Rob Russell

By Bristol Herald Courier Editorial Board

Published: July 11, 2008

Name: Robert A. “Rob” Russell
Date of Birth: December 8, 1969
E-mail address:
Campaign Web site: http://www.robrussellforcongress.com
Party affiliation: Democrat
Office that you are seeking: US House, Tennessee’s 1st District

Please answer the following questions about your background:

What is your educational background, including the highest degree you attained (high school, college, advanced degree, etc.) and the year it was attained?
High School: Morristown-Hamblen High School East (1988)
College: East Tennessee State University (BA, English and History, 1991)
University of Tennessee-Knoxville (MA, English, 1993)
East Tennessee State University (Continuing Education in History, Communication, and Educational Leadership, 1995-Present)

What is your professional background, including your present employer and job description and other significant posts you have held in the past? If you are retired, what was your most recent employment?

Director, ETSU Writing and Communication Center (Johnson City, TN; August 1997 – Present)

Currently administer center that offers students tutoring and provides opportunities for faculty development in writing and oral communication, in conjunction with the university’s across-the-curriculum program in these areas. Hire, train, and supervise center personnel, including secretary and undergraduate and graduate student tutors. Facilitate and coordinate supplemental instruction on writing and speaking-related topics. Work collaboratively with the directors of the writing and oral communication proficiency programs to plan, organize and facilitate faculty development workshops. Publicize center services to the campus community. Compose a monthly newsletter with articles related to writing and speaking. Propose purchase of equipment needed to accomplish center’s goals. Propose and oversee center budget. Assess the effectiveness of the Center’s services to students and faculty. Provide consultation to faculty developing assignments and classroom activities. As other duties permit, tutor students in written and oral communication. Report to the Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Special Programs. Teach one or two courses per academic year: “Critical Reading and Expository Writing” and “Critical Thinking and Argumentation,” the two courses in ETSU’s freshman writing sequence; “Academic Advantage,” a writing-intensive learning skills course for undecided freshmen; or American Literature I or II.

Director, Virginia Intermont College Computer-Assisted Writing Center (Bristol, VA; December, 1995 to August, 1997)

Administered a program in the department of Student Support Services whose goal was to increase student retention through tutorial support in writing and the implementation of computer-assisted instruction in writing. Hired, trained and supervised student staff; trained faculty and coordinated computer-assisted writing instruction. Assessed center’s effectiveness. Taught four-five courses per year in the traditional and adult-cohort programs: courses included basic writing, composition, ESL composition, literature, advanced composition, and instructional technology. Reported to the Director of Student Support Services.

Adjunct Faculty, Northeast State Technical Community College (Blountville, TN; August, 1993 to December, 1995)

Taught four-five classes per term. Courses included developmental writing, composition, American Literature, public speaking, and technical writing.

Teaching Assistant/Associate, University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN; August, 1991 to July, 1993)

Assisted an experienced composition instructor and worked 10 hrs/wk as a consultant in the Writing Center during first year of graduate study. Responsible for teaching two sections of composition and lit/comp during the last two semesters of graduate study.

Tutor, ETSU Student Support Services (June, 1989 to May, 1991)

Tutored fellow undergraduates in such subjects as basic writing, literature, composition, history, psychology and sociology. Worked during the summers and evenings as a tutor/mentor for Upward Bound, an SSS-sponsored program for high school students from low-income, first generation college-bound families.

Are you married? If so, please list your spouse’s name and occupation and any elected office they hold or have held in the past (if applicable).

Spouse: Tracey A. Berry, attorney

Do you have children? If so, how many and what are their ages? Do they (or did they) attend public schools?

Children: Kieran G. Russell-Berry (age 8; attends Abraham Lincoln Elementary in Kingsport); Lucinda D. Russell-Berry (b. May 14, 2008; will attend ETSU’s Child Study Center starting in mid-August)

Do you presently hold an elected office or have you held one in the past? Please list all elected posts and the years you were in office.
N/A

Have you ever been an officer in a political party on the local or national level, worked in a campaign or been a delegate to a political convention? If yes, please provide details and names of candidates for whom you worked.

N/A

Who are your three biggest campaign contributors? How much money have you raised in your campaign? Have you taken any special interest or PAC money? How much money do you expect to spend in your campaign?

