Asked to serve as co-moderator for a “forum between the five Republican candidates for Indiana’s governor,” The Federalist’s Joy Pullmann worked with others “for weeks to craft questions.” Last Wednesday, their list was published as “20 Questions To Ask Republican Candidates In Your State.”
It’s good stuff, covering important matters such as school choice, Identity Politics, and corporate welfare. (Although one wonders why the questions should be posed solely to GOPers.) With thousands of hopefuls running for state-level offices in 2024, don’t be surprised when candidates begin showing up at your door, once temperatures start to rise. Herewith, NDAI’s list of some additional issues:
1. Researchers consistently find that the value of compensation for local- and state-government employees exceeds that of comparable workers in the private sector. Why do “public” employees in our state receive defined-benefit pensions, retiree healthcare, automatic annual raises, “step increases,” “longevity pay,” and lump sums for unused sick/vacation leave — perks rare or nonexistent in the real world?
2. In nearly every state, nonfederal politicians and bureaucrats are allowed to spend government revenue on lobbying. Thus, substantial numbers of taxpayers are forced to support speech and advocacy they oppose. Is this fair? Would you support legislation to restrict/ban the practice?
3. What is your definition of an “emergency” in public health? Why is no detailed definition of any kind found in our state’s statutes, so that governors cannot abuse their authority to “declare” an “emergency” in the future?
4. Were you “vaccinated” for COVID-19? If so, how many “boosters” have you received? Did you/do you publicly endorse “vaccination”?
5. States that do not tax personal income enjoy a competitive advantage in attracting investment and residents. Do you support the repeal of our state’s income tax/continuation of our state’s refusal to adopt an income tax?
6. One of the best tools states can wield to boost economic development is the prohibition of compulsory unionism. Do you support our state’s right-to-work law/passage of a right-to-work law?
7. Local governments are launching programs to pay off their residents’ medical debts. Do you support state appropriations for such efforts?
8. Has our state’s experiment in “early childhood education” been successful? If so, what data and/or independent analyses confirm your answer?
9. Do too many high-school graduates go on to college in our state? Is it time to rethink our sprawling system of “public” higher education?
10. Forty percent of American babies are born out of wedlock. The U.S. has the highest rate of children living in single-parent households in the world. Will you use your bully pulpit to educate our state about the socioeconomic carnage unquestionably caused by fatherlessness?
11. Do you support parental-consent laws that proponents believe will protect minors from the worst impacts of social-media platforms?
12. President Biden claims that attacks by “white supremacists” represent “the most lethal terrorist threat in the homeland.” Is violence from the forces of the “far right” likely to occur in our state?
13. Do you support the performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black National Anthem,” before sporting events at our state’s taxpayer-funded stadiums?
14. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, “[m]ore than one out of six households are behind on their energy bills.” Why do you think that is?
15. Should the price customers pay for electricity in our state be determined by household income?
16. Where do you stand on replacing our gasoline tax with a fee on the number of miles traveled — one that accounts for the fact that electric vehicles are substantially heavier that autos with internal combustion engines?
17. “Public transit” was dying before The Lockdown, and four years after “15 days to slow the spread,” ridership is nowhere near the level it was in March 2020. Do you oppose the continuation/expansion of substantial subsidies to government buses and trains?
18. Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring — and as a portion of our atmosphere, miniscule — chemical that is necessary for photosynthesis. Do you believe that the level of CO2 controls the planet’s weather, and the higher its concentration, the more common cyclones, blizzards, droughts, and floods will be?
19. Medicaid is now the largest expenditure in our state’s budget. Is that acceptable? Why does the average American household pay thousands of dollars in taxes each year for healthcare welfare?
20. The federal government spends well in excess of $1 trillion, annually, on “national defense.” D.C. is now more than $34.1 trillion in debt (publicly held and intragovernmental), with an unknown amount due for unfunded entitlement programs. Do you support the elimination/closure of even one military facility in our state?
