WHY SHOULD YOU VOTE FOR ME?
I am not a career politician. I am not beholden to any special interests groups. I am a citizen, like you, that felt morally compelled to run when none of the other candidates inspired me. I have traveled over much of Nevada and people are fed up with our two-party system. They are hungry for a credible alternative. That is why I am investing one hundred percent of my time and why I have put my name on the line.
For the last twenty years I have served as a Senior Information Technology Management Consultant, both as a small consulting-business owner as well as a Senior Manager in a global consulting firm. My experience involves stepping into troubled situations, shining light on subjects that others do not wish to speak about or are unable to solve, researching opposing viewpoints to gain understanding, and developing sustainable solutions. In essence, I am a professional problem solver and my experience will serve our state well as our next Governor.
I am running as a Libertarian. I am socially tolerant, fiscally responsible, and a strong believer in our Bill of Rights. I strongly support the 2nd Amendment (right to bear arms) and the 10th Amendment (all power not given to the federal government is reserved by the states and the people). If you re-read the Bill of Rights, you will find they strongly echo Libertarian values.
Together we will get Nevada back to work, improve our education system, and establish Nevada as a pioneer in the field of energy. I will also seek to reduce the size of government, to hold government fiscally accountable, and to encourage the voice of the people to be heard in determining the future of Nevada.
We DO have another choice this election … so remember to vote smART!
WHAT IS A LIBERTARIAN?
“Libertarian” is based on the root word “Liberty” … not “liberal” as some may think. Libertarians are fiscally responsible and socially tolerant. It can best be described as combining the old Republican Party’s “small government” with the old Democrat Party’s “social tolerance”.
Libertarians respect others’ opinions, even if those opinions differ from their own. We welcome differing viewpoints as we seek the truth and the best solutions. Libertarians believe in small government, personal responsibility, and giving individuals the freedom to make their own choices as long as those choices do not infringe upon the rights of others.
Libertarians advocate a minimalist government with a live and let live approach so that we may all prosper without the cost of government interference.
To learn more about the Libertarian Party please view www.lp.org
ARE YOU A LIBERTARIAN?
Believe it or not, most people are libertarian and don’t even know it! Most of us were raised believing we were either Democrat or Republican, so that is all we knew. The good news is that there is another choice that more accurately reflects the way we naturally relate to each other in our daily lives.
Take this very short quiz to find out where you stand.
ABORTION
While I am personally against abortion and I am opposed to government funding for abortion, I do not believe it is the government’s role to legislate personal decisions. While consultation with one’s religious leader and doctor are advisable, such decisions are ultimately the responsibility of the individual.
BALANCING THE BUDGET
I am opposed to increasing taxes and opposed to a Personal Income Tax. I am also opposed to increasing the Mining Tax from 5% Net to 5% Gross. To regain the health of our economy we need to keep our businesses alive, not tax them to death. The only way out of our financial crisis is to increase revenue through increased commerce.
Regarding cuts, both the Governor and Legislature have created commissions to prioritize the functions of state government. These will be completed in November and September respectively. Based on these reports, it will be through negotiation and compromise with the legislature that cuts will be made.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS (Including Gay Rights)
Sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the rights of individuals by government. As adults, we are all free to choose our own practices and personal relationships. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships.
HEALTHCARE
ObamaCare is unconstitutional, and I support Nevada filing suit against the federal government. Not only is it illegal, it does not solve the underlying problem. Currently, 85% of Nevadans already have health insurance and over 40% of a doctor’s time is spent dealing with insurance companies. Put another way, health care costs could drop by 40% if doctors didn’t have to deal with insurance companies. ObamaCare makes the existing problem larger by adding more government bureaucrats and more insurance risk for which we are forced to pay. We no longer have a competitive health care environment and that is why prices are rising.
Instead we need to remove laws that restrict the availability of health care and remove laws that force insurance companies to take on more risk. The less risk for an insurance company, the lower the premium. We need to create a competitive health care environment that promotes competition of services. Health care competition will lessen the need for health insurance.
Here’s a video exposing the reality of Socialized Health Care.
ECONOMY
Our state government is suffering from the largest budget deficit in its history and sadly this is after a record $1 billion tax increase back in 2003. Legislatures call for even more tax increases, some candidates suggest across the board budget cuts, and others offer dreams of a new economic base financed by government incentives (which would have to be paid through higher taxes). I instead propose removing barriers to commerce. What we need is a reason for more people to come to Nevada. When more people come, either as tourists or as residents, our economy will grow. Remove the barriers to commerce and create more jobs, more demand for housing, and more opportunity for entrepreneurialism. Read more.
HOUSING MARKET
The housing market will recover only after we improve our economy. When we get our state back to work, more jobs will attract more people needing housing. Looking ahead, after we improve our education system, more businesses will want to locate here which will further improve the market. Read more.
IMMIGRATION
I am supportive of legal immigration and temporary work visas and I am against illegal immigration. We need to keep in mind that we have a large percentage of naturalized citizens and approximately fifty million tourists, of which 6 million are from foreign countries. As we work towards addressing the illegal immigrant situation, we need to remain protective of our own rights as legal citizens.
