SLO Candidate Forum - May 6, 2010

Unfortunately I was not able to make it out to the SLO forum last Thursday, because of a previous engagement I had made. However, I promised my answers to the questions asked at the forum; and here they are:

- SLO Forum Moderator-asked Questions -

1. Which committee would you like to be on once in Washington?

Tom:  Typically Representatives serve on multiple committees but my focus would be:

Commerce (Business regulation)

Ways and Means (Taxes)

Armed Services

Intelligence

1. What would you do about the Medicare Trust-Fund (policy-wise)?

Tom:  Trick question.  The Medicare Trust Fund is really non-existent from a practical  sense.  Like the Social Security Trust Fund, there is no actual money in there, just IOU’s  that we as tax payers on the hook for repaying.  It has all been spent already on general  government spending.  Both Medicare and Social Security are fundamentally bankrupt as the known liabilities greatly exceed the ability of the Treasury to pay them.  Between  Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, there is an estimated $100 Trillion liability  over the next 75 years, and if history is any guide that number is low.  The Government  has proven themselves to be completely incompetent in managing these programs and they are totally unsustainable in their current form.  I support Rep. Paul Ryan’s  Roadmap for America which has an executable plan to put the programs and our overall  budget on a sustainable footing.  See this link for details.

    http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget.house.gov/

1. What policies would you support to increase jobs?

Tom:  Entrepreneurial Capitalism is what made this country the engine of prosperity that  has allowed this country to be the most prosperous in history.  Nationwide, over 90% of  people in the private sector work for small businesses of less than 20 employees and  almost all new private sector jobs are created by small business and start-ups.  We need  to reduce regulation and taxes on business on the productive sector of our economy.  We have the 2^nd highest corporate taxes in the developed world, they need to be  reduced.  Capital Gains taxes should be kept at their current level or reduced not raised.  Capital formation is a precondition to job growth and investment.  When you tax an  activity you get less of it, why on earth would we want less capital formation when that is  precisely what we need to provide investment capital to new businesses?  We need to  free, not shackle the American entrepreneur.  Regulation is strangling the entrepreneur,  driving up costs, costing jobs and driving business overseas.  We need to reduce the  regulatory burden on business in this country and California in particular.

1. What policies would you support to decrease our dependency on foreign oil?

Tom:  In America we are blessed with significant sources of available energy.  I believe  we need an “all of the above” approach to improving the sustainability and independence  of our energy sources.  The means utilizing our vast natural gas, oil and coal resources in  the short term and taking advantage of our natural technical advantages to exploit  nuclear power fully and encourage development of emerging technologies such as wind,  solar and innovative approaches to harness such perpetual energy such as ocean wave or  thermal imbalances.  We must have access to cost-effective energy if we are to compete  in the global economy.  We simply cannot afford to subsidize inefficient forms of energy  because they are politically in favor as that puts us at a competitive disadvantage to  other countries.  For example, Spain has tried to subsidize “green” job creation and they  have lost two normal private sector jobs for each green job created and have squandered  billions and billions of dollars in the process putting them in significant debt.  We need to  access our own energy for both economic and national security reasons.

1. Republicans are creating a new contract with America – what would you like to see in it?

Tom:  First, a commitment to actually follow the Constitution, that shouldn’t need to be  said but unfortunately too many in Congress don’t seem to care what the Constitution  says.  Second, a commitment to fiscal discipline and balanced budgets.  Third, a  commitment to reduce the size and scope of the federal government.  Fourth, a  commitment to keep taxes low and lower corporate taxes. Fifth, a commitment to  repealing the Health Care legislation and replacing it with market based reforms.  Sixth, a  commitment to reduce the regulatory burdens on business.  Seventh, a commitment to  enforce our immigration laws and establish a workable and enforceable guest worker  program. Eighth, maintain our military supremacy.  Ninth, Congress must live under the  same laws they pass for us.  Tenth, commitment to establishing our own energy  impendence and use our own resources when necessary.

- Audience-asked Questions -

1. How would you control the access of lobbyists?

Tom:  It is important to recognize that lobbyists are merely a symptom of the real  problem.  The real problem is that well over $3 Trillion of our tax dollars and borrowed  deficit spending move through Washington every year and they manipulate business  through the tax code.  We shouldn’t be surprised that people want to lobby to protect  their interests or access that money.  If the government wasn’t spending so much there  would much less reason to lobby.  If we had a simple tax system without all of the  exclusions, breaks, and corporate giveaways, people wouldn’t feel compelled to lobby as  there would be no reason to do so.  When the government is in the business of handing  out favors or penalizing business we shouldn’t be surprised when companies or  industries try to maneuver for position.  They would be fools not to and the courts have  held they are within their rights to do so. Legally, lobbyists are allowed to lobby, it is  free speech.  The key is to get the federal government out of the way of business and to  stop taxing and spending so much money.  Do that and the lobbying problem will fix  itself.  Lobbyists aren’t the problem, Congress is.

1. Assuming you win - what will you largest challenge be running against Lois Capps in the General and what will your strategy be to win?

Tom:  Clearly the demographics of the district are the biggest challenge.  Democrat registration is about twice the number of Republicans.  It is important to recognize  though, that the reason this district is gerrymandered like it this is to specifically protect  Rep. Capps.  She needs protection because she is not a strong candidate on her own  merit.  Strong turnout for Republicans and upset Independents is key.  I think the  general mood in the country will ensure that.  We must win a percentage of the  Democrats in order to win the seat, that is the math of it.  To win Democrats we need a  candidate, me, who can appeal to Democrats.  I have by far the most cross-over appeal  of any of the candidates in this race.  Democrats and students are winnable this year for  the right candidate with the right message, which is a focus on fiscal discipline/sanity,  the economy, jobs, growth and pocketbook issues and leave the social engineering out of  it.  We are not going to have much of a Republic to argue about if we don’t get our fiscal  house in order.  Many Democrats understand that and they also know that Rep. Capps  doesn’t.  I have a specific strategy to execute but I’m not putting out for her consumption.

1. What is your stance on illegal immigration and the new Arizona law?

Tom:  It is a sad state of affairs when a sovereign State government feels like they have  enforce federal laws because the federal government refuses to do so.  Yet that is where  we are.  Arizona has a serious law and order problem with rampant violent crime  stemming directly from illegal immigration and the drug trade flourishing due to the  porous border with Mexico.  As I understand the law they passed, they are simply  enforcing federal laws that are not being enforced which are causing significant local problems.  They are within their rights to take action to protect their citizens and I  believe this law will survive court challenges.  The Federal Government needs to enforce  the existing immigration laws they passed and control our border.  If you don’t have a  border you don’t have a country.

1. What is the role of the Federal Government?

Tom:  The primary function of the federal government as laid out in the Constitution and  envisioned by out Founding Fathers is to protect our Liberties.  That is the fundamental  framework of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  We have sadly strayed badly from  that contract.  Our current government is more interested in taking our liberties and  controlling our lives that at any point in our countries history.  Secondarily, the role of  the Federal Government is charged with is protecting the country and our interests from  foreign countries and enemies.  Third, they are to facilitate commerce. Nowhere do I  see where they are charged with controlling our health care or retirements.  We need to return to the basic principles that made this country great in the first place:  Individual  liberty and responsibility, fiscal discipline, strong defenses and vigorous free-market  entrepreneurial capitalism. It’s not that complicated.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email them to me at info@watson4congress.com.