1. Researchers consistently find that the value of compensation for local- and state-government employees exceeds that of comparable workers in the private sector. Why do “public” employees in our state receive defined-benefit pensions, retiree healthcare, automatic annual raises, “step increases,” “longevity pay,” and lump sums for unused sick/vacation leave — perks rare or nonexistent in the real world?
Because government lacks any semblance of accountability, and rewards failure. This is a disease that has spread to the so-called “private sector.” Certain, highly connected and entrenched are given meritorious classification of government entity with; bailouts; too big to fail; regulation and legislative monopoly creation.
2. In nearly every state, nonfederal politicians and bureaucrats are allowed to spend government revenue on lobbying. Thus, substantial numbers of taxpayers are forced to support speech and advocacy they oppose. Is this fair? Would you support legislation to restrict/ban the practice?
I would use every last opportunity to remove all money robbed from the people from politics and to remove the use of such funds to bailout government policy failures. I would seek to prevent all tax paid lobbying in addition to a permanent cease of lawsuits and settlements payments. If a government official or agency violates your rights, your neighbors shouldn't pay for their mistakes. I would propose the official pay the suit from their own pensions. Any time the reward went above the retirement account, the remainder would be paid from the parent organization retirement funds.
Lobbying paid for by taxes is only the tip of the spear.
3. What is your definition of an “emergency” in public health? Why is no detailed definition of any kind found in our state’s statutes, so that governors cannot abuse their authority to “declare” an “emergency” in the future?
I don't have an idea of an emergency I would rob from my neighbors to pay for.
The definition (or lack of) is intentionally vague so it can be applied as broadly as possible.
I would look to eliminate all emergency powers grantong dictatorial powers at every conceivable level of government.
4. Were you “vaccinated” for COVID-19? If so, how many “boosters” have you received? Did you/do you publicly endorse “vaccination”?
I have not. I caught the illness and recovered the old fashioned way. I endorse investigation into the safety and efficacy of all vaccines. There should be no indemnity free products and especially ones that have been mandated by so many levels of government, for the sake of accessing “public” services. The issue stretches far beyond COVID vaccines.
5. States that do not tax personal income enjoy a competitive advantage in attracting investment and residents. Do you support the repeal of our state’s income tax/continuation of our state’s refusal to adopt an income tax?
I support the elimination of all taxes of every form and at every level. Especially property taxes and income taxes
6. One of the best tools states can wield to boost economic development is the prohibition of compulsory unionism. Do you support our state’s right-to-work law/passage of a right-to-work law?
I do. I opposed communism in every form it takes.
7. Local governments are launching programs to pay off their residents’ medical debts. Do you support state appropriations for such efforts?
This model incentivises market failures to continue. It incentivises providers to overcharge due to the incestuous polyamorious relationship between the numerous cartels within the insurance industrial complex, healthcare industrial complex, and the governments of the states and nation.
8. Has our state’s experiment in “early childhood education” been successful? If so, what data and/or independent analyses confirm your answer?
That depends on your definition of success. For teachers unions and governments at every level, ECD programs do nothing to promote better educated children. It is merely a money laundering mechanism for politicians, unions, contractors, and helps nobody it was intended to help.
9. Do too many high-school graduates go on to college in our state? Is it time to rethink our sprawling system of “public” higher education?
It is time, at the very least, to audit every educational institution receiving money stolen from tax slaves. Why are any of them receiving a penny outside their (usually) exorbitant tuition and textbook costs.
10. Forty percent of American babies are born out of wedlock. The U.S. has the highest rate of children living in single-parent households in the world. Will you use your bully pulpit to educate our state about the socioeconomic carnage unquestionably caused by fatherlessness?
I'm not saying that I wouldn't. However, I try not to chase proximal issues without investigating the ultimate cause. LBJ didn't only more us down in an illegal and anti-constitutional war in SE Asia, his domestic policy was equally horrific. He oversaw the dismantling of the nuclear family in the black community. It was so wildly successful the same tactics have been used against white nuclear families. Families of various Asian communities seem to have escaped the same fate as of now.
