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“
Liberty
is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to
others.”
Wm. Allen White, [1868-1944],
1923 Pulitzer prize winner known as the ‘sage of Emporia’, gained
national fame in the election of 1796 by his ferocious anti-populist
edictorial, ‘What’s the Matter
with Kansas.’
“We
must keep our laws few, simple and clear.”
Gail K Lightfoot,
CA LP Candidate for US Senate, 2010
The
reason governments exist is
people decide to create governing bodies to
protect their individual rights
and keep the peace with:
A
Court
system that
Investigates
crime
Seeks
restitution
Isolates violent individuals
A Diplomatic Service that
Interacts with other nation states
A Defense Department that
Defends
the country from invasion with an Army, Navy and Air Force.
The American government is a
Constitutional
Republic
with a limited federal government that says the states shall provide a
Republican government for their residents.
2004
Statement in Primary Voter Pamphlet
I
am a Charter member of the Libertarian Party but I cut my political teeth
as a Young Republican and Young
American for Freedom, walking precincts for Barry Goldwater in 1964. My
beliefs mirror this statement from his book, The Conscience of a
Conservative, "I have no
interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I
mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I
propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to cancel old
ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their
purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I
will not attempt to discover whether legislation is needed before I have
first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I
should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents interests, I shall
reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that
cause I am doing the very best I can." In
2001, I watched a biography of Harry Truman which inspired me to obtain a
book of his quotes. Here in one expressing my belief. "In
the cause of freedom, we have to battle for the rights of people with whom
we do not agree; and whom, in many cases, we may not like. These people
test the strength of the freedoms which protect all of us. If we do not
defend their rights, we endanger our own."
2010
Candidate Statement in the Nov Voter Pamphlet:
ISSUES
- Gail's views on CORE ISSUES mentioned by the media.
War on Drugs is a failed
policy.
Wars
in
Iraq
and
Afghanistan
are resulting in more violence.
National
Security
can be preserved without endangering Civil Liberties.
Right
to Bear Arms
is an individual right of self defense.
Right
to Life
is for the living. Abortion
is a personal medical decision for the individuals concerned. Late term
abortions occur in other states and result in the death of a viable
individual. Abortions should not occur after the first 3 months of a
pregnancy for good, sound, medical reasons. Physicians should be informing
their patients about these reasons.
Big
Government
is the problem, not a solution.
Separation
of Church and State
means the state can't endorse religion, not that you cannot follow a
religion of your choice.
Government
According to Gail Lightfoot
It is the Cities and Counties
that need to work together so that roads meet at their jurisdictional
lines not the state or federal governments.
We, the People, as individuals, need to understand that government [since it uses force]
is not a solution for every problem. Problems are best solved by
individuals, either on their own or with friends, family or groups set up
by and for voluntary individual action.
THE
CONSTITUTION
Restore
it. The Constitution grants certain carefully ‘enumerated powers’ to the federal government. The purpose is to limit
the federal government to just those listed powers and no others. All
other non-enumerated ‘powers’ are “reserved to the states . . . or
to the people.” Cut the federal government back to those ‘powers’ by
returning all unconstitutional agencies and regulations back to the
states. Individuals are ultimately responsible for the decisions and may
suffer from poor decisions. The government is not there to fix them or
their mistakes. Individuals can choose to help others but should not be
forced to by government.
FOREIGN
POLICY
Commerce,
not coercion,
creates fewer enemies.
Notify the world that the
U.S.
is not their policeman. Bring our
troops home. Return control of
Iraq
to the people of
Iraq
and responsibility for peace in the
Middle East
and everywhere else to each country's citizens. They have more to lose
than we do. Individuals and/or non
governmental organizations [NGOs] can and should work to reduce
conflict around the world and provide aid when and where it is needed. We
and others should only go where it is safe and where safe havens for those
in danger can be provided. We and others seeking to help those in need
should use diplomatic channels to provide permanent relocation so lives
are rebuilt instead of waiting years hoping to return ‘home’ whether
it is a natural disaster or some sort of civil dispute resulting in
violence.
THE
ECONOMY
Let the private sector
work its wonders. If we respect private
property, reduce government control by agencies, licenses,
regulations and subsidies everyone can work towards the goals they
think are most important.
