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THE ISSUES Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "I'm running because I have a four-year old daughter who is going to be paying 84% of her income in taxes when she's my age if we don't get a handle on spending."
KAREN THURMAN (D) District 5
BORN: Jan. 12, 1951, Rapid City, S. Dak. EDUCATION: Santa Fe Community College, A.A., 1971; U of Florida, B.A., 1973 FAMILY: Husband, John; two children RELIGION: Episcopalian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Teacher POLITICAL CAREER: Dunnellon city council, 1975-83, mayor, 1979-81; Florida Senate, 1983-92; U.S. House, 1992- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 5058, Inverness 34453. Tel.: 352-344-4977
Thurman represents a diverse district, including the University of Florida, two nuclear power plants and acres of citrus plantations. More conservative fiscally than socially, she sponsored a federal bill to reimburse Florida for the cost of imprisoning criminal illegal immigrants, but opposed mandatory parental notification of minors' abortions. She also pushed for hearings on the link between Agent Orange and birth defects.
THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO* Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "Another key to breaking the cycle of welfare dependency is forcing noncustodial parents to pay child support."
NEWELL O'BRIEN (D) District 6 (North central--Lake, Baker and Marion counties; part of Jacksonville)
BORN: Aug. 25, 1938, Augusta, Maine EDUCATION: Jones College, A.S., 1974 FAMILY: Wife, Jean; four children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Navy, 1955-59 OCCUPATION: Aircraft examination director; aircraft mechanic POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 308 Linden Lane, Orange Park 32073. Tel.: 904-264-9608
O'Brien, who went from blue-collar to management in a 36-year aircraft-mechanic career, wants to use his experience to "unlock the deadlock" in Congress. He doesn't want to become a power broker, but is just "an average citizen...upset with the state of our government." O'Brien says he won't take campaign funds from big corporations and wants to bring true representation back to Washington.
THE ISSUES
Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "We need to protect our environment because corporate America will not police itself. We are the stewards of the earth. We can't recycle the earth, so we have to take care of it."
CLIFF STEARNS (R) District 6
BORN: April 16, 1941, Washington EDUCATION: George Washington U, B.S., 1963 FAMILY: Wife, Joan Moore; three children RELIGION: Presbyterian MILITARY: Air Force, 1963-67 OCCUPATION: Hotel executive POLITICAL CAREER: U.S. House, 1988- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 308, Silver Springs 34489. Tel.: 352-236-2455