The Enquirer over the next several weeks will ask candidates in key races to talk about top-of-mind issues for voters. This week we asked candidates in U.S. House races.

What does the next Congress need to do to ensure America's homeland security? How long do you think we will need to be in Iraq?

CANDIDATES

Democrat Jane Mitakides of Dayton is running for the 3rd Congressional District seat. • Web site Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, represents the 3rd Congressional District. • Web site • Election 2004 page

Mitakides: I believe it is vital to heed the 9/11 commission's suggestions for the improvement of our ability to gather, analyze and share information so we can track down and stop terrorists before they cause harm.

We must secure our borders and carefully monitor cargo coming into the country. We absolutely must fully fund our first responders and assure that they have the strength in numbers and equipment necessary.

Rather than measuring our presence in Iraq by days, we should measure by progress made. We must resolve to internationalize the presence there, and be a part of it, until real stability is achieved.

Turner: Congress needs to work to improve our overall intelligence assets. 9/11 demonstrated that we must continue to take the war on terror to the terrorists before it gets to our shores.

The recent tragedy in Beslan, Russia, is a fresh reminder that we must find the terrorists and deal from a position of strength.

As part of the war on terror, our commitment is to stay in Iraq until its government is stable, not aligned with terrorists, and Iraqis have basic freedoms and liberties.

What can we do to create well-paying jobs in Ohio?

Mitakides: We can begin by stopping the flow of work out of Ohio. The outsourcing of work paid for by American tax dollars must stop now. We must reward companies that create jobs, not those who send them overseas. We must assure that workers here have access to continuing training and education to remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.

The failed policies of this Congress have made it just as hard for small businesses trying to meet a payroll as it is for workers trying to earn a wage.

We must change regulations that protect insurance companies and giant pharmaceutical manufacturers at the expense of small companies and working Americans.

Turner: To create jobs we need to:

• Simplify tax codes and reward innovation.

• Reduce health care costs for small businesses by allowing them to band together to buy insurance.

• Reduce frivolous lawsuits.

• Reduce the burdensome red tape of government bureaucracy and reduce excessive paperwork.

• Protect fair trade.

How can we best assure that all children receive a good education?

Mitakides: As a mother, I know that education isn't about "teaching kids," it is about shaping lives. We should work hard to assure that teachers have the respected - and rewarded - position in our society they deserve. Parents should be involved, and when they are not, we must support children with proven programs like Head Start.

Our schools should be vibrant, exciting places where children can learn and remain leaders in our increasingly competitive global community.

Turner: Congress has implemented education reforms to ensure that every child has access to a quality education. The No Child Left Behind Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. It provides record funding for education in exchange for increased accountability. States and school districts retain flexibility in how they use federal education funds. However, school systems must show that their methods are working and that students are learning. Schools are required to test students' reading and mathematics every year in grades three through eight.

What should we do to decrease our dependence on foreign oil?

Mitakides: While the United States is blessed in many ways, we must recognize that we have only a small percentage of the world's oil. As long as we continue to be the No. 1 consumer of fossil fuels, we will be vulnerable. We must explore practical, affordable energy sources, we must reward manufacturers and consumers for being energy-efficient, and we must help industries make the transition from being oil-dependent to newer technology.

There is a growing need for user-friendly public transportation, important for both energy conservation and mobility for our increasing numbers of seniors.

Turner: We must reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern and other foreign sources of energy, but to do that we need a comprehensive energy plan such as the one the House has passed twice but has stalled in the Senate.

The plan must support domestic exploration to help alleviate our immediate needs; promote alternative forms of fuel, such as fuel cells and ethanol (which would also benefit Ohio farmers); and promote efficiency and conservation efforts.

How should the next Congress handle issues of taxes and budget deficits?

Mitakides: I firmly believe tax cuts can stimulate the economy, but only when they reach the greatest number of people. We need to make sure we actually make tax cuts, not just change the name of the tax collector.

If the federal government cuts taxes, but then cuts funding to states so that the states or cities must raise taxes, have we really had a tax cut? Has the overall burden changed or just been shifted?

I also believe that government must use our tax dollars more wisely. We should begin by making America our priority, focusing on seniors, education and veterans. Vast interest on a national debt is a waste of our hard-earned tax dollars.

Turner: 9/11 changed everything. The terrorists who attacked us that day purposely aimed at our biggest financial symbols. During an economic downturn and while fighting the war on terror, deficits are inevitable.

Congress has already taken corrective action. The House has demonstrated fiscal restraint by passing a budget with no growth spending, except for defense and mandatory programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Fiscal restraint and growing the economy will reduce the deficit.