League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Riverside, San Diego County, CA March 2, 2004 Election
	Lars R. Grossmith Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 49; Libertarian Party

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. What can be done to ensure that California gets its fair share of federal resources?

California is a wealthy state. We should not send money (taxes) to Washington, and then lobby, barter, trade with other states to return the money for our highways, schools etc. The Federal government should be responsible for National defense, and little else. Return top the Constitution where the Federal government is limited. Leave the States alone and allow them to build their own highways, schools etc. Eliminate most all Federal programs, like the Department of Energy. Do youi realize the DOE has an annual budget of over $21 billion? Can you name anything they do? This Agency was created in the 1970's "energy crisis", and it's time for them to go.

2. What are your foreign policy priorities for the United States?

First, we should bring all our troops home. Noth just in Iraq, but Columbia, Phillipines, Somalia, Japan, Korea, Haiti, Germany etc. We have military personel in 130 Countries of the 190 Countries recognized by the UN. We have over 100,000 troops in Western Europe! We should not have a foreign policy of trying to save people from themselves. I do not want my Son or Daughter (or yours!) going off to some section of the world to die. N. Korea said they would give up all their nuclear weapons if the U.S. would acknowledge their sovereignty and agree not to attack them. The U.S. declined the offer. Secondly, engage in free trade with all nations. As Thomas Jefferson stated, "Where goods cease to cross borders, armies will surely follow." If you look at our recent "wars" they are with countries that we have ceased trading with. Many people believe you don't go to war with your supplier or customer. Even Osama Bin Laden cited the embargo against Iraq as one of the three reasons for the 9/11 attack. In addition, all foriegn aid should end and become voluntary. We should not send $3 billion annually to Africa, $6 billion to N. Korea, etc. If people want to send aid, let them do it voluntarily.

3. What are your priorities for the federal budget?

Massively reduce Federal programs. Just like the DOE above we could look at the Department of Education. Created in the 1970s to improve education, I think it is safe to say, that with it's annual budget of over $47 billion, it has failed. Let's return that money to the states where it can be used in the classroom. Eliminate the agricultural subsidies. Created in the 1930s, we now spend over $20 billion annually, to increase the price of food! By eliminating these subsidies, we'll have lower taxes AND lower food prices. Companies like Lifesavers Candy may have been able to stay in the U.S. and not move to Canada in order to purchase sugar at half the price. We need to go through many more and eliminate them altogether.