Politicians are not our leaders, they are our servants. We hire them, we pay them and we can fire them. I have been a servant of people for over three decades as a pastor in Independence.
The purpose of government is to secure the freedom and liberty of all citizens. And, I pledge to do just that.
Politics and government are vitally important as they affect the lives of every citizen; the unborn, the living and the deceased.
The Declaration of Independence is the birth certificate of the United States of America. It declares the purpose for government.
The Preamble
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
The U.S. Constitution does not grant rights, it recognizes the freedom and liberty given to us by God who created us. The Constitution is intended to limit the power of government over the citizenry. As your Senator I pledge to enforce a Constitutional standard.
The Bill of Rights
1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
2nd Amendment: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
3rd Amendment: No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
4th Amendment: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
5th Amendment: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
6th Amendment: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
7th Amendment: In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
8th Amendment: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
9th Amendment: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
10th Amendment: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Children are a gift from God. Parents have authority and discretion over the upbringing of their children. It is essential parents have access and oversight of all curriculum and classroom instruction.
Parents should have the final say over every decision that affect their children.
Parents should have the right to educate their children that bests aligns with their values. They ought to be able to choose the school they desire for their child without any government strings attached.
Competition in education will help raise the level of education.
Anti-American curriculum has no place in our schools. CRT, Social Justice, Anti-semitism, Socialism, Revised History or the like should not be tolerated.
If our public schools continue to fail our children, then parents should have a choice when it comes to their children’s education.
The portion of our taxes that go to schools are too high. School districts are paying too much per child to educate. The average in Missouri is $10,147 per student. In Independence it is approx. $15,700 per student. Independence also ranks 356 out of 516 in the state with an average GPA of 1.50. (According to the Show-Me Institute)
We need to free our schools from the federal government and return to local control. Missouri schools receive about 12% of their funding own average from the federal government, 32% from the state and 56% from property tax revenues. (From NCES, CEAM)
We have some great teachers in the state but the system is failing our children.
We need to unleash the American entrepreneur. Excessive regulation and taxation place undue burdens, stifling innovation, production and creativity.
We need to repeal the corporate tax. Corporations do not pay taxes, people do. Corporations pass along this tax in less employee pay and higher cost of goods and services.
The Health Insurance industry has been destroyed in our country on purpose to move us into a single payer (government) system. We should not provide single payer health care. We are in desperate need of health insurance and health care cost reform. Health insurance ought to be subject to free market principles, like being sold across state lines.
Health care should NEVER be mandated or withheld. We the People can make our own choices for our health care needs and should NEVER be forced to take a vaccine for any reason.
Abortion is NOT health care.
I support and will protect ALL life at ALL stages of life.
Repeal Personal Property Taxes.
We should never pay rent for our vehicles in the form of personal property taxes that we have already paid sales taxes for. 29 states do not penalize their citizens by charging them this tax. This tax can and should be phased out over several years without harm to local communities.
Real Estate taxes are out of control, especially here in Jackson County. They need to be capped at no more than 2% increase per year based on the fair market value. They also must be reduced to reflect the market.
Senior Citizens should receive a discount and their property taxes frozen for as long as they own their home.
Every person is created by God and a gift from God. Human Trafficking is an evil scourge on our society from Hell itself. We must do all we can to eliminate it. Penalties for perpetrators must be severe. Law Enforcement must have the proper training to identify victims and perpetrators.
Without free and fair elections we do not have freedom. We must eliminate all machines including iPads and return to paper ballots and hand counting in the polling locations. Every voter must feel confident that their vote counts. Computers and machines are a relatively new addition in our election system. There is currently a Missouri statute that authorizes local election boards to use hand counting at the polling locations with equal number of Democrats and Republicans.