Why being a candidate can be beneficial for liberty
ByThough I think it is misguided to believe that electoral politics is the primary means of effecting change for the cause of liberty (especially at a national level), local activism is still a valuable tool for gaining visibility and spreading the libertarian message. For the first time ever, I’m running as a Libertarian for State Representative in District 49 in Austin, TX. Today I had the opportunity to submit a questionnaire to the League of Women Voters in their pre-primary/convention issue. I was pretty thrilled considering I know quite a bit about each of the issues in the questionnaire. By golly, they even asked about one of my specialties: transportation pollution!
Just the act of answering questions like this means that somebody, somewhere is probably going to hear the libertarian perspective, perhaps even for the first time. Here is the questionnaire and my answers. See what you think and comment about what you would have said. You can help me improve for next time!
Q1: Since the State financial support for education has decreased over the past two decades, what measures would you support to provide our public schools with adequate funding? (75 words)
A: Public school funding is not a sufficient metric for successful education efforts. Many private schools and homeschooling families operate on extremely low budgets yet educate children at a disproportionately high level relative to public schools. Rather than focus on increasing funding, I would support measures that give back control of educational resources to teachers and parents first. Eliminating systemic problems caused by political control of education should always take precedence over funding.
Q2: Texas is recognized as the highest carbon dioxide polluter among the 50 states. What would you propose to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Texas? (75 words)
A: Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced using many methods that do not resort to increasing the government’s control over the economy. Clean vehicle purchases can be encouraged by repealing all taxes and tariffs upon high-efficiency vehicles. Tax deductions should exist for efficiency improvements, upgrades, and repairs on older vehicles, and those purchases should be tax-free. Alternative energy subsidies should be eliminated; the free market will determine how to allocate energy resources most efficiently.
Q3: How would you address the major transportation problems in Texas? (75 words)
A: The Trans-Texas Corridor scheme proposed by Rick Perry is a scam, and the government’s general effort to manage transportation in Texas is a failure. If an effective, inexpensive solution is sought, the government should reduce its role in managing the system. By allowing private roads to develop freely and competitively upon the market (not like the pseudo-public-private toll roads that TXDOT has built), transportation problems will invariably begin to solve themselves.
Q4: How should Texas solve the depletion of the unemployment fund? (75 words)
A: Ultimately, the unemployment fund can have no other effect than the perpetuation of unemployment since financial resources are used to allow idleness rather than productive activity. Instead of worrying about the depletion of the unemployment fund, the government should work in every way to reduce its own spending, thereby allowing the free market to adjust resources and capital toward creating new jobs without interference by the government.
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Tags: activism, economics, elections, philosophy, pollution, public schools, transportation, unemployment
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I took you up on your challenge. Thanks for posting this!
Q1: Since the State financial support for education has decreased over the past two decades, what measures would you support to provide our public schools with adequate funding? (75 words)
A: Public schools would be better off without state or federal funds. They should be funded by local communities. Regulations which districts need to adhere to by to accepting state funds put our children a step behind. Teachers and parents need to decide what is taught in classrooms, not politicians.
Q2: Texas is recognized as the highest carbon dioxide polluter among the 50 states. What would you propose to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Texas? (75 words)
A: The best solution to decreasing carbon dioxide emissions is by encouraging the free market, and lifting regulations on entrepreneurs operating businesses that provide alternate fuel sources, such as Austin based Diesel Green Fuels. They recycle used vegetable oil, and this can be used in any diesel engine.
Q3: How would you address the major transportation problems in Texas? (75 words)
A: Texas in general has a great road system. There is only a problem in Austin. We need to merge existing roads to form a loop for uncongested access, and build better ramps around 290/I35 and 290/360. We should cut all funding for the Trans Texas Corridor ASAP, and scrap all plans to toll local roads we already paid for.
Q4: How should Texas solve the depletion of the unemployment fund? (75 words)
A: We should keep doing what Texas does best, and encourage the free market to keep our residents off of unemployment. We need to give entrepreneurs a break by lowering taxes for small business, so the unemployed can work for themselves and follow their real dreams.
Normal,
Well done for choosing to run. I wish you the best of luck!
My critiques would only be slight, as I think you’ve generally did a great job answering these questions.
In general, people voting always want practical solutions that speak to them. Debra Medina has done this well by focusing on her property tax point. In other words – she’s not all ideology. You have done this well in answering the question about CO2 with specific examples.
This next one may be a little controversial, but I would avoid certain buzzwords that have a negative connotation with one side of the spectrum. As a libertarian, you are looking to draw from elements of the right and left. So words like “private” and “free-market” are an anathema to many on the left who would support you if you didn’t use words that sound so republican (to them, obviously we would jump for joy if the GOP supported anything like free-markets!). I find that rather than “privatise” you might use words that emphasis local control – community, individuals, regular people. And I think this is the same with “free-market” – which is defined by choice – so maybe something like: “the government should work in every way to reduce its own spending, thereby allowing the the innovative and resourceful community and business leaders in Texas to adjust resources and capital toward creating new jobs without interference by the government.” That’s a really quick, pandering example, but welcome to politics!
I realise that you have limited word count for these things, but those are a few suggestions from me. Again, well done for running!
Sorry about your name! It’s a little dark in my office and I accidentally put an “l” in there!
@Lorraine: Awesome, thanks for your input! I like your answer to Q2 because though I bashed subsidized alternative fuel, of course I think alternative fuels in principle are excellent. The problem is how the government is involved in the first place.
@Colin: Yeah, I see your point, looking out for potential buzzwords is a good idea. I was crushed by word limits unfortunately, but I hope that future LWV guides might give us some more space…
Your answers were very good, but I agree w/Colin that you can widen the appeal of what you are saying by steering away from the more obvious buzzwords. Lorraine, I liked what you have to say as well. It’s nice to see such erudite young folks!
Sorry if this is posted twice.
I thought it might be helpful for you to watch “Last Man Standing, Politics Texas Style.
http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2009/dec/29/last-man-standing-part-two/
It is only part of it, but you should probably buy it and watch the whole thing.
The professor that made the documentary teaches at UT. This is his site.
http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/faculty/paul-stekler/
This is a link to Patrick’s site. He was 24 when he won the house seat from Rick Green. http://www.patrickrose.com/issues/
Hope this helps, or is at least encouraging. Good luck in the primary.
Lorraine DeNardis