I recently did an online interview for Presidential candidate, Jon Greenspon. He is a member of A Black Conservative Digest (http://bit.ly/ABCD) and so I sent him some questions, I felt were important to conservatives. I will be posting the questions and answers and will do a rebuttal later.
1) Please give a brief statement about yourself, family and why you are running for President in 2012?I was born in Los Angeles, California in 1964. Wendy, my wife, was born in Sacramento, California in 1973, and our daughter Emerald was born in Colorado in 2003. I am a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where I served as an enlisted member of the 1st Marine Battalion.
I am running for the Republican nomination for the 2012 Presidency because America needs a fresh start. Across our heartland, and into the urban sprawls, we’ve been watching – held captive as it were – to the predispositions of the “professional politicians”, and we can all see where this has led. American interests are not being served; they’re being handed down from on high, as it were. We have not had, in our last four presidents, an individual who truly placed the American citizen foremost – over politics of the day.
I’m running, because when we have a Congress busy behaving like a gaggle of toddlers on the first day of preschool – all fighting over the right to be sitting in the middle of the circle; we need a President who will stand for the “parents”, in this case – the citizens who are the rightful heirs to the decisions – and not be off on a global apology tour.
2) What experience do you have that you will be able to use to turn our country around?
I have served in the military and in private companies enough to understand that the shareholders, in this case the American people need both an advocate and a voice that they aren’t presently receiving in their elected representatives. I know what a deficit is, and that you CANNOT spend your way out.
Experience in life tells me that I am not a master of every subject, however I am smart enough to realize that political appointments cannot be made based upon the amount of contributions you receive from a group or individual. I cannot, in good conscience, consider appointing individuals to cabinet positions based upon anything other than merit – do they actually know the job at hand.
3) You don’t mention very many social issues on your presidential site, where do you stand on abortion and gay marriage?
I have friends that have had abortions, and I do have friends that are homosexual. These are very personal matters, not ones that belong to the general public, unless they the INDIVIDUAL decides to bring them up. In my personal opinion, these matters, if brought out of the house or local community, are best decided at the state level. I firmly believe in the 10
I do not agree with a Defense of Marriage Act (Public Law 104-199), nor do I agree with Roe vs. Wade (Supreme Court Case 410 US 113). The Congress had no authority in the passage of the first, and the States are reserved the right to determine actions within their borders on both counts – by the will of the people.
4) Education in our country is being taken over by liberal social engineers who wish to use the classroom for their social experiments instead of educating our children, what plans do you have to stop this and return the goal of schools to education and not liberal indoctrination?
Simply put, I’ll start by restructuring the Department of Education. My administration’s plan for Education is to see the Federal Department of Education serve as a meeting place for city, state, and community (family-based) understanding – it will cease to be a political indoctrination arm of the White House or any party agenda program.
5) What is the greatest threat you think America is facing today and how are you going to handle it?
That would depend on the determination from whether we are discussing within the US, or from outside.
Our greatest threat from within the United States exists in the social issue of apathy, which American’s are slowly coming out of. We have spent the last couple of decades operating under the “assumption ” that the Government will put itself in some predicament or another, and if we basically just leave it alone, the Government will correct itself. Well, in over four decades, we’ve learned that instead of correcting itself, the Government becomes a small collection of political despots – demonstrating that as power corrupts, we all suffer the consequences.
Outside of the United States, it’s been a waiting game. Since 1990, the world has been watching and casually testing America. The culmination of the prodding and poking at America was on September 11, 2001. Now America is waging an economic, environmental, and social battle of wits with foreign powers – and our current Government is poised to “let the chips fall”, creating a backslide that will damage America in many ways.
6) Do you plan to abolish the IRS and what is your view on the Federal Reserve Bank and whether it should be audited or completely eliminated or both?
I would be more than willing to disband the Internal Revenue Service, since it does not comply with Federal Law. The Constitution grants Congress the authority levy and collect taxes, not an agency of the Department of Treasury. Also, I believe the same statute in the Constitution PROHIBITS the use of outside collection agencies in recovering tax revenues. I also believe that the law should provide a requirement of an absolute two-thirds supermajority in both houses to increase taxes or amend tax codes.
I would expressly demand a full audit of the Federal Reserve System, both by the Treasury Department, and by an outside entity – independent of each other. Similarly, I would require the same of all entities operating under Title 5 of the US Code, governing independent agencies within the Federal Government. After the auditing of these agencies, I believe the American people should be given the opportunity to decide on their continued operation, or their dissolution.
7) Many people want to see Planned Parenthood completely defunded, will you stop taxpayer money from going to Planned Parenthood? And will you overturn the Mexico City that Obama reinstated that sends federal money overseas for abortions?
Planned Parenthood, as well as foreign funding of “family planning,” will never be part of any budget I authorize. I believe the best family planning atmosphere is within the home, not at the whim of the political system. Doctors, priests, and your parents or siblings should help in decisions such as these – not school nurses passing out contraceptives.
8) As a former Marine, I know you take the duty to defend our country seriously, how will you use your military background to ensure our safety here and abroad?
I believe that since one of the primary roles of the Presidency is that of Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, it should be essential that that individual has an understanding of the military from the inside out. As long as we have “boots on the ground” anywhere in the world, I would see it as necessary to be briefed regularly (at least every few days) as to activities.
