Questions for Carly Fiorina? Go Ahead and Ask

Thank you everyone for your great questions. I don't have enough time to ask them all, but hopefully we will get through a good deal of them. The interview is today at 3pm Pacific, and we should be able to get the post up in the next 24-48 hours.

Sarah Granger blogs here ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/sarah-granger ) and there ( http://www.sarahgranger.com/Sarah_Granger/Writing.... ).

I was wondering if you are planning on coming to Ventura County in the near future? If so please let us know because we have a few large groups of Tea Party activists who would love to hear you speak!

I'd like to know how old you think the universe is?

How about the Earth. How old do you believe Earth is?

Do you believe in evolution?

I am currently an MBA student at USC and would like to know what advice Ms. Fiorina has for young women who would like to be leaders in business. How does she see her experience leading a business helping her turn the economy of California around?

Ask her how we can be sure she won't just play with her old friends from her corporate days such as: Lucent, HP, Kellogg Co. and Merck & Co., and the U.S. China Board of Tradedays.

Nancy
N. F. Hill ( http://www.nfhill.com )

I am very hopeful that Carly is able to defeat Barbara Boxer in Nov. I have the following quesions:
1. During your days at HP, you were responsible for outsourcing many jobs, and stated that "no one is owed a job." What is your opinion of outsourcing now with so many qualified Americans out of work; and when elected, what will you do to bring jobs back to the U.S.?

2. Manufacturing made this country great, and now most of the mfg sector has been shipped overseas. I believe we need a strong mfg sector in order to maintain our global competitive advantage. What will you do to bring mfg back to CA in addition to making CA a more business-friendly location?

3. Many in CA have lost substantial property value, but we continue to make our payments. Banks will not consider refinancing these loans even though all payments are up-to-date. When elected, will you present legislation that will enable credit worthy homeowners to refinance their existing balance in order to take advantage of lower rates?

4. The construction industry (residential, commercial, industrial) has been nearly shut-down due to RE bubble. In CA, it's now been 5.5 years - and this industry has lost not only tradespeople, but also professionals such as Architects, Engineers, etc. What ideas do you have to revive the construction industry?

why should roe v wade be reversed? If it were reversed, then abortion would become illegal in at least 50% of the states. Why should women in some states have more or fewer rights than women in bordering states?

As a woman, shouldn't women have equal rights as Americans?

If abortion is illegal in some states, how many years should the woman serve for having or attempting a back alley abortion?

Do you believe that raising tuition at state universities because of the perception that students will pay any amount to be at schools like Berkley and UCLA is a reasonable way to raise revenue to address the state's budget crisis?

The question is also relevant nationally - because many states are facing record budget shortfalls.

Barbara Boxer has fought for marriage equality and LGBT rights for years. Fiorina says she supported Prop 8, but would she consider promoting equality if she wins Boxer's seat?

I hope she understands how uncomfortable many Californians would be knowing that their senator promotes discrimination. That's certainly NOT what I want our government representatives teaching my children - hate and intolorance.

How will she fight for women's right's that "better" or different than Barbara Boxer?

Will she continue to fight for inequities in healthcare such as coverage for the blue pill for men but not the pill for women, as she mentioned during the 2008 campaign season.

Shireen
@digitalsista 
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Does Carly believe the easiest stimulus is to simply remove the boot of DC from the neck of business? Attacks on oil, health insurers, banks, credit cards, coal, GM bondholder cramdown, fears of card check, fears of tax hikes all work to depress valuations of equities. A friendlier environment surely would allow for higher stock multiples than the current 11-12x 2010 earnings when 10 year treasuries are at 2.6%. The valuation only makes sense when you factor the anti-business stance of the administration. If equities were simply trading 14x forward earnings, you would have more than $2 trillion in added wealth, all which flows through the economy and contributes to tax receipts. Ironically the Democratic leadership don't seem to realize how much self harm they are doing by being antagonistic towards business. I assume you agree.

Does she still support more oil drilling off the California coast, and if not, why did she change her position after the Republican primary?

1. My municipality has suffered with so many others and many, though absolutely not all constituents frequently say we should run the city just like a for-profit. Please define how you see the difference between a) running a federal government versus running a for-profit business and b) being a public servant whose decisions should benefit the entire population of California who want to live a good life, versus being a CEO whose decisions must benefit the entire set of shareholders who want a financial return on their monetary investment.

