PLATFORM ISSUES:

(not in order of importance)

Economy

We still have one of the largest and most vibrant economies in the world, but that status is waning quickly due to massive government debt, out-of control spending, high taxes, and unnecessary government regulation.  Dramatically reducing the size and scope of government at all levels would take money from the public (government) sector of the economy, a sector which only consumes wealth, and instead leave it in the private sector, a sector which produces wealth.  To the degree that we do this, we as a Nation will become more prosperous.  Reducing or eliminating taxes and unnecessary regulations would encourage companies from around the world to locate in the U.S. and create jobs for Americans.  We must promote truly free trade, not the distorted managed trade of negotiated treaties like NAFTA, GATT and such.  To encourage business activity, job creation and maintain our standard of living, we must allow the private sector to invest in and rebuild America's utility and transportation, and communication infrastructure.  Do these things and jobs will flood into this Country.

Taxes

To promote opportunity, economic growth and prosperity, we should fix our inefficient, corrupt tax system by eliminating the existing tax code and instituting:

    * a 10 % flat personal income tax with no loopholes or exceptions, period.

    * a 10 % duty on all imports, utilized exclusively to pay off the national debt.

    * a corporate tax of 7.5 % to make us internationally competitive and bring jobs to America.

Social Security 

Even now Social Security is paying out more than it collects in taxes, and this unsustainable trend will only accelerate as America’s population ages.  While this bankrupt, FDR-era Ponzi scheme must necessarily be preserved for retiree's and those near retirement, our young people should be transitioned to personal investment accounts that would not only give them greater income than Social Security would provide during their retirement, but would leave them an estate - in most cases at least several hundred thousand dollars - to bequest as they choose to family, church or charity upon their death.

Health Care

I support a free market in healthcare and the enactment of health care laws at the State level to allow citizens total control over their healthcare, for the competition of a truly free market in healthcare would reduce costs to a level that would allow everyone to easily afford high quality care just as our parents and grandparents did 50 or 60 years ago.

Energy

We must eliminate barriers that discourage or prevent the development of economically viable alternative energy sources such as natural gas, alcohol, methane, bio-diesel, geothermal, solar, wind and nuclear.  As part of this, drilling in our coastal territorial waters using new, environmentally friendly technologies should be allowed.  We must also reduce unnecessary regulations so that it makes economic sense for the private sector to build the modern refineries, pipelines, and power grids required to distribute our energy.  All of these things will increase our prosperity and security by reducing our dependence on foreign energy resources.

Foreign Policy

We must be strong, but not provocative, for not only are Nation-building missions unconstitutional, but they are now also unaffordable.  We must firmly maintain our national sovereignty when dealing with foreign nations or the United Nations.  Foreign aid, with the exception of strictly humanitarian aid, should be eliminated both to help balance our budget and more importantly, as George Washington suggested, to minimize our foreign entanglements.

Military

Our military rules of engagement should allow our troops abroad to win the fights in which they are engaged, or we must bring the troops home.  We must put the safety of U.S. troops first in military action, in coordination with our allies if possible, but acting independently when necessary.  We must eliminate waste in and seriously streamline the Department of Defense so that it will provide the security the Constitution demands at a price that we can afford.  We can create jobs for U.S. citizens by mandating that, whenever possible, U.S. military and federal government agencies use equipment made only in the United States.

Veterans

Politicians must, as a matter of honor, keep their promises to provide benefits to the veterans and the returning military personnel who have and are proudly serving this Country.

Immigration

Since productive newcomers increase the wealth of all Americans, we should not only support and encourage legal immigration, but streamline the process to encourage and fast-track qualified applicants for legal immigration status.  At the same time we must eliminate costly subsidies that encourage and reward illegal aliens, including all welfare benefits, free healthcare, free education and access to Social Security benefits.

Gun Issues

The Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights is very clear that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, period.  I would work to eliminate the thousands of unconstitutional restrictions on firearm ownership.

Term Limits

I believe we are best represented by citizen-legislators, not out-of-touch career politicians.  Hence I support term limits for both the Congress and Senate.

Campaign Finance Reform

I support legislation designed to limit the ability of special interest groups, lobbyists and corporations to donate money to those running for office.  In the three elections in which I have run, I have never accepted any money from PACS, special interest groups, or lobbyists - unlike all of my opponents - and I will continue this policy.

Nuclear Waste

Rather than storing vast quantities of nuclear waste in facilities that need to be secured for many thousands of years, we must instead recycle it by allowing the construction of secure, safe-technology breeder reactors.

Education

The Constitution prohibits Federal support for education, so I would work to eliminate the Department of Education.  Indeed, not only did America manage to survive for nearly 200 years without this Department, but arguably students were far better educated before its existence.  Tax moneys that in the past were taken to fund the Department should instead be left with the citizens of the many States to spend on local education as they wish.

Foreign Trade Agreements

Unsafe, uninspected foreign semi-trucks protected by trade agreements such as NAFTA and GATT roll across our borders unchecked, carrying varied contraband. Planes and boats land in our country and dock on our shores and bring tons of harmful, addictive substances into our country. When planes attempting to smuggle illegal items into this country try to avoid arrest by dumping their illicit cargo, they should be forced to land, or if they refuse to do so, they should be brought down. Strong actions such as these are needed to protect our citizens from drug-smugglers and potential terrorists smuggling nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. We must repeal the NAFTA and GATT treaties to protect our country and recover some of the more than twenty-million manufacturing jobs lost since 1994.

