Candidate for
Attorney General

I believe in the Libertarian political philosophy--limited government and greater freedom.

In my view, our government needs to be confined to its proper role, which is essentially to protect the rights and liberties of individuals. Our government has become too big. Government taxes too much, regulates too much, interferes too much. Government officials keep encouraging us to become dependent upon them. We need a resurgence of the libertarian ideals upon which this country was founded.

When it comes time for me to look back on my life, I want to be able to say that I helped to make the twenty-first century not a century of government but a century of the free individual.

The Attorney General is the State's chief law officer. The AG's constitutional duty is to ensure that the laws of the State are uniformly and adequately enforced. The AG heads the State Department of Justice, which supports local law enforcement. He is chief counsel in litigation involving the State government. He oversees the District Attorneys and Sheriffs in the 58 counties in California.

The AG supervises about 5,800 employees, many of them lawyers, and dispenses a budget of over $800 million per year. About one-third of the personnel and budget are devoted to criminal matters, and about two-thirds to civil matters and administrative support.

Why do I want to be the Attorney General? To bring Libertarian principles to that powerful office in California government--Rule of Law, Limited Government, Free Enterprise, Individual Rights and Liberties. I want to reduce the involvement of government in the lives of Californians, and maximize their rights and liberties.

I do not believe the AG has the prerogative of choosing which laws he wants to enforce. The AG is sworn to uphold all of California's laws, not just the ones he likes. But within that general mandate, there is considerable room for discretion. It is for the AG to decide how he is going to deploy the limited resources he is provided. Within my discretion as Attorney General, I will proceed from the positions detailed on the following pages.

I hope that you agree with these ideals and positions, and will vote for me on November 2nd. In the meantime, I will be adding views and opinions to this webspace quite often, so please check back frequently. Thank you for your interest.

Tim Hannan