Candidate Danny Woodring

Danny Woodring is a telecommunications and networking consultant based in Florida. He is a Vietnam-era US Army veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart. Woodring's entire campaign is Internet based because "I like most grass roots Americans live paycheck to paycheck." Find his website at http://www.woodring2012.com/

Prior to the Deepwater Horizon disaster last year, President Obama called for expanded exploration and drilling on the US's continental shelf. But, following the explosion, the Administration placed a temporary ban on drilling. Did you support the President's call for increased exploration at the time? What, if anything, would you have done differently than the President in response to the spill?

I am against deep water drilling for the simple reason of the chances of an issue like the Deep Horizon leak which economically devastated the Gulf Coast and will impact the Gulf for years to come. The companies that participated in constructing and operating the well did not have the foresight to develop the technology to cope with such a spill and they scrambled for answers including the Government once they were faced with the disaster . This is unacceptable and was driven by greed. As usual the government also failed to react and did not have the answers nor did the participate to the level they should have to get it resolved.

During the Deepwater Horizon incident, many in Washington and elsewhere blamed the Jones Act for slowing down the disaster response. Do you agree with this? Where do you stand on the Jones Act and various attempts to reform it?

I will approach it with common sense and set into motion reforms to eliminate any future restraints.

The US Navy currently operates more than 280 vessels. Should the current fleet be expanded, kept the same size, or reduced? Should Navy shipbuilding contracts always go to the lowest bidder, or should US shipyards be given preference?

The fleet should be expanded and all contracts awarded WILL BE AMERICAN ship building companies by my mandate. It is time we take care of our own and get our house in order. Please do not think I am a separatist but it is high time AMERICA takes back its ownership of our future.

The American Waterways Operators estimates that the nearly 4,000 tug and towboats on the inland waterways transport 20-percent of the nation's coal and 60-percent of its grain each year in the more than 28,000 barges in active service. New England gets most of its heating oil, and the inland Pacific Northwest most of its diesel fuel by barge. The AWO says all this traffic contributes $5 billion a year to the US economy. Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers struggles to keep up with needed repairs to locks, dams, levees and other infrastructure necessary to carry this trade. What should be done to better maintain America's inland waterways systems?

Americas waterways are an important aspect of our nations infrastructure just like our highways and bridges. The Corps are spread too thin and grossly under  funded. The levee systems along our rivers are in bad need of repair as well as our lock systems. We need to modernize and upgrade all of our infrastructure and in doing so bolster the Corps manpower and authority.

Many American merchant mariners have found the TSA's TWIC card program to be an onerous expense and pointless exercise that contributes little to America's security, yet it is required by law. Do you favor repealing of the TWIC card requirement? What, if anything, should replace the program?

The TSA needs its wings trimmed it is out of control and yes I would repeal and look at other solutions.

With the US Coast Guard's expanded security role following the 9/11 attacks, its resources for inspecting vessels and credentialing merchant mariners have been stretched thin. This has lead to safety concerns on one hand, and a sense that the Coast Guard has become more heavy handed and adversarial with American mariners on the other. Should the Coast Guard continue to perform these functions? If so, how? If not, do you favor transferring those functions to another agency, creating a new agency, or privatizing those functions?

First I would take its control away from the treasury department and incorporate it as part of the US Navy. The Coast Guard it a very important part of our national security and given the priority of adding manpower, technology and ships to cope with the growing marine threat. The privatization of the Coast Guard or any military organization just invites more corruption and I would not support it.