Candidate for
Member of Congress; California; Congressional District 50

I believe the role of government is to do only those things that we cannot do individually -- and that it should be no bigger in size, scope or power than absolutely necessary to do those things. National defense is the most obvious example of a proper role for our federal government.

The more local the government agency making laws, the more likely the decisions will accurately reflect the will of the local people - and the more likely it will be that the solutions will address community needs. Laws that address the needs of Huntsville, AL, are not necessarily the best laws for Escondido. Let Huntsville and Escondido, not the federal government, decide as many of their own regulations as possible.

In my eight years as Councilmember and Mayor of Del Mar, I saw local democracy working through many local issues. We cooperated with other municipalities to decide issues that affected our whole area. When our federal government handed down laws, however, they were often intrusive, unfunded and not reflective of local needs. As a Congressman, I will not forget those lessons.

The natural tendency of government, no matter how benevolent or well-intentioned the legislators, is to grow larger and more intrusive. It takes the constant vigilance of a watchful citizenry and a free press in a vibrant, hotly-contested democratic system to ensure that government remains respectful of the people's individual rights and subservient to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

As a conservative, I believe in restraint in the use of government's power. The government's primary obligation is the protection of individual rights, especially freedom of speech, assembly and religion. A free press is an absolute cornerstone of our democracy. I support the right to bear arms, the right of a woman to make her own decisions on childbearing and the rights of individuals to choose their own lifestyles.

Although our current, Republican-controlled Congress has veered from a conservative fiscal policy, I still believe that the Republican Party represents our greatest vehicle for electing a conservative government. Unlike some of the other candidates, I'm not hesitant to state my party affiliation and I'm proud of the great heritage of the Republican Party.