Republican candidates for the 10th Congressional District, Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser, along with incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-10 of Dimock, are asked to respond to a question each week leading up to the April 22 primary.

This week, the candidates were asked to outline what role government should play in the country's current financial crisis?

Chris Hackett

"From sky-high prices at the gas pump, to increasing health care costs, to a troubling employment outlook, families in our area are hurting. While times are tough now, one thing we know is that our people are hard working and resilient. If we take the right approach, we will get through this difficult time and better days will lie ahead.

"Our current economic problems have many sources, including the record high price of oil, and unwise mortgage lending practices. When we look at what can be done about these problems, more often than not, the right answer is not to inject bigger government into the economy. Washington does not create jobs, but it can destroy them through high taxes, wasteful spending, excessive regulations, and faulty trade policies.

"Creating and maintaining jobs in our communities is a top priority. As a local business owner who has created hundreds of jobs, I have first-hand experience with the things that help and that hurt our local economy. Every time Washington takes a bite out of our paychecks, it reduces our standard of living, and it often does so in order to fund wasteful pork projects like Alaska's $200 million Bridge to Nowhere. I will vigorously support efforts to continue the existing tax cuts, reduce taxes further, and eliminate wasteful spending. This is a sharp contrast with Congressman Chris Carney, who has voted to increase taxes several times. And I am the only candidate in this election who has signed the Citizens Against Government Waste pledge to oppose wasteful earmark spending.

"Beyond tax and spending policies, it's essential that we get health care costs down, not through a Hillary Clinton-style government take over of health care, but through market reforms that give patients more choices, and cut lawyer-induced red tape for doctors and hospitals."

Dan Meuser

"I've spent my entire career creating and protecting jobs. I believe that my experience makes me the right candidate to represent the 10th District in Congress.

"When we started Pride Mobility, we had less than 20 employees. By putting into place conservative business principles, we grew a small furniture business into the international leader in mobility products that employs more than 1,000 workers in our area.

"Creating and protecting jobs isn't just an economic theory to me. I know how to do it, and I know what needs to be done in Washington to create a more competitive business environment for small business.

"In a macro sense, the goals of our elected officials should be to put into place conservative business practices that allows job creators to grow their business..

"In order to create that improved business climate, we must make permanent the tax relief passed in 2001 and 2003. Working families and small business need to keep more of the money they make in order to invest in running their homes and businesses.

"We must stop wasteful government spending and use that savings to continue cutting taxes and investing in our communities. Projects like the Susquehanna Thruway project must get done. I will go to Washington to fight for this project so that we get it done without having to raise taxes or toll interstate 15, which some proposals from my opponent would require.

"Energy costs must also be lowered, through increase exploration and the utilization of alternative fuels. The price at the pump has hurt our families and job creators.

"Congressman Carney has voted for higher taxes, higher energy prices, and excessive spending. These are wrong for the 10th District, and my experience and values stand as a stark contrast to our current Congressman."

Chris Carney

"I came to Congress with a pledge to do more for middle-class families, who are the shock absorbers of our economy.

"I voted in favor of middle-class families by supporting the federal budget, which emphasizes tax cuts to benefit our hard-working, middle-class families and ends the Bush plan that disproportionately favors the wealthy.

"This budget does not raise taxes by one penny. Any claims that this budget is a tax increase are misleading; the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a statement verifying that the federal budget under consideration does not increase taxes. This budget extends middle-class tax cuts including the child tax credit and marriage penalty relief.

"As a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, I am committed to fiscal responsibility and the pay-as-you-go principle (PAYGO). We should not pass legislation unless we can pay for it. Nearly all legislation passed in the House of Representatives complies with PAYGO, so we are not passing our debt onto our children and grandchildren.

"In addition, I listened to concerns from our community and testified before the House Budget Committee on a number of concerns, including the president's proposed deep cuts to Medicare and transportation projects. As a result, the House Budget Committee addressed these deficiencies by increasing budget outlays to $419.974 billion total for Medicare and $80.44 billion total for transportation projects throughout the nation.

"I came to Congress with a goal of providing middle class tax relief. I was supported fiscally responsible legislation to provide middle income families relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax, which provided AMT relief to 23 million middle-class families, including 38,000 families in Pennsylvania."