We cannot safeguard our country if our commander-in-chief is only receiving bi-weekly briefings, waiting to decide major operational changes so they don’t conflict with evening television programming, or pushing aside important meetings with command personnel because they conflict with a photo op.
I believe we need a military, both at the Federal and State levels, well trained in both conventional and non-conventional means of operations, but we also need a State Department trained and staffed with skilled diplomats. America should always look to its military as a last option, but ensure they are trained and equipped for the eventuality. I fully support the utilization of military personnel, in a limited capacity and operating in conjunction with the US Border Patrol, in the enforcement of our borders.
9) What is your view on amnesty for illegal aliens? Do you propose a guest worker program like Bush and how would you secure our borders to eliminate this mass immigration?
I do not agree with any concept of amnesty for persons who violate our country’s borders or laws. Article 1, Section 8 of our Constitution grants Congress the power to set UNIFORM laws of naturalization – not to grant amnesty for violating our immigration laws.
I seriously oppose any form of “guest worker” program, which in effect creates a second-class citizen approach to the labor market. Realistically, we need to finish our Border fence and start providing proper and adequate enforcement measures along our borders.
10) Personhood amendments are on the ballot for states like Nevada, Florida, Colorado and North Dakota to name a few, would you back such amendments and would you work to see a federal Personhood amendment passed?
I would support any such amendment. We are currently gathering signatures in Montana for that very purpose.
11) Fields vs. Palmdale School District is a classic case where parental rights were not respected. How will your administration make sure that parents are in charge of their children and not the state? There is also a Parental Rights amendment in the House with 131 co-sponsors, do you support that amendment?
I believe the best place to decide what’s right for your child is with you, and my Administration would put parent’s rights at the forefront of school decision. To be blunt, a Department of Education is supposed to assist the parents in quality education, not try to supplant the parent with a “social mindset”.
I fully support Jim DeMint’s and Pete Hoekstra’s Joint Resolution.
12) Health care – what are the problems and how can we fix those problems without dismantling the entire health care system?
By creating this “Universal Health Care” initiative, Congress is effectively trying to bankrupt the American people. I fully agree that our healthcare fees need to be brought back into a more reasonable frame of cost – But not at cost of killing our economy.
Realistically, the Federal Government has at its disposal the ability to correct part of the problem. The corrective measures, via the Department of Commerce, exist in that healthcare insurance is an INTERSTATE business, therefore regulated at the Federal level. By regulating the interstate rates, costs could be reduced across the board, providing affordability and portability. I think it would also be prudent to permit individuals to purchase coverage through health exchanges, or even purchase access to their state Medicaid program.
I do not agree in any way with providing medical benefits, other than necessary emergency services to those in our country illegally.
13) Lastly jobs – what are you going to do to create more jobs and severely reduce outsourcing of American jobs to other countries and to illegal aliens right here?
I think one of the greatest measures that could be utilized in creating more domestic jobs, and stemming the outsourcing of labor is a comprehensive overhaul of our bloated tax structure. There is absolutely no reason for individuals to pay upwards of 35% or more in taxes. I believe
in a complete repeal of estate and gift taxes, as taxes have already been paid on these by the original recipient.
Similarly, we should look at reducing corporate taxes on US businesses that are conducting more than 60% of operations within the US. A straightforward reduction would have the net effect of returning business to America, in return for a lower tax rate.
14) Any last thoughts, and tell us why we should vote for you.
As I have indicated on my website, I fully intend that the Congress be accountable to the people, and that includes a zero tolerance policy on markups, or unsustainable legislation. I will not engage in any budget discussions that does not decrease our deficit AND balance itself yearly. And I will not steal elected officials from their citizens by appointing them into Cabinet positions, and away from the responsibilities they were elected to uphold.
I have had two very important “heroes” in my life that have shaped my view of this country. The first was my Grandfather, a Pearl Harbor veteran, who pointed out to me at a young age that the most incredible thing about our liberty is that it’s everyone’s. Only here does someone have the same “soapbox” from John Doe to Bill Gates.
The second person who inspires me is Thomas Jefferson, a man who for all his incredible accomplishments, realized that America’s ultimate power was not in the Office of the President. America’s power lies within the American people. Jefferson demonstrates that with the fact that his position of 2nd President is NOT even reflected on his headstone.
Miner’s Daughter speaks more to our shared human experience than “Oops I Did It Again.” Almost any Trace Adkins song reminds us of the fraility of family and how fast time does fly. Songs like “You’re Gonna Miss This.” or “Then They Do” speak to us as we watch our children grow up and leave the nest. While Kanye West will one day be forgotten, Trace and his timeless message of loving your family will continue on.
If you don’t stand a little prouder when listening to “Riding with Private Malone” or “Bumper Sticker on my SUV” you have no heart. If you don’t cry when hearing “Christmas Shoes” then you are probably a pod person. And Dolly’s new one “Jesus and Gravity” really uplifts your spirit. http://cnettv.cnet.com/dolly-parton-better-get-livin/9742-1_53-50003376.html You don’t find that kind of music in the pop, rap or hip hop world. You find it in two places, country and soul. Both genres are the last bastion of authentic music and true talented artists. Yes, the Left hates anything that is good, uplifting, touches your spirit, which is why I will always be a fan of country music
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