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Saint Louis, Jefferson, Saint Louis City, Sainte Genevieve Counties, MO November 4, 2008 Election
Smart Voter Political Philosophy for Kevin C. Babcock

Candidate for
US Representative; District 3

This information is provided by the candidate

  • Here is a more in-depth explanation of my first three legislative priorities:

First we need to get the United States out of Iraq. We have no business being over there in the first place and our continued presence is making the problem worse. The United States needs to have a strong military to protect the United State--not to police the world which just makes us more enemies requiring an ever larger overseas presence.

Second we need to eliminate the personal income tax and cut government spending accordingly. The income tax is not an efficient way to raise revenue and it taxes honest, productive citizens while letting dishonest, and non-productive citizens off without paying. This sends the wrong incentives and the results are predictable. The founding fathers did not authorize a direct tax on income and we never should have altered the constitution to allow this intrusive tax. I believe we can cut federal spending enough to get by without replacing the income tax with anything, it would require cutting federal spending back to the levels of less than a decade ago. However, if there is going to be a tax to replace the income tax I would support a tax on consumption such as a very limited sales tax. It would need to have generous exemptions for low income people, and have an iron clad limit on the top amount so future politicians could not keep raising it. A sales tax will eliminate the problem of all the un-taxed off the books income and give people back their privacy as they would no longer be forced to sign (under penalty of perjury) an income tax form that they probably do not understand in the first place.

Third the United States needs to seriously look at the so-called "war on drugs" and admit defeat. We are never going to stop the flow of drugs with interdiction and arrests. We do not have enough money or prison cells. Drug use is a serious problem, as is alcohol use. It is a public health problem, and people on drugs need treatment not prison. The drug users are people's sons, daughters and parents, they deserve compassion and help not arrest and prison. The street crime associated with drugs is mainly from the illegality of drugs and not their actual use. Being illegal, the price is kept artificially high leading desperate users to commit crimes to afford the high prices. Additionally the illegality of drugs is what leads to drive-by shootings and turf wars for the drug dealers that have harmed the quality of life in neighborhoods like mine. The billions of dollars in illegal drug activity also goes untaxed. Finally the Billions of dollars the United States spends on fighting this unwinnable "war" on drugs (really the war is on other American citizens that do something others do not approve of) could be used policing the streets for real crime and not on trying to arrest some college student for having some marijuana. Let me be clear: I do NOT approve of drug use and have never used illegal drugs--I do not even drink alcohol. I advocate drug legalization only for adults (like the way we regulate alcohol) and only for the reasons mentioned above.

Like any candidate for federal office, I vow to uphold the constitution. I will only support laws that are authorized by the enumerated powers of the constitution. I will fight any effort to distort the Commerce Clause to allow the federal government to go beyond its rightful power.

  • Some background information on my qualifications to be your congressman:

I have lived in the city of St. Louis for over 20 years. If elected as a Libertarian it will show that the people of the third district want a smaller, constitutional federal government and I will represent their views in congress. The founding fathers envisioned normal citizens being elected for a term or two to represent their neighbors +not career politicians that are out of touch with how normal citizens live. As a recent law school graduate making a mid-life career change due to being downsized from American Airlines, I know the challenges faced by the citizens of my district. Our representative in congress are public servants and I advocate cutting the pay and benefits of congress to more accurately reflect what regular citizens make. Such cuts will also attract people that really want to represent their community not people solely interested in the lucrative salary and many benefits. As companies continue to take away pensions from American workers it is unconscionable that congressional representatives get huge (taxpayer subsidized) pensions that are far more generous than anything a normal working American could ever hope for.

  • Why you should consider voting for me:

You should only vote for me if you agree with my views of personal responsibility and a smaller federal government that stays within the constitutional framework. If you think the next government program will help more than it hurts, if you think Americans are too stupid to take care of themselves, if you think that you are not sending enough of your money to Washington for politicians to waste--feel free to vote for my opponents. If you agree with me then send a message to congress and vote your conscience. I think it is important for people to vote FOR candidates that they believe in rather than AGAINST candidates they do not like. If there are no candidates in the race that you support then I urge you to not vote at all. Doing so will only encourage the career politicians into thinking that they are doing what the people want. A vote for Kevin Babcock is a vote for Liberty and a return of constitutional government.

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 29, 2008 18:10
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