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Earlier this month, I completed a questionnaire from PARevolution.com, a new grassroots media and networking site for Pennsylvania run by the very liberty-minded Scott Davis. My answers are below, feel free to add a comment on what you like or do not like about my replies below. The original survey can be downloaded here. .
1. What will you do to improve the economy for your constituents?
The most beneficial improvement is to stop the government from messing up the economy. In fact, the government is currently doing all of the POLAR OPPOSITE actions that need to be taken for a recovery. For more details please read “The Government’s “War” on Main Street” and “Why the Stimulus Plan Will Fail – And a Better Alternative.”
2. Is Ballot Access fair in Pennsylvania? If Not, what would you change?
As a private citizen running for office the first time, I do not have enough experience to comment. I have noticed that as an independent I am required to gather more signatures than my Republican and Democrat challengers, so I would start there.
3. Have you read both the Pennsylvania and United States Constitution, and do you agree to respect and follow your oath of office?
Yes to all three. You can read my affirmation here.
4. How would you explain its meaning to someone who has not read it?
The government of a free country, properly speaking, rests not in its elected officials but in its laws. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Transfer of American sovereignty to supranational organizations, even if “benign,” is not permissible without a constitutional amendment. Transfer of state sovereignty to the federal government even if “benign,” is not permissible without a constitutional amendment. The United States Constitution was written under the principle of “positive grant.” This means the federal government is authorized to exercise only the powers which are specifically given to it by the Constitution, and nothing more. Under the Constitution, each individual is fundamentally equal under the law with all other individuals. The rule of law’s framework of liberty ensures the greatest opportunity for individuals to explore their strengths and surmount obstacles.
A limited and decentralized government with inherent checks and balances results in more self-rule by local communities, and hence providing local diversity and overall greater satisfaction for individuals. Individuals can always vote with their feet, and move to areas not affected by laws they strongly disagree with. The only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights — life, liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression. Rights belong to individuals, not groups. Rights are not privileges, they are derived from the natural state of being human. The Constitution merely acts to forbid the infringement of the government upon these rights.
In summary, government exists to protect liberty, not to redistribute wealth, nor to grant special privileges, nor to interfere with the lives of individuals and their actions.
5. What is your position on the 10th Amendment (State Sovereignty)?
As federal Congressman, I will obey the Constitution of the United States. Both the 9th and 10th Amendments are very clear – if the power is not listed in the Constitution, US Congress does not have any legislative authority over it. Furthermore, I believe that with today’s massive bureaucracy in Washington, the more power that is shifted from the federal arena to the state and local areas, the better off we will all be. I am also familiar with the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798.
At all times, we must remember that the states created the federal government, not vice versa. Below is a piece I wrote on state nullification.
6. What is your position on the 2nd Amendment (Right to Bear Arms)?
The Second Amendment is NOT about shooting game or even defending your home. It is not even about retaliating when assaulted by criminals; these are all protected de facto. Read it again: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The Second Amendment protects your natural right to freedom from tyranny by using force. It matters not if the tyrants come from our own government. More information here
7. What do you expect to accomplish in your first term if elected?
I hope to help accomplish a peaceful revolution back to constitutional government. As Thomas Paine once wrote: “If universal peace, civilization, and commerce are ever to be the happy lot of man, it cannot be accomplished but by a revolution in the system of governments.”
When I am elected, I will live out the principles listed on my website and faithfully represent the people of my district, who are my employers. I will deliver for them a novel form of open government called the Open Office, where each citizen will have a public voice. I will work hard to convince enough Members of Congress to enact the legislation and views I propose and represent. However, if nothing else, the people in my district have a great opportunity to elect an independent, non-career politician to office who will act as a vocal conscience for Congress.
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