Candidate for
United States Representative; District 7

I believe, with the authors of the Declaration of Independence, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, that to secure these rights, governments are established among men...."

I agree with the Founding Fathers that the meaning of these terms is that each man is entitled to own himself, his property and all that he produces, and may dispose of all as he determines to be in his best interest without interference from the collective entity known as "government." This ownership of self and the protection of property rights constitute "Liberty." I agree with the Founding Fathers that the corollary of liberty is responsibility for self. We should not, collectively as "government," try to protect individuals from the consequences of their decisions. Each person is also responsible for not harming another, and will be held to account for any such harm.

Economically, I agree with the "Austrian School of Economics," leading thinkers of which include Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, and Murray Rothbard as well as a host of modern economists. The reasoning is that truly "free markets" will produce the most efficient delivery of goods and services to all. Adam Smith, in his "Wealth of Nations" (1776) gives multiple examples of the unintended effective taxation on the people that results from protecting a specific industry.

Our country is broken, having strayed very far from the vision of limited government, personal liberty, and respect for property rights held by the framers of the Constitution. I want to help set it aright.