Ask Eric!
Voters from Indiana’s 4th District have been vocal about their strong desire to hear candidates for the United States House of Representatives share their opinions on the issues at stake for Hoosiers. So Eric is taking your questions, submitted through facebook, this website or email, and answering them here.
Do you have a question for Eric? Click here to submit one!
I would like to hear your position on the subject of Immigration.
The immigration problem in the United States causes many economic issues including a burden on education and the healthcare system, crime and national security. We need to secure our borders and enforce sending illegal aliens back to the countries from which they came. Increasing our funding for border security would more than pay for itself. It would save us money on the economic issues mentioned above. I will work to make sure that our borders are secure. I will work for an increase in border security funding. I will work to make sure that we enforce the laws that we have on the books.
Do you think the federal government exceeds its constitutional authority? If so, how? What would you do as a representative to rein the federal government in?
Yes, the federal government exceeds its constitutional authority. It does this in many ways; the federal department of education would be one, and grant programs would be another. To me, the federal government’s main purpose is to provide security to us as citizens and protect our liberties so we can succeed or fail on our own. I think when bills are presented and they are out of line with the constitution, they should be called out during the debate process. I would do everything in my power to fight bills that are not true to the constitution. I think a good place to start would be repealing laws and programs that have ran their course and are no longer needed.
What is your position on the Second Amendment? Does it guarantee an individual right to all citizens? Should this be incorporated and enforced by federal law? What actions would you take?
The Second Amendment guarantees the rights of INDIVIDUALS to keep and bear arms. I would not support a new law because I feel that it is already spelled out in the Constitution. I will fight any bills that would infringe on this right.
Would you work to shrink the federal government? What actions would you take? Would you consider disbanding some agencies? Which ones?
Yes, I would work to shrink the Federal Government. The best place to start would be by not allowing it to spend more money than it receives. I would not vote for any budget that contains a deficit. I think that there are many agencies that could be disbanded. The federal department of education could be eliminated; this is already handled at a state level.
What is your position on Abortion? How does this fit with your religious beliefs (if any), and your concept of liberty?
I am pro-life. I feel that the only reason for an abortion would be if the mother’s life is in danger. I am an evangelical Christian and believe that life begins at conception. To me, liberty is given to us by God and it starts in the womb. The baby is completely innocent, no matter how it was conceived, and should be protected just as a baby is once born.
What actions can the federal government take to “stimulate” our economy? What actions are constitutional? What actions would you initiate in this regard? How would you trade long-term vs. short-term effects?
The best way for the Federal Government to stimulate the economy would be to cut corporate and individual taxes. Less money going to Washington and more in our pockets would stimulate the economy. I think we need to push for the Fair Tax (consumption tax). If there was no federal tax liability for corporations, every corporation in the world would want to locate in the US. No tax burden would allow companies to spend money on capital and create many new jobs. I think the transition in the short term would be very difficult and painful to some, but in the long term it would let our country thrive.
Can the tax code be simplified? Would you favor a flat or fair tax? Why or why not? Do you favor earned value added taxes?
Please see above answer. The best solution to simplify the tax code would be the Fair Tax. To me, it is the only tax that would be equal to everyone. I do not favor a value added tax.
Please outline your position on the concept of anthropogenic global warming. Do you favor Cap and Trade? Do you favor other attempts to curb carbon emissions?
I feel that the theory of man-made global warming is a farce. Over time the Earth cools and warms. The man-made global warming issue has been spread to try to be used as an excuse to regulate our lives and actions. I am completely against cap and trade. If enacted it will destroy our economy, especially here in Indiana where we rely on coal. It would cause electric bills to increase by 40 – 60%. We need to respect and protect the environment, but we should not be basing public policy off of a flawed theory and junk science.
What can the federal government do to deal with our energy issues? Do you favor opening the outer coastal shelf and places like ANWR for drilling? Do you favor nuclear energy? What are your thoughts on biofuels? Do you favor subsidies and/or tax breaks for any specific energy sources?
We need to start using our oil resources to the fullest. Oil can be harvested in very environmentally friendly ways. We have the resources we should be using them. Yes, I favor nuclear energy. Bio fuels may have their place someday when they are economically viable without any subsidies. All energy sources should be treated equally and not be subsidized.
Please describe your philosophy for what justifies military intervention. Should we have gone to Iraq? Should we be in Afghanistan? What should we be doing, if anything, about Iran’s nuclear ambitions?
The United States should get involved militarily when we have intelligence showing that we are under a direct threat. I also feel strongly that we should work with our allies and friends of democracy around the world to ensure their safety and sovereignty. The best way to spread peace is through political and religious freedom. I don’t know all of the facts that caused us to go into Iraq, nor do I think anyone in the general public does. I know that now that we are there, we have a responsibility to give them every opportunity to succeed. The same goes for Afghanistan. We need to keep a close watch over Iran. They can not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
What would you do to ensure that we maintain a strong national defense?
We need to fund our military fully and secure our borders. We need to let the military leaders be part of the decision making process and allow their input and decisions to carry weight.