Marriage

While the activities of two consenting adults in the privacy of their home is their own private business, I believe the institution of marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman. However, I support civil unions between consenting adults to in order to define their legal rights, as determined by the individual States.

Borders and Port Security

Less than 10 percent of all shipping containers imported into the United States are inspected. U.S. citizens should control port security and inspect all containers coming into the United States.  Returning military personnel could be utilized to assist with this important and necessary security procedure.

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Freedom & Civil Liberties:

For me, freedom is what defines America.  It alone is the basis of everything that since our founding has made America the Land of the Free and the envy of the world.  Our personal liberties and civil rights define us as a free people and culture, while our economic liberties and rights are the reason we are prosperous.  Indeed, without the absolute and unconditional freedoms codified by our Constitution and granted to us by virtue of our humanity, we are just slaves to government.   Unfortunately, it is our freedom and rights that governments at all levels are gradually, yet continually, stealing from us.

So, what exactly are the many freedoms and rights that make us American?  On the civil liberties side, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms are what come to mind to most people.  These mean we have a right to privacy, to read or write whatever we wish, practice politics and religion as we choose, associate (or not) with others, travel about freely as we wish and, importantly, the collection of rights that require warrants based on probable cause to search us or our property, declare us innocent until proven guilty, and guarantee fair and just trials.

But there are many others - often overlooked - that are equally important, particularly our economic freedoms and rights.  These include the freedom to enter into contracts and have them enforced by fair and just courts, the right own and control property, and the right to keep the fruits of our labor.  We can also choose (or not) to invest and save, start a business, and to accept or offer a job.  All of these freedoms together allow us to build the capital that in time raises everyone's standard of living and makes us uniquely prosperous as a society.

While our founders attempted via our Constitution to insure our rights in perpetuity, many politicians and bureaucrats have discovered that they can garner great power and wealth by supporting a large, powerful government and corrupt special interests rather than supporting free people and their many Constitutional and natural rights.  The (anti-)Patriot Act, the "indefinite detention without cause or remedy" portion of the recent National Defense Authorization Act, the TSA groping us at airports without really making us safer, and the militarization of our local police are all essentially
unconstitutional.  All of these things - and many others too numerous to list - are anathema to the free society that our Founders envisioned.

The simple and obvious way to stop these encroachments on our freedoms and rights is for us to elect politicians who will do the bidding of the people, not the government or special interests.  I am that person.  As a truly principled conservative, I will always and unconditionally support all of the freedoms I've listed above.  As a candidate, I've always spoken honestly with you, and I refuse all contributions from special interests, period.  And as a soldier, I've literally fought for our country to defend our American freedoms and rights.  When elected as your Congressman, I pledge to continue that fight here at home.
Something I wrote many years ago and would like you to think about:  
Freedom is responsibility and consequences for our actions.

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BILLS TO PRESENT TO CONGRESS

(these must all be honest, less than 100 pages long, transparent and without loopholes)

* Balanced budget amendment - history tells us that this must be enacted to force government to live within its means, just as individuals and families do.

* End all earmarks - honest government demands that all spending by congress should be transparent, openly debated, and contained within appropriate bills.

* End all Congressional insider trading - Congress is not above the law, so politicians should not unfairly enrich themselves by trading on inside information in ways that are illegal for everyone except members of Congress.

* Bring our troops home - while maintaining a strong national defense capability is both constitutional and necessary, neither nation-building nor the idea that “America must be the world's policeman” are compatible with our future economic and political security.  Our troops would be better deployed at home securing our borders and ports.

* Eliminate foreign aid - excepting humanitarian aid in extreme circumstances, other countries simply must be responsible for their own defense and well-being.  In addition to saving us billions per year that rightly should be paid by others, eliminating all foreign aid would distance us from the political intrigue and entangling alliances that always goes hand-in-hand with it.

* Audit and then eliminate the Federal Reserve - since its creation in 1913, this government-sanctioned private bank has - by printing paper money - reduced the value of our dollar to just a few cents.  Indeed, the Fed's incessant money printing and manipulative monetary policy is arguably the root cause of virtually all of the serious financial distress the U.S. has suffered over the past 100 years.  The Fed must be audited so that the people know who has been unjustly enriched by Fed policy and, yes, even to see if our gold is still in Fort Knox.

* Privatize healthcare - the competition of a truly free market in healthcare would reduce costs to a level that would allow everyone to easily afford high quality care just as our parents and grandparents did 60 or so years ago.  Allowing anyone to buy any type of insurance, from any company, in any State would be a good start on this.

* Reform Social Security - while this bankrupt, FDR-era Ponzi scheme must necessarily be preserved for retired or near-retirement individuals, our young people should be transitioned to personal investment accounts that would not only produce greater income than Social Security during their retirement, but would leave most of them an estate of at least several hundred thousand dollars to bequest to family, Church or charity upon their death.

* Reduce taxes - eliminate the IRS and institute a low 10% flat personal income tax rate to encourage saving and investment, a 10% duty on all imported items to retire the national debt, and a low 7.5% corporate tax to allow U.S.-based companies to create the jobs that would come from being competitive worldwide.

* Make English the official language - the people of all truly great countries are bound together by a common language.  Further, the expense of legislating, governing and educating in many languages is an both an unnecessary and an unwise burden.

* Deport all illegal aliens held in our jails and prisons.

* Mandate that all federal government and especially military supply contracts be filled with items made in the U.S.A.  This will force corporations to preserve existing U.S.-based manufacturing jobs and incentivize them to create additional U.S.-based manufacturing jobs to fill those contracts.