Onstage at UNLV

Seven Democratic presidential hopefuls are scheduled to gather at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion this evening for another debate. The event is sponsored by the Democratic National Committee and will be aired live on CNN and KLAS-TV, Channel 8.

Despite the appearance of spontaneity, it will be a highly scripted affair in terms of who is allowed to ask what of the candidates. That’s unfortunate. (See our lead letter to the editor, at right.) Voters, regardless of their political affiliation, deserve honest answers to pressing issues, not rehearsed responses to pre-determined queries.

For instance, it would be instructive to watch the Democratic candidates address questions such as:

— How much can Americans expect taxes to be increased if you are elected? And if you will raise taxes only on “the rich,” how do you define “rich”? Does a two-income couple each working full time and earning $70,000 per year — a household income of $140,000 — qualify as “middle class”? Or are they rich? Will they pay more in federal taxes during your administration than they do today?

— What are the long-term economic ramifications of nationalizing one-seventh of the U.S. economy? Every Democratic candidate has embraced some sort of universal health care proposal. Is there any danger that plans to socialize all health care costs will eventually increase calls for even more government restraints on individual behavior — eating, drinking, leisure activities?

— If your plans to reduce global warming are put into place, what will happen to the average American’s power bill? What are the consequences for the economy and American competitiveness if we are forced to drastically cut back on our energy consumption in the immediate future? Is it possible that there are more productive social uses for the money it would take to implement your anti-global warming agenda?

— Washington politicians have for decades been terrified to confront entitlement reform, even though virtually everybody agrees Medicare and Social Security, in their current forms, are unsustainable in the long run. What can we expect from your administration on this issue?

— The confirmation of Attorney General Michael Mukasey was nearly torpedoed by Senate Democrats because the nominee refused to say whether he felt an interrogation technique known as waterboarding was also a form of torture. If president, would you authorize the use of waterboarding on a terror suspect that intelligence officials said harbored information that could save the lives of hundreds of Americans?

— Senate Democrats have essentially demanded that they be allowed to vet judicial nominees and Cabinet appointments put forth by the Bush White House. If elected president, to what extent will you seek advice from GOP senators on your nominees?

— Is the current public education establishment doing a satisfactory job? If you advocate more spending, what can Americans expect to get in return and when will they get it? Do you favor any education reforms outside the agenda of the National Education Association?

— Should Americans be required to show identification at the polls? Should illegal immigrants be issued driver’s licenses? (Perhaps Sen. Hillary Clinton has come up with an answer by now.) Should illegal immigrants be allowed to avail themselves of taxpayer-funded services, such as health care, education and welfare?

— Does the Second Amendment give individual Americans the right to own guns?

And since they’re in Las Vegas:

— Should adults be free to play poker online or place a sports wager with an off-shore bookmaker?

— Will you kill the Yucca Mountain Project if elected? Would you veto any appropriations bill that funds work at the nuclear repository?

— What is the federal government’s role, if any, in local growth issues such as water or urban sprawl?

— How much land should the federal government control in Nevada? Currently, Washington bureaucrats manage close to 90 percent of Nevada’s real estate. Could that number be reduced?

— What future do you see for the mining industry in the United States?

Real answers to these questions would help voters dig beneath the polished facades in their efforts to assess the men and woman seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.