Candidate for
US Representative; District 2

Among my personal beliefs are...

I believe that elections should not be bought. Elected officials should not be bought. Elected officials should listen to and represent the People of their district, not be controlled by a political party, nor moneyed interests. Any election in which big money is being spent for a position paying only a small fraction of that spent on the campaign is suspicious, at the least. The Founding Fathers elected as our early Presidents did not even campaign, rather they relied on the People to spread the word for them. I intend to follow their example and trust in the voters to spread a grassroots message of my candidacy with only minimal expenditure of my personal small funds. Therefore, I request no money contributions (thus freeing myself from "owing" someone a "bought favor"). Rather, I request that those with similar beliefs "spread the word" of my candidacy and that there is a choice for liberty and freedom in the 2nd Congressional District.

I believe that my country, the United States of America, is by far the greatest country ever in the history of our world!

I believe that our Founding Fathers were the greatest gathering of political intelligence ever to be found in one place at one time. That they were inspired by God in their creation of our nation. That God has repeatedly intervened in world affairs to work miracles which saved our nation in its numerous past times of extreme need when no other explanation can be sufficient to show how impending disaster was prevented.

I believe, regardless of what some of our elected leaders may say, that ours is still strongly a Christian nation, even though attendance at organized churches is falling. That our entire legal system is derived from Judeo-Christian principles. That, indeed, significant numbers of our original colonizing settlers came to America primarily because of religious issues. But also, that this country believes in freedom to practise one's own peaceful religious beliefs (or lack thereof) in a manner of one's own choosing.

I believe that our Founding Fathers, having just fought a major war for independence, freedom, and liberty, understood that it is a God-given right for an individual the have the means of self-protection and to be able in time of need to contribute effectively to the national defense. They also recognized that as long as there are people on this earth, a certain percentage of them will desire to force others to loose their freedoms. That therefore an effective means of resisting such must be protected. Thus, the 2nd Amendment.

I believe in our Founding Documents - the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. That the Declaration not only states the reasons for seperating from Britain, but that it is more importantly the philosophical reasoning from which all other formings of our nation develop. That the Constitution is a contract between the People and States on one side, and the Federal government on the other, in establishing the conditions under which a national government may operate. That the Bill of Rights places limitations upon governments in their dealings with the People, is a protection for the People's God-given rights from government interference, not a granting of rights by government.

I believe that the Founders included within their design of our Federal government a series of checks-and-balances to protect the States and People from an overreaching Federal government's usurping more and more of our freedoms and liberty. But that the People and States must have eternal vigilance to insure that any attempt by the Federal government to grab more power than originally intended is thwarted. Unfortunately, we now find ourselves as having failed to maintain this vigilance, with the results being an increasing loss of freedom to an ever-growing Federal government, We must awaken, rise up, and take back control of government at all levels if the People are to remain free!

Remember, Ben Franklin upon emerging from the conclusive meeting of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia was questioned about what kind of government had been created for us. He replied "A Republic, if you can keep it!"

It is important to note that Franklin did not say a Democracy. In fact, the Founders were very much afraid of a democracy as they felt it would degenerate into "mob rule" as history had shown in other nations. So, they created for us a Constitutional Republic in which democratic principles are used in selecting elected leaders, answerable to the People, to operate our Federal government, while the written Constitution limits what those leaders are permitted to do.

To paraphrase Santayana and Burke "They who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to forever repeat the mistakes of the past." Most of our current leaders seem to fit this situation. If one studies the conditions set up and continued by the policies of both major parties' leaders prior to and during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and compares those then with the policies of our recent previous and current leaders, a striking similarity is very evident. The names and titles have changed, but our leaders are basically following what failed 70+ years ago and resulted in extending our nation's economic woes to over a decade instead of to a relatively shorter period as had occured during previous downturns in the economy. During the Great Depression, major grabs were made by the Federal government taking away the Peoples' freedoms, that is happening again today.

So what can be done to get the Federal government back "in the box" of following the Constitution and Bill of Rights?

If the voters of the 2nd Congressional District send me to Congress, I will...

I will become very good at voting against any proposal not in line with the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

I will work for a requirement that all legislation must include a statement specifying the section of the Constitution granting the Federal government to be involved in that area. That all legislation be limited to one subject, no "riders" allowed. That it be written in simple English understandable by people at a 6th Grade level of reading proficiency. That it be short enough that it can be read and understood in a few minutes. No more "legalese."

I will work to have the 17th Amendment reconsidered and returned to having the States' legislatures appoint Senators as the Founders intended. When this was changed to popular vote, it removed a major means by which the States could keep the Federal government under control as intended in the 10th Amendment.

I will work for legislation requiring a "sunset" provision on all laws, rules, ordinances, and regulations imposed upon the People by any level of government in the U.S. This would require all such legislation and regulation to be reconsidered and reenacted at least every 20 years, or they become null and void. This would remove old laws from the books, preventing their being "dug up when someone wants to get you." It would also prevent a myriad of new, nit-picking laws from being created because legislative bodies would be kept too busy re-upping good laws, instead of dreaming up more with which to harrass the People!