My family, friends, and several concerned citizens have contributed to my campaign—$10 from a struggling student, $20 from a friend, $100 or $200 from someone I meet at a speaking engagement. They are all private citizens – I have taken no special interest or PAC money – and no one individual has contributed more than $250. To date, we’ve raised a little over $2,000 without doing much in the way of solicitation. I love meeting people all over the district and talking with them about the issues they are most concerned about, but truly loath asking for money, especially when economic security is one of the major issues facing people of this region. Still, I will have to count on my supporters to fund my run toward the general election, and I’m imagining that, to make anywhere near a solid showing, I will have to raise and spend at least $50,000. That might seem paltry compared to the $800,000 war chest that Davis has accumulated, but $50,000 is a good bit more than I make in a year, so I’m sure that my campaign can stretch it to maximum effect.

Do you volunteer your time or give money to local causes? If so, please list them.

As a musician, I have performed for numerous charity events and organizations, including Second Harvest Food bank, Washington County Animal Shelter, American Cancer Society (ETSU Honors College Fundraiser); I also helped to organize a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims at ETSU in 2005.

Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime as an adult? If yes, please give jurisdiction and details. You may explain if necessary.

N/A

Have you ever filed bankruptcy? If yes, please explain.

N/A

Have you served in the military? If yes, please provide details including branch of service, highest rank, years of service and date and terms of discharge.

N/A
Have you or your business ever been the subject of a lawsuit, lien or foreclosure? If yes, please explain.

N/A

13. What ties do you have to any business or organization that could profit from action as a congressman or senator, no matter how slight the ties or the action? Please explain your plan to avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest.

I do not have any investments other than my ETSU retirement account, managed by TIAA-CREF, and a 401k that’s managed by Magellan – I can’t choose individual stocks, etc., in either account.

Please answer the following questions about the issues:

The nation is in the grips of an energy crisis. What specific steps would you take to improve our energy independence and to reduce the strain of high prices on consumers? How would you balance these plans with the need to protect the environment?

Now is the time for us to make tough choices when it comes to energy: we can choose to leave behind a legacy of waste and short-sightedness, or instead bequeath a safer, cleaner and above all more secure America for our children’s children.

There is no such thing as a “magic bullet” when it comes to solving our energy dilemma; it’s more likely to be “magic buckshot” – a multiplicity of approaches that will help us both control costs, meet our energy needs, and find and efficiently utilize new solutions.

Right now, America must invest in new energy technologies that 1) take advantage of renewable resources (solar, water, wind, biofuels) and 2) create safer, cleaner and more efficient ways to use the non-renewable sources of energy on which we currently rely. Only by doing both can we wean ourselves from our dependence on foreign oil and non-renewable fossil fuels.

What can Congress do to help the U.S. economy recover from the present downturn?

What we’ve seen in the last seven years is wealth redistribution—from the middle class to the super-rich. I am campaigning to restore economic security and confidence to regular folks: hard-working Americans who have seen the American dream slipping away, and are especially struggling during these shaky economic times. We can start this restoration by rolling back George Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy and providing major tax breaks for the majority of working Americans. I support a slight increase in capital gains and corporate taxes (as well as the elimination of loop-holes that currently allow many corporations to avoid paying their fair share) in order to offset tax breaks for the majority of working Americans.

Two essential components for achieving the American dream are education and home ownership. With college tuitions rising 5-7% yearly and an uncertain housing market, these vital steps in the “pursuit of happiness” are becoming harder and harder to achieve. I support a doubling of the higher education tax credit for students and an automatic mortgage deduction tax credit of 10% to offer relief to homeowners.

How will you ensure that health care remains affordable and accessible for all?

Currently, quality healthcare is not affordable and accessible for all. Of 31 industrialized nations, we are the only one that does not consider healthcare a basic right of citizenship. However, we spend nearly twice as much, per person, on healthcare as the next biggest per capita spender, Sweden. Americans spend $7600 per person, or 16% of our gross domestic product, on healthcare.

