 |
|
|
|
| Stuart Andrews, Libertarian |
| |
| Candidate: U.S. Representative, District 2 |
 |
| Stuart Andrews |
|
| |
| Age: No response |
| |
| Residence: Bellingham |
| |
| Occupation: |
| |
Physician |
| |
| Education: |
| |
B.S., M.S., M.D., University of Illinois |
| |
| Political history: No response |
| |
| Endorsements: |
| |
Libertarian Party |
| |
| Campaign Web site: go.to/andrews2000 |
| |
| Campaign theme: |
| |
Responsible freedom, not freedom from responsibility. |
| |
|
| |
| 1. |
Should Congress act to lower the cost of prescription drugs? If so, should Congress create a Medicare drug benefit? |
|
| |
Prescriptions are too expensive because Congress already acted. It successfully insulated many users of health care from its cost through preferential tax treatment of employer-generated benefits not available to uninsured individuals. Give all individuals the same 100 percent tax deduction for health-care expenses; prices will plummet. |
| |
| 2. |
Should the Snake River dams be torn down and timber harvests limited to protect endangered species? |
|
| |
I will need to study this issue. The benefit to salmon must be weighed against the negative effects of dam removal: to landowners, farmers, other fish species, the price of electricity, and the environmental effect of switching from hydropower to coal and of lower water tables and increased sediment. |
| |
| 3. |
Should new laws be enacted to prevent businesses from sharing consumers' personal information? |
|
| |
An opportunity should be obtained at the time personal information is gathered to decline its dissemination to other parties. But I favor consumers avoiding businesses that do not offer this opportunity without involving new laws and the heavy hand of government. |
| |
| 4. |
Are the nation's gun laws too restrictive, too lenient or appropriate as they are? |
|
| |
Too restrictive. Gun ownership is protected by the Second Amendment. Restriction requires a constitutional amendment. States that allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons have less crime. Law breakers, by definition, will break the law to obtain guns illegally, if necessary. Gun laws, therefore, only suppress the law-abiding. |
| |
| 5. |
Should America be trading with China and/or Cuba? Why? |
|
| |
Trade helps liberate people while introducing them to capitalism. Sanctions haven't proven to be a successful tool for advancing human rights. By marginalizing these countries, we will only make them more repressive. Taxpayer-financed aid, on the other hand, should be discontinued. |
| |
| 6. |
Do you favor or oppose access to abortion? Should the president appoint justices who oppose abortion rights? |
|
| |
Judges should not legislate. Given the 10th Amendment, this is likely within the states' jurisdiction. With these reservations in mind, I favor no restriction of abortion during the first trimester. After that, I believe the rights of the developing child should be considered and paternal responsibility and adoption reform addressed. |
| |
| 7. |
Should the government pay to give school vouchers to parents who choose to send their children to private schools? |
|
| |
I favor vouchers allowing parents to send their children to the school of their choice. This includes parochial schools. The criteria of what constitutes a "school" should be defined by a private-sector accrediting agency (comparable to Underwriters Laboratories). We must be sure government doesn't define what constitutes a "school." |
| |
| 8. |
Is there any project in Washington that deserves more federal support? How would you secure that funding? |
|
| |
Probably none. The 10th Amendment restricts the jurisdiction of the federal government. We shouldn't pay for West Virginia's bridges and they shouldn't pay for our pet projects. An exception would involve U.S. military expenditures, since the federal government is, constitutionally, responsible for national defense. |
| |
| 9. |
What should Congress do to shore up Social Security? |
|
| |
Social Security: the only Ponzi scheme that is a) legal and b) forces participation. We should use our federal surplus and monies from selected federal assets to ensure current and imminent retirees maintain their promised benefits. Everyone else will mimic federal employees, and congressmen, by switching to private retirement/investment accounts. |
| |
| 10. |
How would you extend healthcare coverage to more Americans? |
|
| |
1) Give all individuals the same 100 percent tax deduction now offered to employees with employer-generated insurance. 2) Stop government-mandated benefits. 3) Evenly distribute high-risk individuals among various insurance pools. 4) Consider locking in low premium rates for young, healthy people who join pools early. |
|