I do not support amnesty to stay in our country and I do not support providing benefits to those who are here illegally. I do however support a one-time amnesty for illegals to go home without penalty before we start cracking down on them. I feel the single most effective way to reduce illegal immigration is to simply remove the incentive to come here. We need to address the 14th amendment to our US Constitution which gives citizenship to those born here of illegal immigrants. Just as other countries have made changes, it should be amended to say that one is a natural born citizen if born here legally. This would remove entitlements such as welfare, food stamps, free education, etc.
ARIZONA LAW SB1070
I disagree with applying SB1070 to Nevada for a number of reasons. Upon first glance, SB1070 sounds like a good idea assuming one can tell who is here illegally, but that is simply not possible in Nevada. We have a population of approximately 2.5 million citizens and around 100,000 illegal immigrants. When one considers that Nevada gets 50 million visitors per year, of which 6 million are visiting from outside the United States, we can see that we risk doing more economic harm than good. In addition, the overwhelming majority of us are here legally and we should not have to prove our right to be here.
Businesses are already required to collect documentation from employees verifying their right to work. Fraudulent paperwork should be grounds enough for arrest and deportation. Similar documentation should be required for those seeking welfare, food stamps, free health care, and education.
E-VERIFY
I do not support the use of the E-Verify program by business owners. I do not support the Federal government interfering with commerce within our state. Programs like these begin small and narrowly focused, and then grow over time. The concern is that, in the future, this program could just as easily be used against legal citizens that the federal government wants to prohibit from working. There are plenty of examples of this, one similar program being the Income Tax. Income Tax started out very small, affecting less than one percent of the population, and today it affects almost everyone. Politicians always promote a best-case scenario of government programs, so we need to be watchful of what could go wrong.
SECOND AMENDMENT (Right to Bear Arms)
I whole-heartedly support our Second Amendment right to bear arms, and I believe that each person has the right to defend themselves, their family, and their property. I am a strong advocate of gun education and training, I own a handgun, and I possess a concealed weapons permit.
TENTH AMENDMENT (States’ Rights)
I am a firm believer in our 10th amendment right, which states that all power not given to the federal government is reserved by the states and the people. One of the reasons I am running for office is that I feel we need a Governor who will be proactive in asserting our states rights and protecting us from the federal government. As Governor, I will take a leadership role in working with the other forty-nine Governors to reign-in the Federal Government.
TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY
Upon my review of the Budget I was surprised to find line items labeled with generic descriptors, not telling me for what those funds were allocated. As Governor, I will insist upon a transparent and open government, which will include accurate descriptors for budget line-items, so the general public can tell where their money is being spent. I will be actively engaged with the citizens of Nevada, as I want to hear about any problems or ideas for improvement. I want 2.5 million sets of eyes looking at what our state government is doing so that if someone has a better idea on how we should be running our government, we will have data and opportunity to do something about it.
DEATH PENALTY
I oppose the death penalty. It’s easy to say that we should execute those people who have committed the worst of crimes, but the problem is that our judicial system is not perfect. We try as hard as we can to find justice, but as with any human endeavor, mistakes happen and all to often we learn that we as a community have misjudged someone. From a financial perspective, it is more cost-effective, and creates more jobs, to have criminals serve a life sentence without the chance of parole.
SAGE GROUSE
It has been recommended, through the Endangered Species Act (ESA), that the Sage Grouse be declared an endangered species, which would then limit the grazing in Sage Grouse habitat. This would actually have the unintended result of wreaking havoc in areas where the Sage Grouse lives. In speaking with the ranchers, they have told me that the ranching actually helps preserve the Sage Grouse habitat by keeping the non-native cheatgrass at bay. Without grazing, the cheatgrass grows uncontrolled and then catches fire completely destroying sage grouse habitat. This is another example of well-intentioned one-size-fits-all legislation not working as intended and another example of why local government needs to be more involved in how to actually solve local problems.
WILD HORSES
I have spoken with many ranchers and animal activists who are opposed to the BLM’s approach to wild horse management. They wonder why government bureaucrats in Washington D.C. are making decisions which are better left to the local residents. I strongly support returning wild horse management to the local level.
WATER RIGHTS
I am opposed to taking water from the North to give it to the South. I do not believe in robbing Peter to pay Paul, and I do not support the notion of turning a big problem into an even larger one. Sooner or later Clark County will need to address how it is going to deal with a limited water supply and this would be better solved today.
On a related note, non-native saltcedar trees (a.k.a. tamarisk tree) are consuming about four times as much water as all of Southern Nevada annually. The saltcedar tree is now being attacked by the voracious non-native tamarisk beetle. Here is an external link to read more about the saltcedar trees consuming water.
HELMET LAW
While wearing a helmet may be a good idea, I am against having it as a law. Adults are fully capable of making decisions that affect their own lives.
MARIJUANA
I am in favor of legalizing marijuana. For more information click here.
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Instead of storing nuclear waste for 10,000 years, I propose consuming the waste using thorium technology. For more information click here.