Healthcare costs are rising dramatically, affecting the security of families and the competitiveness of businesses. We have an estimated 48 million uninsured Americans, including over nearly 9 million children. This leads not only to high infant mortality (the highest among the world’s richest nations), but to an unmatched rate of bankruptcy due to healthcare costs – some estimate that at least 700,000 Americans go bankrupt each year solely due to medical bills. Should a hard-working American family have to lose their home because they have a child sick with cancer? Most of us would automatically answer “no,” but it happens every day.

Workers are now paying $1400 more yearly for premiums than we were in 2000; in 2007, premiums increased at nearly double the rate of inflation. And these costs are passed on to consumers – it’s estimated that $2,000 of every new car price goes to pay for worker’s health benefits, while in Japan (a country with universal healthcare), about $600 is earmarked for healthcare. Our inability to deal with healthcare rationally is hurting us in the global marketplace.

Experts agree that our health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, and inappropriate care, waste and fraud. Whether it’s a single-payer plan (as exiting Welmont CEO Dr. Richard Salluzzo endorses – and, according to him, 50% of doctors and hospital administrators support this idea), or establishing an apolitical entity to broker coverage or regulate the out-of-control insurance industry, I’m open to considering any plan as long as it 1) guarantees an affordable option for quality healthcare to all Americans, 2) lowers insurance costs for business and individuals currently covered, and 3) promotes overall efficiency in healthcare delivery.

How will you shore up Social Security and Medicare for the next generation?

Social Security is a promise that Americans make to themselves with every paycheck, and it is the duty of our elected representatives to make sure that promise is kept. The best strategy for securing Social Security into the next few decades is to raise the maximum amount of earnings covered by the Social Security tax: currently, that amount is $97,500. When in Congress, I will work with the President in the best interests of East Tennesseans to create a payroll tax reform plan that will be fair to American workers and preserve Social Security for future generations. Medicare spending will continue to grow until we do something to fix the rising costs of healthcare in the US; it is highly likely that Medicare as we know it will be dissolved into a better, more efficient system of providing healthcare support for the poor.

What should be done to realize the vision of the No Child Left Behind law?

The intent of NCLB was admirable, but unfunded mandates and the “teach for the test” mentality it reinforced marred its promise. K-12 improvement should be supported, but states should be able to pursue it however they see fit. Instead of requiring “one size fits all” standards and testing, federal aid should help schools 1) offer smaller teacher to student ratios, 2) train, recruit and retain the best teachers possible, and 3) build or renovate classrooms so that they are safe and technologically current environments for learning. Aid – and federal aid is really a small amount, about 8 cents of every dollar spent on K-12 education – should be based on need; their should definitely be accountability, but NCLB’s AYP protocols don’t allow for the realistic differences between school systems and even individual schools to be taken into consideration.

What can be done to reduce the national debt? (Please be specific).

At this point, foreign countries hold 50% of our federal debt. This leaves us in a very insecure position. That being said, we are not going to be able to pull ourselves out of the fiscal hole this administration has dug for us—a national debt that’s grown by $3 trillion in the past five years—without cutting spending in many areas. These decisions need to be made with intelligence and care, and with the long-term needs of Americans in mind. Education, healthcare, and infrastructure improvements (which will lead to more jobs and greater energy efficiency) are of the utmost importance to our nation’s future. Now is the time to make Americans the top priority for American government. Only after these needs are addressed can we pursue the goal of balanced federal budgets (which I support) and developing a surplus that will help us pay down our debt.

Should the tax code be simplified? Explain.

Our current tax code and filing system is a mess that unfairly advantages upper-middle class and wealthy filers who can afford to have well-trained accountants assist them. Middle and working-class folks who file on their own often miss out on deductions, exemptions and credits that could benefit them, and many others are forced to pay tax-preparers, often ill-trained ones at fly-by-night operations that offer tax refund advances at exorbitant interest. I support simplifying the filing system, allowing workers, if they so chose, to verify the information in pre-filled tax forms (most tax info is already collected by the IRS from employers and banks). I also support cutting the loopholes in the corporate tax code that have allowed, by many estimates, $1 trillion a year in corporate taxes to go unpaid. Big business makes use of our infrastructure, they benefit from access to the American public and the world market by using it – they should pay their fair share of the costs of keeping up this great country.

What is the proper balance between protecting the nation’s natural beauty and using natural resources? What will you do to maintain the balance?

