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| Joel Grus, Libertarian |
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| Candidate: U.S. Representative, District 7 |
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| Joel Grus |
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| Age: 25 |
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| Residence: Seattle |
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| Occupation: |
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Finance |
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| Education: |
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M.S. in mathematics, University of Washington |
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| Political history: |
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Campus politics at Rice University |
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| Endorsements: No response |
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| Campaign Web site: www.joelgrus.com |
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| Campaign theme: No response. |
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| 1. |
Should Congress act to lower the cost of prescription drugs? If so, should Congress create a Medicare drug benefit? |
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It costs money to develop new drugs. If Congress caps drug prices, then pharmaceutical companies will have much less incentive to research new drugs. But Congress should weaken the FDA, which will substantially lower the cost of developing new drugs and make them cheaper for consumers. |
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| 2. |
Should the Snake River dams be torn down and timber harvests limited to protect endangered species? |
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There is no evidence that doing so will affect salmon populations in any measurable way. On the other hand, it is clear that destroying the dams would have a terrible effect on Washington's farmers and economy. In light of that, I'm not sure why we're even considering it. |
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| 3. |
Should new laws be enacted to prevent businesses from sharing consumers' personal information? |
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Why give government the license to control yet another aspect of our lives? Let consumers CHOOSE businesses based on their info-sharing policies. If we don't like how companies do business, we should boycott them, not outlaw them. |
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| 4. |
Are the nation's gun laws too restrictive, too lenient or appropriate as they are? |
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Too restrictive. Guns can be frightening. But giving Big Government the power to control whether average citizens can own them is terrifying. Studies have shown time and again that private gun ownership helps reduce crime. Read "More Guns, Less Crime" by John Lott. |
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| 5. |
Should America be trading with China and/or Cuba? Why? |
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Yes. Individuals should trade with whomever they want. The government should not choose for them. If I want to buy a Cuban cigar or sell autos to China, that's my own personal business. Trade restrictions hurt Americans and disrupt the economy. |
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| 6. |
Do you favor or oppose access to abortion? Should the president appoint justices who oppose abortion rights? |
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I personally favor access to abortion. But nothing in the Constitution empowers the federal government to make ANY abortion-related decisions. It should leave those decisions to the states. The president should appoint justices who respect the Constitution, individual liberty and personal rights. |
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| 7. |
Should the government pay to give school vouchers to parents who choose to send their children to private schools? |
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This, along with charter schools, is a good first step. The government has made a complete mess out of our school systems. I believe that all schools should be funded and run locally, and that parents should be able to choose which school to enroll their children in. |
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| 8. |
Is there any project in Washington that deserves more federal support? How would you secure that funding? |
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No. The federal government has already deprived us of too many rights. I will work to end corporate welfare, agricultural subsidies, trade restrictions, the "war" on drugs, government-funded foreign aid, federalization of crime, unfair taxation, anti-environment policies and excessive military spending. I am running to make government small and accountable. |
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| 9. |
What should Congress do to shore up Social Security? |
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Allow today's workers and youth to opt out of the Social Security pyramid scheme and plan for their own retirements using personal savings accounts. Reduce government spending and sell off federal assets to pay benefits for those who depend on Social Security. |
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| 10. |
How would you extend healthcare coverage to more Americans? |
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Like other kinds of insurance, health insurance should cover catastrophes, not everyday events. I will establish tax-free medical savings accounts so people can pay routine expenses. I will remove protectionist restrictions on who can deliver medical care. This will dramatically decrease the cost of medical care and health insurance. |
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