I will work to require that all laws, rules, ordinances, and regulations must be enacted by a recorded vote of elected representatives of the People, instead of by appointed bureaucrats who are not subject to the People's control. Thus, no more "enabling legislation" permitting Federal agencies to create "laws" without the vote of responsible elected officials answerable to the People.

I will work to eliminate unfunded mandates imposed by the Federal government upon the State and local governments. Also, to eliminate the practise of the Federal government's controlling State and local government by dictating through funding.

I will work to end massive Federal government spending, bailouts, pork barrel projects, and most foreign aid.

I will work to bring some form of "zero-based budgeting" to the Federal government, wherein every Federal agency, must each year justify all of its budget items instead of just receiving a rubberstamped automatic increase in funding.

I will work to require annual balanced Federal budgets, except during declared war or true extensive national disaster.

I will work for eliminating numerous Federal departments and agencies including the Departments of Education, Commerce, Labor, and Energy. Others need to be severely reduced if not eliminated, their necessary functions being combined with other Departments and Agencies, and employee transfers within the government to prevent hurting families by job loss. A hiring freeze would reduce the Federal workforce through attrition. Paper-pushers would be eliminated and put to meaningful work. Also, Federal employees pay should not be greater than private sector pay for similar positions.

I will work to repeal or defund Federal takeover of healthcare which will ruin the best healthcare system in the history of the world. In its place I will work for meaningful and Constitutional reforms such as tort reform, insurance portability, interstate competitive insurance.

I will work for rethinking of our entire system of taxation. Any tax code should be simple and without loopholes given to favored groups. There is no good reason that our current tax code should fill up an entire room of books and be written in such convoluted "legalese" that even government tax specialists give various opinions as to what a given section means. By down-sizing, cutting back and eliminating Federal waste, and limiting the Federal government to its Constitutional functions there will be less need for our current amounts of ridiculous taxation. Make our necessary taxes less, easily understandable, and applicable to all equally. By doing this, the Internal Revenue Service could be greatly down-sized (if not entirely eliminated!). Certainly, the IRS tax courts should be eliminated along with their concept of "guilty until proven innocent."

I will work for legislative transparency, bills to be publicly posted well in advance of their being debated and voted upon. Debates and votes to be held in public and at reasonable times. Roll calls recording each vote. No more backroom secret deals, a "sunshine law" would be good to adopt. Requirement that no bills be voted upon or signed into law between the November general election and the seating of newly-elected government officials, except declaration of war or in the case of true extensive national disaster.

I will work for Congress to stop exempting themselves and other government employees from laws passed affecting the rest of the People. What they inflict upon the People should apply likewise to them!

I will work to eliminate the practice of having lawyers awaiting to prosecute our military personnel when they finally return from "harm's way" serving our nation. No, I'm not for "anything goes" in a war zone, but our troops should be protected from legal harassment for doing their jobs! Reduce the number of Pentagon "paper-pushers" to increase the number of fighting troops. Replace "ticket punchers" with "fighting generals." If our troops are going to be sent into risk for us, it must be a true and honest need for the defense of our country's survival, not for someone's convenience or enrichment. Then, our generals should be ordered to "Win the war!" with whatever support is needed (short of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons -- used only as a last resort), and without restrictive "rules of engagement." No more wars for "nation building." Improve care of our current troops and veterans.

I will work for a rethinking of all continuing Federal programs created over the past century. Do we really need them? Which can be phased out? Which can be replaced with something more appropriate?

I will work to reconsider NAFTA, GATT, the World Bank, our involvement with the UN, and other international agreements which hurt America and its People. Serious attention will be given to make America energy and financially independent from foreign control. Industries and technologies important to the national defense should not be located overseas nor subject to foreign control. Let's get back to a level playing field!

I will work to see that American English is made the official language of our nation. Those wishing to be Americans should become American -- that includes fluency in American English!

I will work to see that Congress stop deligating its Constitutional responsibilities out to created agencies. This includes deligating our nation's monetary policy and money coinage to private banks such as the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve should be at least audited. Returning to the gold and silver standard instead of our current fiat-money-backed-by-nothing-tangible, taxing the Fed, or even eliminating it altogether should be strongly considered.

I will work for term limits on all Federal elected officials, say 12 years for Congress and Senate, after which they may be elected again, but must get a supermajority of the vote to continue their time in office. Likewise, Federal judges should be limited to appointed terms of no more than 20 years (or reaching the age of 70), after which they must be elected by a supermajority of the People every 4 years. This would respect the Founders belief that elected government service is a privilege and duty, but is not to become a lifelong career. Yet, it would also permit those officials who do a very good job in their office to be continued there by support of the People.

Finally, I will work for true tort reform. Article 3, Section 2 of the Constitution grants Congress a large degree of control over the Federal courts, this power should be used. "Legislation from the bench" must be ended. Jury nullification should be respected. More than one trial (double jeopardy as in repeated trials in either criminal or civil court, or both, unless appealed by the defendant), or seperating trials for the same crime is a questionable practice within the 5th Amendment. Months and years of trial delay violate the 6th Amendment. Requiring accusors and their lawyers to pay double the damages sought plus all court and defendant costs would go a long way towards ending frivolous civil lawsuits!