Part of the beauty of nature is, to quote Emerson, “commodity”: what nature gives us materially – water, air, wood for our homes, marble for statues, fossil fuels that helped create an industrial revolution. But just because it gives doesn’t mean it should be taken for granted, wasted, or abused. Because of the bounty provided in the natural world around us, environmental stewardship is a moral obligation, and one whose benefits our children’s children will be able to reap long into the future. I would much rather have ours remembered as a generation that recognized, at a critical moment, the importance of treating the earth responsibly than as a generation that contributed, through wasted and apathy more greatly than any others before to the demise of the planet.

What programs would you put in place to ensure that America’s young people remain competitive in math, science and engineering?

The real question is how can we regain our standing in these areas, since we currently lag far behind other wealthy nations in the areas of math and science? I really don’t think that more programs are the answer. What is the answer is hiring the best teachers and equipping our schools to handle the challenges of 21st century education. How do we do this? I think that we should look at what the rest of the world recognizes as one of American’s greatest strengths: the world’s best higher education system. When I think about so-called “failing” schools, I can’t help but think of the hundreds and thousands of students who come from all over the world to study at American colleges and university.

Bill Gates recently complained that the reason he established a new MS campus in Canada was that the US had a limit on H-1B visas, so that he couldn’t hire all of the best graduates from the best computer science programs – where, he said, 80% of the graduates are foreign-born. This might sound like an immigration problem, but it isn’t. It is an education problem.

Where our educational system is best is, obviously, at the university level, where students are challenged to solve problems, look for creative solutions and apply critical thinking as well as fundamental knowledge. Education on the graduate level is typified by small class sizes, access to 21st century tools, and faculty who are teacher/researchers, engaged in continuous learning and rewarded for their abilities. This model – which would allow more students to learn at their own pace (slower or faster), follow their gifts and interests, and reward exceptional faculty – should be encouraged at the K-12 level, and federal funding geared to that goal.

What local projects would you support with federal funding?

One project I would seek federal funding for would be expanding broadband Internet access into the rural parts of our district. In rural areas only 39% of Americans have broadband Internet access. The US is 15th in the world in broadband adoption, partially because of this fact. Look at Hancock County, for instance – it’s geographically isolated, with a small population: 77% of the people there who own computers and want Internet access can’t get it. The “free market” is not going to drive broadband into the hills and hollers: we have to make broadband Internet (lest we forget, a protocol created by our government, not some independent business entity) part of the Universal Service Fund’s definition of baseline service. This is something I believe that both conservative and liberal voters both realize is important in terms of our region’s participation in democracy.

How will you meet the needs of a diverse district that includes both rural areas and urban centers?

While our district is extremely diverse, many of the major concerns of rural citizens are shared by those in our cities, and vice versa. The local tobacco farmer and the business owner on main street are both concerned with the rising cost of healthcare, gas prices, and education for their children. The issues I’m most focus on don’t just concern the people in my neighborhood, but people all across Northeast Tennessee. Having lived, learned, and worked in areas all over the district, I believe I understand their concerns better than any wealthy businessman could.

Do you support a Constitutional ban on gay marriage, and should such a ban be extended to civil unions? Explain.

I do not support a Constitutional ban on gay marriage. “Do unto others as you would have them do to”—this phrase from Luke sums up my feelings on the subject of same-sex marriage. I wouldn’t want the government telling me who I could or couldn’t marry; as an American citizen, I have the right to marry who I love. Only a few decades ago many states prohibited mixed-race couples from marrying, and discriminating against someone because of who they love is just as wrong as discrimination on the basis of race or gender.

What is one piece of legislation you plan to introduce in your first (or next) year in congress? Why?

I will be focused on my legislative priorities and will work to either craft or co-sponsor legislation to reach those goals. My legislative priorities are:

1) Healthcare Reform: Guaranteeing quality, affordable healthcare options for all Americans. A single-payer plan, like the one proposed by HR 676 (which is supported by many doctors, healthcare administrators, and labor leaders), would certainly be an efficient, simple, and fair means of providing universal coverage for all Americans.
2) Family Economic Security: Providing major tax relief to average Americans in the form of tax cuts; investing in new energy options and increasing efficiency of fossil fuel-based energy; extending FMLA and providing Paid Parental Leave.
3) Educational Opportunity: Re-vamping K-12 support (NCLB) and doubling the educational tax credit to make college more affordable and decrease crippling loan debt.