The cure is in reforming the criminal justice system to a degree most would be uncomfortable with.
11. Do you support parental-consent laws that proponents believe will protect minors from the worst impacts of social-media platforms?
I don't support passing laws I wouldn't personally be willing to kill you to enforce.
12. President Biden claims that attacks by “white supremacists” represent “the most lethal terrorist threat in the homeland.” Is violence from the forces of the “far right” likely to occur in our state?
I believe the most violent terrorist entity in our state is the government itself.
We should focus less on fantasizing violence against our neighbors and more focus on restraining our governments from enacting violence against the people they are entrusted to serve.
13. Do you support the performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black National Anthem,” before sporting events at our state’s taxpayer-funded stadiums?
I don't care what is somgs are performed. The music is a distraction from the issue at hand. Welfare for billionaires is the issue we should be concerned with.
Instead of slamming your neighbors for using SNAP, WIC, or TANF, start talking shit about the billionaire welfare whores forcing very poor people to pay for their new stadiums.
14. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, “[m]ore than one out of six households are behind on their energy bills.” Why do you think that is?
Because for generations, politicians have been legislating and spending our dollar into worthlessness.
Utility providers also force their customers to pay for the terrible legislation and regulation that the providers lobby for. This is another form of lack of government accountability being exported to the so called private sector.
15. Should the price customers pay for electricity in our state be determined by household income?
If providers are forcing their terrible policy and regulations onto their customers, and customers are forced to pay for every upgrade, modification, etc., it isn't just the kilowatt hour they are paying for.
16. Where do you stand on replacing our gasoline tax with a fee on the number of miles traveled — one that accounts for the fact that electric vehicles are substantially heavier that autos with internal combustion engines?
Why not eliminate the tax altogether?
Replace it with a use fee and audit the spending and contracts (with or without repealing the tax) on road construction. We need a better accounting of government spending and that of their contractors.
17. “Public transit” was dying before The Lockdown, and four years after “15 days to slow the spread,” ridership is nowhere near the level it was in March 2020. Do you oppose the continuation/expansion of substantial subsidies to government buses and trains?
Another example of lack of accountability. FUERA!
All subsidies must die
18. Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring — and miniscule — chemical that is necessary for photosynthesis. Do you believe that the level of CO2 in the atmosphere controls the planet’s weather, and the higher its concentration, the more common cyclones, blizzards, droughts, and floods will be?
I believe if the climate crisis was as dire as some make it out to be, insurance companies would not cover any new build on any beach in North America and beyond.
19. Medicaid is now the largest expenditure in our state’s budget. Is that acceptable? Why does the average American household pay thousands of dollars in taxes each year for healthcare welfare?
Cronies gonna crony.
Our current state of the economy is likely beyond anything Benito Mussolini could have ever dreamt. Our government has been a corporate fascist government since before Donald Trump ever had any aspirations of running for president.
The average American household pays thousands each year for medical welfare because that is what our governments have mandated we all pay.
20. The federal government spends well in excess of $1 trillion, annually, on “national defense.” D.C. is now more than $34.1 trillion in debt (publicly held and intragovernmental), with an unknown amount due for unfunded entitlement programs. Do you support the elimination/closure of even one military facility in our state?
There are over 800 US military bases outside the US. I'm not saying I wouldn't close bases in the state, however I believe there would be greater fiscal discipline in evaluating base closures outside our borders first.
Wonderful list. I will keep for future reference.
It has been my contention for many years that if the voters really wanted to know the thinking of politicians on key issues they would demand something like a taped pre-trial deposition. The politician would be asked tough questions by a tough but fair person who would keep asking questions until the pol came clean on his real beliefs. This will never happen in the U.S. because the American voter would rather be lied to by pols than to know the truth.