PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IS ONLY TO PROTECT RIGHTS
Everything government does is by force therefore what government does should be strictly limited. If government is not limited, one group of people will use the force of government to their advantage at the cost of some other group of people. We must acknowledge that each individual has a right to their own life, freedom and property. When a law, tax, or regulation is passed beyond those needed to protect rights then government begins violating the rights of individuals. When government takes money from one person and gives it to another person, government is saying that the person who being taxed is morally inferior to the person receiving the benefit of the tax. This is wrong. All citizens, except criminals, should be treated equally by the government. I will work to eliminate all government programs that go beyond the proper functions of government.
What the government should do is protect our rights through the police, justice system and courts. I advocate a top quality police force paid high salaries so as to attract the best quality people. I'm against prisons releasing violent criminals to make room for people caught for victimless "crimes". It's wrong to release armed robbers to make room in prison for someone caught smoking marijuana for three reasons. First, a violent criminal who should remain in prison is released to harm more people. Second, a citizen who has not hurt anyone else has years of their life stolen from them in prison. Third, taxpayers are forced to pay the bill for imprisoning someone who shouldn't be in prison yet are not protected from the violent criminals that should be in prison.
ECONOMIC AND PERSONAL FREEDOM
Life exists in individuals, not in "society"' or any group of individuals. Therefore each individual should be free to decide what is in their own best interest. Some laws are rationalized as "protecting people from themselves". However, no one should be prohibited from doing anything which does not involve the initiation of force or fraud against others. To enforce such a prohibition would violate the rights of individuals because it would involve the government using force against someone who has harmed no one.
Therefore, I advocate the elimination of laws, taxes, programs and regulations that restrict economic or personal freedom. Many politicians favor one type of freedom but are opposed to the other. This is irrational and must stop. Those who recognize the right to be left alone in one's personal affairs need to recognize the right to be left alone in one's economic affairs. Likewise those that advocate freedom in the market must also advocate freedom in the home.
GOVERNMENT FAILURE VERSUS FREE MARKET SOLUTIONS
Above I've made ethical arguments for why people should be given maximum freedom and government should be minimized. Freedom is not only morally right it’s the best economic program the world has ever seen! Government programs cripple, pillage and suffocate economic producers. You can see dramatic parallels between California's current situation and the events in the book Atlas Shrugged written by a California immigrant almost 50 years ago. This book provides an inspiring solution to the current crisis we face and was voted the 2nd most influential book in America in a survey conducted by the Library of Congress and Book of the Month club.
Ayn Rand knew that big government ruins all it touches while freedom leads to incredible prosperity. I know, as did she, that the economy will roar to life if we liberate it from excessive taxation and abusive regulation. See the work of freedom in grocery stores filled with food, hospitals filled with lifesaving technology, and a computer industry filled with innovation. See the work of big government in power blackouts, failing schools and traffic jams. The more important the task, the more reason it should be handled by resourceful companies motivated by profit, not bumbling politicians motivated by power.
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