Should illegal immigrants be deported? How would you accomplish this?
Illegal immigrants should be deported: that’s the law, and it is at it should be. However, it is estimated that there are currently 11-12 million illegal aliens living, and working, in the US today. Something must be done to correct this situation, but it must be done in a rational manner, bearing in mind economic realities—the majority of illegals are gainfully employed in agriculture, service, construction, and other areas, working hard to achieve their version of the American Dream, much like our forefathers were. Illegal immigration is a crime, but illegal immigrants are human beings and deserve humane treatment. The money and manpower to locate and arrest all of them is not available, and the civil unrest and economic turmoil that would ensue if all were seized and deported would create domestic chaos in much of the country, not to mention a human rights nightmare.

Should there be a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who work, pay fines and back taxes and learn the English language? Explain.

Some current legislation, such as the SAVE Act, addresses many necessary aspects of immigration reform: increased border security, improved identity verification, and harsher penalties for those who knowingly hire illegals. We must also address the trade and economic inequalities that promote illegal immigration if we are serious about curbing this problem. “Giving” a citizenship path to illegals is unfair to those who entered the country legally, but those who have no criminal record and are willing to meet requirements like paying back taxes might be considered for temporary guest worker programs, and might eventually be permitted to apply for citizenship.

The minimum wage has not been raised since 1997. Would you vote to increase it? Explain.
The minimum wage has, of course, been raised. However, it is estimated that nearly 25% of America’s workforce (about 28 million people) can be classified as “working poor”—that is, they work full-time but their earnings still put them below the federal poverty level for a family of four. Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and continuing support for legislation that has increased the federal minimum wage are essential to lifting working Americans out of poverty, but I also believe that the federal government should encourage municipalities to institute living wage ordinances.

Should parents get vouchers to send their children to any school, public or private? What about a tax credit? Explain.

I support experimenting with voucher systems – they’ve been used effectively and fairly in some locales. This is, however, a state and municipal issue, in my opinion, not something that needs to be or should be addressed on the federal level.

Does the U.S. have a clearly defined foreign policy? What would you do differently?

While our role as the world’s greatest democracy requires us to play a part in protecting freedom and preventing atrocities such as genocide world-wide, our immediate priority when it comes to foreign relations must be to end the war in Iraq and repair the damage it has done to our diplomatic standing, military strength, and domestic economy. When it comes to international policy, the US must regain its moral high ground by promoting smart solutions, not smart bombs. Diplomacy and coalition-building, not unilateral, pre-emptive action, should always be our first choice.

Should the U.S. set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq? Explain.

I believe that our troops’ job is done – it was done years ago when Sadaam was deposed. Right now, we are spending billions on infrastructure improvements, peace-keeping and civil services that should be handled by the Iraqis themselves: it is time for America to take care of America first. As for a timetable, it will be up to the military and the Commander-in-Chief to make that decision, and I trust they will develop a strategy that will allow our troops to leave as soon as is prudent.

Has the war in Iraq distracted the U.S. from the war on terror? Explain.

Absolutely. Recently, Willie Nelson said, “When I get hit I look to around and see who did it before I start swinging at everybody in the room. And that’s kind of what we’ve been doing.” I would say that it has not only distracted from the war on terror, it has help fuel the flames of terrorism and middle east discord. We’ve lost sight of who the perpetrators of 9/11 were, who their leader is, and how he manages to recruit more and more to his cause every day.

One of the greatest disasters to result from 9/11, after the tragic loss of life and the ill-advised war in Iraq, was the loss of many of our civil liberties. Our country’s leadership, who had declared “an end to Big Government,” transformed Big Government into Big Brother, tapping our phones and reading our emails without warrants, treating the average American like a criminal.

In addition, we should seriously re-evaluate our relationships in the middle east. The US should hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country—these states include “allies” like Saudi Arabia (where the 9/11 hijackers came from) and Pakistan, not just Iran and Iraq.

Should smoking in restaurants and other public places be banned? Explain.

This would be a municipal decision.