United States SenateCandidate for Senator

I'm not completely convinced that this is the solution.  This allows polluters to treat pollution as if it's something you can bargain with or trade.  That to me is the wrong approach.  Polluters need to stop polluting, not trading pollution credits.  Certain industries pollute more than others and those industries need to change.  The government can help by passing strong pollution laws while at the same time using tax incentives to help businesses invest in their companies to help reduce their impact on the environment.  There has to be a much more proactive role played by the government to work with corporations to incentivize them and to help them  to reduce their carbon footprint.  We've come a long way with  carsand we can do the same with large companies.  The planet is already in great danger and we cannot let that be the satus quo.  Government has no choice but to wake up to the reality that the planet is in danger and government has to be and can be part of the solution.

Protect the Right to Self-Defense

I believe that the private ownership of firearms is part of the solution to America's crime epidemic, not part of the problem. Evidence: law-abiding citizens in Florida have been able to carry concealed weapons since 1987. During that time, the murder rate in Florida has declined 21% while the national murder rate has increased 12%.

In addition, evidence shows that self-defense with guns is the safest response to violent crime. It results in fewer injuries to the defender (17.4% injury rate) than any other response, including not resisting at all (24.7% injury rate).  I, like most Libertarians,  would repeal waiting periods, concealed carry laws, and other restrictions that make it difficult for victims to defend themselves, and end the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights of self-defense.

No, no, no.  The TPP is a disaster and so is NAFTA.  These are horrible aggreements that allow goods to travel into our country without fair tarrifs.  Tarrifs were the main way this country paid it's bills before the ugly IRS was created in 1913.  When countries like China devalue their currency their goods get cheaper and if we don't have adiquate tarrifs we can't compete and we end up losing manufacturing jobs.  These aggreements are designed to help multinational corporations take advantage of the american consumer and ultimately the workers who lose their jobs to oversees competition helped enormously by these agreements.  #StoptheTPP

Marijuana should be legalized like tomatoes.  The failed war on drugs needs to end.  Only the prison industry and big pharma have gained enormously from the war on drugs while minorities get disproportionately incarcerated for bs drug charges.  When someone takes drugs they only hurt themselves and won't change until they are ready.  More should be done to help get people off drug addictions but incarcerating them when they need counceling is not a long term solution.  Marijuana legaliztion in Colorado has helped that state immensely.  Roads and sidewalks are getting the attention they need while city revenues are way up.  Tax payers in Denver received rebate checks from the government becuase marijuana revenues and new laws made it possible.  Marijuana has been shown to help with MS, epilepsy and insomnia and many other ailments.  Government shouldn't be allowed to tell you that you can't grow a harmless plant in your backyard that helps your family without negative side effects like viox, tylenol and many other medications.  Marijuana never killed anyone but the war on drugs has resulted in countless lives being ruined by laws designed to fill prison beds and break up families.

Many things can be done to mitigate the water shortage issue.  I would support desalination plants, more water storage and other upgrades to our water infrastructure.  Continued water conservation also has to be part of the solution.  Many advances have been made in water conservation from low flush toilets to reducing overall use in commercial buildings and residences to recycling of grey water.  We need to continue in that endeaver.  Public service announcements can help as well as government tax incentives for those that conserve water or manufacture products that help in our efforts to reduce water consumption.  

No human being is illegal and we need to change our laws to reflect that.  I feel ID checks at the border are fine but if someone wants to travel, they have a right to.  I believe amnesty needs to be part of the solution.  In my humble opinion, if someone comes here from a country where bombs are falling and killing their family AND they are not commiting crimes, they should eventually have a path to citizenship, not deportation.  All of our ancesters came here from somewhere else and we should accept that that is also the case for many others.  We should grant a path to citizenship to anyone who is here for more than 15 yrs. and who hasn't commited any felonies or serious crimes.  Misdemeaners and traffic violations shouldn't be cause to deport someone.  After fifteen years immigrants who came here should be put on  a fast track to citizenship.  Amnesty and a path to citizenship need to be part of the discussion.