My Positions

Balanced Budget. Yes, except in extreme circumstances, and this isn't one of them.

Abortion. My two children are adopted, and they exist only because two courageous young women decided to carry them to term rather than aborting them. So at a personal level I am deeply troubled by abortion and think that it is probably evil in most circumstances. At a political level, I think the moral issues are very murky and troubling. I do not know for sure when life begins. Because the issues are so murky I don't think the law should take precedence over personal choice.

Federal government spending. I believe the federal government should be denied as much money as possible.

Social Security. There is only one right way to fix this problem, and that involves raising the retirement age gradually. When social security was started the average life expectancy of a person receiving social security was 6 months. The idea that a person can be a child until 22, work until 62, and then retire until 80 is crazy. In what economic model does it make sense for people to be totally dependent on others for half their lives?

Federal Taxes. I am an adamant supporter of a flat tax system with a high per-person deductible and no other deductions.

Republican vs. Democrat. I don't see any contradiction with voting for Republicans at the federal level and Democrats at the state level. I want minimal federal government and activist state government, because I believe power and responsibility should be pushed down as far as possible.

State Rights. I think different states should be different, and people should choose where they live based in part on the politics of the states. If some states want to require comprehensive health insurance, fine. I won't choose to live there.