REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS
Candidate Questionnaire
_Gerald Gay_____________________ Date: 7___/_2___/10_____
X Candidate __Campaign Representative
Print candidate name: _Gerald Gay________________________
City: Casper
State:_Wy_________ Office: House____________ District: _36____
Check as many answers as apply.
Use additional pages as desired or attach a policy statement or speech.
1. What is the proper role of government?
□ A. Providing for the common good
X B. Protecting individual rights
□ C. Preserving American culture
□ D. Supporting useful commerce
Why? ___Gov't in the USA, including state gov't should be minimal in nature. Overriding factor should be protection of individual rights.
2. What is the best method of obtaining federal revenues?
□ A. Tax Capital [profits]
□ B. Tax Labor [income]
X C. Tax Consumption [sales]
□ D. Tax Foreign Trade [imports & exports]
Why? __Tax is inevitable. A consumption tax is most fair b.c. everyone consumes. The tax burden is based on consumption, not on wealth. It minimizes the freeloaders. And literally everyone has some "skin in the game".
3. Does the federal government have the Constitutional authority to:
X A. Enforce an individual right to keep and bear arms
□ B. Require registration of firearms ownership
□ C. Limit magazine capacity or gun features
□ D. Require waiting periods for weapon purchases
Why? Bill of Rights is sacrosanct, undefilable. The first Amendment is Free Speech.
Second Amendment is Freedom to Keep and Bear Arms. Second Amendment protects the First and all other rights!
4. Federal electoral campaign contributions and expenditures should be:
□ A. Financed and controlled by the FEC
B. Reported and publicly disclosed
x C. Protected as free speech
□ D. Restricted only by state governments
Why? I feel that it isn't right for the rich to buy elections. Having said that, I'm ok with public disclosure of campaign funding.
HOWEVER, McCain/Feingold goes too far intruding on free speech right as applied to campaigning, M/F steps on free speech as does "net neutrality". These have no place in the USA.
5. Who should decide what a proper education for children is?
□ A. Federal Department of Education
□ B. State Education Boards
x C. The child’s parents
□ D. Local school boards
Why?
Public education & educators cannot help but bring an agenda to the classroom. Often it is the wrong agenda.
This always shades a child's education, often feeding said child with liberal slanted ideas and exposure to secular & progressive thoughts which would appall most American adults if they knew what goes on in public school classes.
6. From the current level, Federal government spending should:
□ A. Increase to provide more goods and services for US citizens
x B. Decrease, returning any surpluses to the private sector through debt repayments and/or tax decreases.
□ C. Increase faster than the rate of inflation
□ D. Be set at whatever level is necessary to fund worthwhile government programs
Why?
USA is based on freedom. TAX = LOSS OF FREEDOM. USA should strive to minimize taxes in all cases.
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7. With respect to international commerce, do you favor:
□ A. Multi-lateral treaties to reduce barriers to trade
□ B. Support and protection of industries in trouble
□ C. Bi-lateral agreements on quotas and tariffs
x D. America first in every way possible
Why? __Because that's what every other nation on Earth does with no
regard to anyone else. I believe in American exceptionalism and I also believe in an America-first approach.
8. When is US military intervention in other nations justified:
□ A. Whenever a national interest is at stake
□ B. When a “clear and imminent threat” is evident
X C. After Congress declares war
□ D. Before there is any risk of injury to U.S. citizens
Why?
In modern times the commander-in-chief often has to send troops w/o congressional approval to reply to threats.
However there are limits on what the c-i-c can do and I think we have a good system that provides checks against poorly conceived military interventions.
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9. Do you favor national service which is:
X A. Strictly voluntary
□ B. Compulsory for military needs
□ C. Required for community benefit
□ D. Limited to male heterosexuals
Why? Our military is very high-tech, the most modern in the whole world. They are professionals of high caliber. Conscription is no longer appropriate for the types of conflicts and fighting we may do. We are very well served with the volunteer military as it stands.
10. Drugs, chemicals and foods which may have harmful side effects should:
□ A. Always be banned or limited to federal government controls
□ B. Require a physician’s prescription and state regulation
X C. Be truthfully labeled and restricted to adults
□ D. Protected by liability limits
Why? Putting anything in your body except nutritional food is always a risky business. But you should be free to put anything you want into your body, it's your body. As long as you're informed about the effects, you, the consumer should be the ultimate decision maker.
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11. The Federal government should engage in the following environmental activities:
X A. Standardize claims related to clean air and water
□ B. Purchase additional land for National Parks
X C. Protect endangered species
□ D. Participate in and pressure other nations to participate in the Kyoto Protocol
Why? I'm OK with some environmental restrictions. The bad old days of industrial pollution are gone, and good riddance to things like flaming rivers & Love Canal.
I like clean air and water and don't miss unsightly pollution and litter.
I'm a wildlife enthusiast, and as such I believe that wildlife should be protected. SOME endangered species acts have gotten way out of hand though. Spotted Owl, Stickleback, and Prebbles Mouse all come to mind.
These have been disastrous to our productivity, and should be re-thought!.
12. The Constitution’s Article
1, Section 8 wording “Congress shall have power to provide
for General Welfare” means that::
□ A. Corporations that provide
vital products or services should sometimes be
prevented from going into bankruptcy
□ B. A minimum income should be provided to all US citizens
X C. The federal government should
exercise power over issues that jeopardize
the safety of the entire US population
□ D. Any government action that can help citizens is okay to pursue
Why? FAR too many people in the USA are on "The Dole" in its various forms. Including government health care and retirement.
Public welfare as practiced in this day and age is simply re-distribution of wealth. That is most un-American!
Each American should strive to "paddle their own canoe" so to speak...Charity should pick up the slack for the disabled and elderly
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13. What is your opinion of the recently passed Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act?
Would you be willing to enforce it?
As citizens of a republic we trust elected Legislatures to pass competent laws. If it passed it should be observed.
Governor should enforce all laws. Any law NOT worth enforcing should be removed my the legislature.
Please indicate the top three issues or themes selected for your campaign:
1.
__Cut spending to balance budget________________
2.
_____Lower property tax______________________
3.
____Shrink state agencies which have ballooned over the past decade.
Signed: ____Gerald Gay_____________________ Date: 7___/_2___/10_____
X Candidate £ Campaign Representative
Print candidate name: _Gerald Gay________________________
City: Casper
State:_Wy_________ Office: House____________ District: _36____