2. There are too many party-line voting and sounding senators in the US Senate. How will you contribute in an unique, healthy and demonstrable way?

Jill Writes Like She Talks ( http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com )

In The Arena: Jill Miller Zimon, Pepper Pike City Council Member ( http://jillmillerzimon.blogspot.com )

1. You said during the 2008 campaign that executive experience would help a president. How would it help a senator?

2. You see what a broken system has done to California and how tough it is going to be to recover everything from universities to highways. What is your vision for helping our country get back on track given the poisonous atmosophere in DC and dire circumstances economically and internationally.

3. What should be done about climate change?

4. What committees would you work to be on?

5. Is the Mitch McConnell style of leadership attractive to you?

6. Why have so few Republicans taken a stand on the Mosque and what is yours?

Cynthia Samuels, Partner
Cobblestone Associates, LLP
Blog and Media Strategies and Content Development Online and on Television   

Don’t
Gel Too Soon ( http://dontgelyet.typepad.com/dontgeltoosoon )

Ms. Fiorina,
1. Please explain in a detailed way why you said Roe v. Wade was settled law in May 2010 (http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-04-03/news/2083384... ( http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-04-03/news/2083384... )) but then Roe v. Wade should be overturned (statement as of June 10, 2010 http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/06/10/us-senate-cand... ( http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/06/10/us-senate-cand... )). Why do you hold these views when 71% of Californians support keeping Roe v. Wade intact, or even liberalizing access (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40116.ht...

2. You also said you support abortion in cases of rape or incest (http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/tran... ( http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/tran... )). What prevents you from taking an absolute pro-life position, like Sharron Angle?

3. In 2008, as economic advisor to John McCain during his presidential bid, you said you were for cap-and-trade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO6Bdt7mbVY), but lately you've been saying you're against it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrjzdSxLkf4&fea... Sarah Palin even endorsed you recently because you were against cap-and-trade (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=386510153... Please clarify your position and why it seems to have evolved over time.

4. As you know, Anthem BCBS/Wellpoint recently tried to raise the rates on Californians who buy insurance privately from them. I was one of the people who'd just been informed of a 26% increase in 2009 and was facing an up to 39% increase in my rates again. As a direct result of new rules on insurance increases specified by the new law, I don't have that problem any more. Why would I support your idea to repeal the new health care law if that meant insurers would be allowed to raise rates egregiously with no oversight like they did before? (Or bring back gender rating--charging different rates of insurance for similarly healthy similarly aged men and women, or consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition subject to exclusion?) I did not find your answers here (http://www.baycitizen.org/health/story/fiorina-hea... ( http://www.baycitizen.org/health/story/fiorina-hea... )) satisfactory, as they seem to repeat what the new heath care law already provides for.

5. Where do you stand on offshore drilling along the California coastline? Is your answer to domestic energy policy to "drill baby drill," like your endorser Sarah Palin?

Cynematic

It seems citizens are hungry for positive encouragement and not constant bad news. How would you be a cheerleader (and leader) to motivate citizens to do the best they can to help solve all the difficult issues (economy, immigration, water, education)?

1. OK, I have to ask: What does she think of HP's latest travails? And does she think now that Mark Hurd's crown has been tarnished she might get some credit for putting into motion the strategy he ended up implementing...with a strong dose of layoffs and employee benefits cuts to enhance profitability?

2. What does she think of Arizona's new immigration laws? Are they constitutional? Would she support such an effort in California?

3. How does she reconcile being pro-life with believing that health care decisions should stay between a patient, family and doctor? [Both positions on her web site.]

4. HP has same-sex partner benefits. But not every company does. Fiorina says she was pro-Prop 8. How does she justify unequal protection and rights for those not lucky enough to work for a progressive company like HP?

And if we were interviewing Barbara Boxer I'd ask her why her anti-Carly can't be more about the difference in their current positions on issues and less about tearing down one of the few women business women to achieve the level Fiorina has. Can't say I'll likely vote for Fiorina, but I do think she's gotten a bum rap for what went down at HP.

Elisa Camahort Page
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.com
My BlogHer profile truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!

I would be interested in knowing her feelings now on the Arizona law (as of June, she said she supported it) and what she would propose to fix immigration nationwide.

her thoughts on climate change. And I'd like to know if she thinks government and/or corporate interests should be involved in doing anything about climate change.

Virginia DeBolt
Web Teacher ( http://www.webteacher.ws/ ) | First 50 Words ( http://first50.wordpress.com )