support in-state tuition to illegal immigrants?

No. Again, the rule of law applies, and they should not be rewarded for breaking the law.

What is the biggest problem facing higher education and what would you do to solve it?

The biggest problem is access for low-income and disadvantaged children so they have the same opportunities as others in educating themselves and preparing for the Internet Age. I would support programs that provide information, counseling and services to increase the college attendance rates of low-income and first-generation college-bound students and also assists them in securing financial aid.

Where would you get more money for the Transportation Trust Fund?

The Maryland Department of Transportation is currently conducting an analysis of funding needs for transit across the state and studying how transit is funded in other states and internationally. This study is due December 15, 2006, and I would look to the results of that study to inform my decisions. I also support funding strategies to leverage new federal funding for state transportation initiatives.

What specific transportation projects do you see as priorities for the state?

I would defer to the counties on what transportation issues are most important to them. Transportation has a direct affect on growth issues that dominate governing agendas at the county level, and the state should respect the different growth objectives at the county level.

Should there be a dedicated funding source for Washington and Baltimore mass transit?

The Transportation Trust Fund serves this purpose.

Would you re-regulate the electricity industry?

I would examine the regulatory actions of other states that showed more prudence and foresight than Mike Miller and the General Assembly showed in 1999, and find a regulatory model that ensures manageable electricity costs for consumers and a realistic business environment for utilities - in short, a plan works for all Marylanders. Short-term fixes that are timed to detonate after the election and offer no choices to consumers are cynical and manipulative, and they hurt the people and Maryland’s economy.

Do you believe Maryland’s gun control laws are too strict, not strict enough or just right?

Too strict. Maryland’s gun control laws penalize law-abiding citizens and do not prevent or deter the use of guns by lawbreakers in the commission of a crime. The law-abiding majority should not have their liberties restricted due to the actions of a criminal minority.

What is your position on abortion?

I am opposed to abortion. The first inalienable right expressed in our Declaration of Independence is the right to life, and a moral society ought to find solutions that protect the innocent unborn person and allow the mother to continue her life as well.

Should the Maryland constitution be changed to allow same-sex marriages?

No. Government has a vested social interest in preferring and preserving traditional marriage as the optimal family unit for bearing and raising children. The civil rights of gay couples can be addressed through reciprocal beneficiary agreements, which provide selected benefits to unmarried adult couples in dependent relationships, regardless of gender or the nature of the relationship. This solution is free of sexual politics and protects the definition of marriage from activists looking to legitimize their lifestyle choices.

Does the state need stricter controls to protect the environment?

We in Maryland have been blessed by God’s creation, and we have a moral obligation to the earth and each other to be responsible stewards of the world in which we live. I strongly support the preservation of open spaces in Maryland and protecting the Chesapeake Bay, and I believe we can preserve the natural beauty of our state while still growing our economy to extend opportunity to all Marylanders. Protecting the environment is not an ‘‘either⁄or” proposition where the environment wins at the expense of the economy, or vice versWe are problem solvers, and we are the most technologically advanced nation on the planet. We can have both, and the Governor has proved it, delivering an improved environment and a healthy economy during his administration.