Important Issues
National DebtThe US National Debt is currently at $17.5 Trillion. The Budget must be balanced. We need to pay down the debt. The trend of massive deficits must be stopped.
FairTaxThe current tax system is overly complicated and flawed on many levels. We need to greatly simplify it. The FairTax.org (HR 25) needs to be seriously considered.
MilitaryWe need a strong military to be able to protect our country from any threat; however, we are misusing our troops and personnel by sending them off to fight seemingly never-ending wars and operations, many times with no clear exit strategy. That has to stop. Bring our people home. Please note that I am only talking about bringing people home from active combat and police operations. I am not advocating closing any of our military bases around the world. We need bases placed strategically around the globe in order to keep our military strong.
Second AmendmentI fully support the 2nd Amendment. I have a concealed pistol license from the State of Washington.
EnergyA comprehensive energy policy must include all forms of energy: Nuclear, Oil & Gas, Coal, Hydro, Geothermal, Solar, and Wind. Research into using Thorium fuel for nuclear reactors should be a priority. Ethanol production should be halted because it takes more energy to make it than it produces and it also is bad for older engines and equipment. Research funding into Fusion reactors should not be cut.
EducationThe Common Core math curriculum defies explanation. It's going to confuse our children more than it could ever help. The Federal government should get out of the education business and leave it to the States. Student loan debt default is the next bubble that will burst if we can't help our college graduates find good paying jobs.
HealthcareThe Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") should be repealed. There are some good pieces in it that should be preserved in a new bill, such as preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and the ability to keep young adults on their parent's health plans longer. But the rest of the ACA is problematic. People should not be forced to buy healthcare (or pay a penalty) if they feel healthy and don't want to be covered. When the Federal Government reduces payments to the State for the Medicaid expansion in 2022, how is Washington State going to cope with the extra expense when it cannot even properly fund education? And finally, the ACA incentivizes businesses to hire part-time workers instead of full-time workers because they don't have to pay for health insurance. That will mean loss of hours and a big hit in the paycheck.
We must decriminalize the purchase of safe, inexpensive reimportation of prescription drugs by supporting bipartisan legislation like the "Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act".
ImmigrationI believe that the existing immigration laws need to be enforced and that we need to secure our borders. I am not in favor of any kind of amnesty for illegal immigrants. I respect all legal immigrants and am happy that they choose to come to the United States following the existing legal processes, and they should be commended for their years of dedication. One of the problems we have with illegal immigration is that a lot of income is done "under the table" and the Federal government is unable to get any of those taxes to help pay for essential services. I am supportive of the FairTax Act that would abolish the IRS and replace income taxes, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes, etc. with a consumption tax that is added to all new goods and services purchased. Legal residents would get a monthly prebate to help offset those consumption taxes on the bare essentials. Illegal immigrants would not be eligible to receive that prebate, meaning that if they stay they are paying for more than their fair share of taxes to the Federal government whenever they buy things or, more likely, they would make a decision to leave the US if they can no longer afford to live here. And once they are out of the US, if they want to come back, are free to follow the current legal process.
Cherry Point Coal Terminal / Coal TrainsI oppose the Cherry Point Coal Terminal due to the traffic that will result along the numerous at-grade railroad crossings along the route, especially in Marysville. I live in Marysville and traffic is already bad enough. Up to 18 new trains per day could clog up traffic if the terminal opens.
Coupeville OLF (Outlying Field)I support the continued use of the Coupeville OLF by Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. Closing the OLF would bring a devastating impact to the local economies of Oak Harbor and other cities on Whidbey Island. We must ensure that the Navy is meeting all promises made concerning number of flights, etc., but the Growlers must be allowed to fly.
Civil RightsI support marriage defined as a civil contract between two persons, as protected by the Washington State Marriage Equality Act (SB 6239).
I support a woman's right to choose, as protected by Roe v. Wade and the Washington State Reproductive Freedom Act. It is a decision that a woman needs to make upon deep reflection and discussion with her family, her church, support groups, etc. It is a very serious decision with emotional consequences, and should not be taken lightly, but in the end, I don't think the government should have a say one way or the other--either promoting or not promoting. I believe that individuals are capable of making the right decision based upon what's best based on personal circumstances and their belief system.
Technical Issues
NSA SpyingThe Federal Government needs to immediately stop its spying and metadata collection of its citizen's phone calls and emails. It's also time to discontinue the Patriot Act. No more extensions!
Internet FreedomThe freedom of the Internet is being attacked on all sides. Net Neutrality must be preserved. Bills such as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), PIPA (PROTECT IP Act), and CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act) must never be signed into law. Internet Blacklist censorship should not be attempted. The United States should not ratify the international ACTA (Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement).
Patent ReformThe current patent system is broken and impedes innovation. The system needs serious reform.
BitcoinBitcoin should be treated as currency, not property. Congress should enact Rep. Stockman's Virtual Currency Tax Reform Act.