TAXATION
is legalized theft. Stop it. Find other funding methods [fees]. If a
service cannot attract financial support, maybe we don't need it.
ENVIRONMENT
AND SAFETY
Reform
the legal system for easier access by individuals. Set up user friendly
web sites and make them available in Kiosks or at the local library so
anyone can sue for damages to their person or property. If polluters had
to pay, they would think more carefully about what they do.
Possession
or use of a substance is not a crime, ‘Decriminalize
Drugs’, educate to promote responsible drug use.
Nuclear
waste
should be reused so the final byproduct is so small that storage is not a
problem.
Different
life styles are not a crime. If
force or violence is used, authorities can investigate and ask for a court
hearing prior to taking any action unless a life is in immediate danger.
It is up to the court to provide appropriate solutions.
HEALTH
CARE
Pass
the “Health Freedom Protection
Act,” to deregulate the health care industry. Leave all medical
decisions, including abortions, to individuals, families and physicians.
Let individuals shop for the health insurance they need. When we individually
select health insurance, it can follow us from job to job and state to
state. Insurance companies will compete for our business if we have the
right to pick and choose the coverage we need.
EDUCATION
Allow
parents to choose the schooling they wish for their children. Gradually end all
government funding of education beginning with vouchers that follow the
child. Recognize that children learn best when they choose to learn and learning
is a lifelong process. With today's technology no one need remain
uneducated even if they never leave home. Exceptions to this would come
under the heading of Welfare.
WELFARE
Privately
funded and supported agencies do a better job of helping individuals get
back on their feet or have long term assistance with dignity. This is as
true internationally as it is here at home [see foreign policy].
SOCIAL
SECURITY
Encourage
personal retirement savings
accounts. Merge all taxpayer funded and government agency retirement
plans for everyone over 55 into one identical plan for all retirees –
including Congress. Allow anyone to opt out along the way transferring
what they paid, with reasonable interest added, into their personal
retirement account.
IMMIGRATION
Set
up a simple registration system
to know who is here, why and for how long. Do not punish those who came
here without ‘permission’ because we failed to allow for their entry.
They came because we had jobs waiting for them. That is a sure sign we
were not permitting enough immigration to meet our needs [not theirs].
ID
cards. Passports, Visas and licenses or privately issued IDs can be tamper
proof and insured as such.
POLITICAL
REFORM
No
retirement benefits
for elected officials. Let them, like everyone else, earn retirement by
working and paying into a fund for that purpose. With no ‘retirement
benefits’, we might not need to limit terms.
Term
limits
for all elected officials – I prefer just
one office, one term. That sounds drastic but it would be very
effective. The government of the people can be run by the people. We don't
need ‘experts’ or career politicians. In fact, that is the last thing
we need. Meanwhile, the term limits we now have are continuously being
challenged. If the people really want long terms for elected officials,
let them set them longer.
Enact
“Fully Informed Jury” laws.
Let Jurors know they can ‘judge’ the law as well as the defendant.
Immediately
post vote counts at all polling
places with next day pick up and posting at a central public location.
Inform
the voters which candidates are publicly posting all contributions and
expenditures.
The
power to overturn existing problems lies in the hands of the voters. Know
who you are voting for, what they believe and why they seek office.
When voters begin to pay attention and turn the rascals out, change will
happen.
SECOND
AMENDMENT
Secure
our right of Self Defense by keeping the Second
Amendment intact and understood as a protection of the individual
right of all Americans to keep and bear arms for protection.
EMINENT
DOMAIN
Eminent
Domain is for ‘public’ use
of land only!
GAY
RIGHTS and CIVIL UNIONS
Marriage
is no longer a legal issue of property so it is no longer a government
issue unless the individuals wish to have a legal contract. It has become
a religious or Church issue. Civil unions are legal contracts which can be
taken to a court. The government does not need to write our contracts for
us. We can do it ourselves and/or hire competent help. Employee benefits
are up to the business and its employees, not the government.
STEM
CELL RESEARCH
Let
private enterprise deal with Stem cell and DNA research and development.
Let the discussion of morals and ethics take place in the public arena
where all sides can be heard and individuals can decide what projects to
support according to their own beliefs or business goals.
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