Last week, PolitickerAZ.com sent out a questionaire asking the Republican candidates in the 5th Congressional District about their takes on some key questions currently facing Congress and the nation.

The first installment ran on Friday, where the candidates expressed their views on how the Iraq War should be handled. The second part came out yesterday, dealing with threats posed by "rogue states" and the issue of veterans' care.

In the third installment, the CD5 Republican field speaks up about tax breaks to oil companies, and offer their views and ideas on global climate change.

Once again, PolitickerAZ.com notes that former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert has chosen not to participate.

QUESTION:

Should tax and fee waivers for oil companies remain in place?

Susan Bitter Smith:

I have signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge which guarantees that I will oppose any efforts to eliminate deductions and credits unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates, so I will not support an elimination of tax and fee waivers that will effectively increase taxes.

Mark Anderson:

The obscene profits of large oil companies and their executives at a time when the price of gasoline is outrageous certainly brings into question whether or not some type of government interference is necessary. I am wary of government intrusion, however, because there are often unintended consequences. I do not think there should be special tax benefits or fee waivers in place for an industry that is profiting at the expense of the American consumer.

Laura Knaperek:

Democrats like Harry have been talking until they are blue in the face about what to do with oil companies. I believe that our government must take any and all steps to reduce the price of gas at the pumps and stifle its inflationary effects. This includes alleviating our need for energy by investing in more nuclear, wind and solar alternative sources. It also means that we need to invest in domestic exploration. According to the Energy Information Agency if the Democrats allowed us to drill in ANWR it would produce enough oil to supply Arizona for 108 years, and has proven oil reserves of 10,400,000,000 barrels of oil. While gas and food prices go up, Congress does nothing but posture. It's time for a change.

Jim Ogsbury:

The imposition of new taxes on the oil industry, as Congressional Democrats are advocating, is not a sound energy policy.  Consumers will end up paying these higher taxes at the pump.  On Friday, May 23, 2008, metro Phoenixgas prices hit a new record high of $3.68 a gallon.  I do not think it is prudent to support policies that will cause unnecessary increases in the price of gasoline.

Congress should focus on a long-term national energy policy that promotes development of new energy resources.  Such a policy should: permit the exploration and extraction of domestic sources of oil; remove regulatory barriers preventing the development of new refinery capacity and nuclear power; and encourage development of alternative energy resources. 

Taxing an industry because it is politically expedient is bad policy.  Congress needs to enact an energy policy that will achieve price stability over the long run and help make our nation more energy independent.

QUESTION:

Do you believe that global climate change is a man-made phenomenon (if you believe it’s happening at all), and if so, does it pose a threat?

Mark Anderson:

I am aware of the debate in the scientific community regarding the question of global climate change and man's role in the phenomenon. My concern is the pollution of the planet and the need to protect our natural environment such as forests, rivers, and oceans from pollution. I believe that great progress is being made in the industrialized nations and a greater focus needs to be placed on the developing nations such as China, Brazil, and India. I would encourage continued study of the global climate change data before making policy decisions with tremendous economic implications for our citizens.

Laura Knaperek:

There is no doubt that the earth experiences cyclical global climate change. And through solid scientific evidence, global climate change is proven to be caused by natural and man-made conditions. However the data is interpreted, we need to be better stewards of our Nation's resources.

Jim Ogsbury:

Contrary to the spin of liberal media and the Blame-America-First crowd, global climate change is not a problem created by the United States or by the Republican Party. Climate change is, of course, a naturally occurring phenomenon. Regardless of the scope of manmade contributions to such change, the important question is how to adapt to changing conditions without jeopardizing our national sovereignty or our economic security. 

I do not support uniliateral initiatives by the United States to impose enormous regulatory and financial costs on industry and society in exchange for marginal or mythical global climate improvement. This is an especially damaging policy given the unfettered growth in carbon emissions by economic competitors, such as India and China. 

If the United States wants to get serious about reducing carbon emissions, then we need to make it easier to finance, site and construct nuclear power plants. Nuclear power currently generates approximately 20% of our nation's energy supply.  Congress should make it easier for more nuclear power plants to come online in the decades ahead. Nuclear energy is safe and efficient, produces no greenhouse gas emissions, and relies on plentiful source fuel. 

Congress should also unleash market forces to encourage the development of alternative energy technologies, such as solar, clean coal, wind and hydrogen. 

Susan Bitter Smith:

Scientific evidence supports the fact that cyclical climate change is happening. The U.S. and other world economies must examine their energy policies and provide market driven incentives to encourage the development of renewable energy supplies which will insure that Americans have access to safe, secure, and diverse energy supplies for the future.

Read Part 1: The Iraq War

Read Part 2: Iran, Syria and North Korea; veterans