Basic Statement

By Michael P "Mike" Byron

Why I am running. (To effect real change at a fundamental level.) What my positions are. (Eliminate "one dollar one vote" in favor of "one person one vote.")

My name is Mike Byron. I am running for the US Congress, 49th Congressional District. I'm running because I care deeply about our nation, our Congressional District, and its people. I'm running because I believe that we have gotten off on the wrong track--that we are moving in a direction that is not good for America in general, and us in particular. I have a PhD in Political Science from UC Irvine and am employed as a college teacher at Palomar College, Mira Costa College, and CSU San Marcos. My academic credentials of course give me substantial insights into the nature of our political system and the issues which confront us at the local, state, national, and global levels. But teaching gives me an even more precious opportunity--the chance to LISTEN. In wide-ranging class discussions I've had the opportunity to share the insights of literally thousands of students. I've learned much from this.

In fact it was a student-requested extra-credit assignment that I gave to several of my classes back in the Spring Semester of 2000 that led me to becoming a candidate today. Upon learning that Senator John McCain was going to be speaking in Balboa Park one afternoon in late February, I informed my students of this and stated that I would give extra-credit for any student who attended and wrote about the rally. Then I decided that I should attend also--in part so that I could evaluate the student's papers, in part to see who actually attended, and in part out of curiosity. I arrived early and so stood near the speakers' platform. When Senator McCain finally drove up in his "Straight Talk Express" campaign bus and mounted the platform, I was in position to make eye contact with the Senator as he spoke. The result was electrifying. Here, I sensed intuitively, was an honest man who believed deeply in what he was saying. This made a deep impression on me. Returning home I convinced my wife to also vote for him in the upcoming California Primary. Neither of us was a registered Republican at this time (nor were we then registered Democrats either) but voting for the Senator was possible due to our open primary system (which the US Supreme Court has since struck down).

Senator McCain was targeted by a lot of corporate "insider" money and driven from the electoral process in a disgustingly anti-democratic manner. But his ideas lived on in me. After the 2000 Presidential election, I began to realize that we no longer lived in a political system based upon "one person one vote" rather we lived in a system of "one dollar one vote." This had to change! Given Senator McCain's treatment by the dominant faction of the Republican Party, I decided to register as a Democrat and become politically involved.

Under `one dollar, one vote' wealthy, often corrupt, big corporations and their plutocratic moguls had bought out our political system. They owned much of the media a well--do you realize that only a handful of big corporations own almost all of the television, radio, newspaper, and newsmagazine outlets in the US! Do you think that these corporate-owned outlets are going to report on the misdeeds of their parent companies? Certainly not! Instead we were being distracted by `scandals and circuses.' After the tragic events of September 11, 2000 these corporate, plutocratic entities, and their Congressional stooges actually picked up their pace moving in to loot our Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds and rewrite our tax code so that when you actually add up the numbers the rich just get richer at our expense. All of this is being done under a flag-waving "patriotic" smokescreen. Folks, it's just plain deception and theft. Period. They are going to attack me and probably defame me because I'm onto them. So be it. John McCain stood up to it, Senator Russ Feingold too, and so did Al Gore and Ralph Nader--and so shall I. This is the wrong time in our nation's history to be bashful!

I know this corruption to be all to real, in part because of my academic expertise, and also in part because for four years back in 1984-1988 I was a Federal Agent (Revenue Officer) working for IRS in north San Diego County. As In IRS field agent I used to hunt among other things, corporate tax cheats for a living.

The obstruction of campaign finance reform, lack of any serious effort to achieve anergy independence, and prevelance of corporate crime which we hear about in the news with such regularity, are not disconnected issues. One dollar one vote is why all of this happens.

Consider energy. Our state, our district is blessed with abundant, year around sunshine. We have more or less regular winds as well. With the right tax policy to encourage businesses and homeowners to invest in solar power, farmers to invest in both solar and wind power, we could be largely self-sufficient in energy locally. If there were a federal law (I shall propose one) requiring all electric companies to purchase power from farmers, businesses, and homeowners at market rates, and there were substantial federal as well as state tax credits for installing solar and wind power systems we would all become wealthier and more energy independent even as our costs for power declined.

Making this happen would have many consequences: Small business would suddenly be able to pay their employees a living wage without going broke (their overhead would decline substantially even as their employees' cost of living decreased as lower energy costs rippled through the economy). Imagine going on vacation, leaving the solar cells on, and having a CHECK from the power company in your mailbox when you returned! We would no longer be at the mercy of distant, predatory energy companies such as Enron and Duke. (Presently these companies simply siphon our hard-earned wealth out of state.)

These preying energy companies would have less to spend on buying our government. We would be much less vulnerable to foreign blackmail arising from our dependence on middle-eastern oil. Fuel cells could more easily replace oil-guzzling internal combustion engines once the political power of big oil was broken. Real and deep political reform would become more feasible as its opponents became poorer and more obsolete. The old political order rapidly gives way to a new one. We are all freer, healthier, and more prosperous. The United States once more becomes a beacon of 21st century hope and opportunity. Our political system is based upon one person one vote again.

Overall, I'm running because our political system is malfunctioning. It is populated by those who have bought their way into office one way or another. I know what the deep underlying problem is-- and how to fix it. I have an affirmative vision for our future. I will not sell out, rather I pledge to fight relentlessly with John McCain and others of good will in the Congress to give your country back to you. I will not flinch from this goal. I will listen to YOU, the citizens of this district. Please consider voting for me.

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