Republican for Congress Mike Hethmon (that'll be me):
This appears to be a pretty "rough" neighborhood, but I'm going ahead and posting because (1) a 5th District Republicans thread should have a 5th District Republican candidate to carry the flag, and (2) there is a regretable lack of public political events in Southern Maryland where voters can come meet the candidates in person.
To crank things up a notch from exchanging minor insults, I'm posting my answers to the Calvert County League of Women Voters Primary Election Questionaire. It appears to be the only voter guide of its kind available south of US Route 50:
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"BIOGRAPHY: What education, professional experience and interests prepared you for this office? (Answer in 50 words or less.)
Citizenship advocate
Mike Hethmon has drafted more successful legislation on the complex issue of immigration reform than most serving legislators, including the 29-year incumbent. A whistleblower who fought defense contracting corruption, a homeschooling father and committed conservationist, Mike balances tough policy leadership with the ethical restraints of Christian faith.
1. IMMIGRATION: What reforms do you support/advocate to deal with immigration problems? (Answer in 50 words or less.)
The lawyer behind “Enforcement Through Attrition,” Hethmon co-drafted the TRUE Enforcement Act, America’s toughest immigration bill. Visit
www.mikehethmon.com[/b]]index to review the Seven Principles of Reform in Mike’s House Judiciary Committee testimony on alien gangs. From Arizona to Virginia, Hethmon has already written successful enforcement laws that are effective and fair.
2. U.S. MILITARY: What should be the military role of the US in the world? (Answer in 50 words or less.)
Defense procurement waste and pork threaten our national security. Congress must find sustainable funding for a credible anti-proliferation strategic deterrent against nuclear powers like China, a tactical strike capability against asymmetrical threats like Iran, Al Qaeda, and Third World insurgencies, and enforce careful border controls to guard the homeland.
3. DEFICIT: How would you resolve the imbalance between revenues and expenditures? (Answer in 50 words or less.)
Unfunded entitlement program deficits threaten America’s future prosperity. Congress must incrementally reform Social Security into a federal-style thrift savings program for younger workers. To protect age 42+ workers, we must cut payments to aliens, reduce benefits to high income earners, and increase withholding 1.3% to repay our looted trust fund.
4. HEALTH CARE: What plans need to be put into place to meet the Country’s health care needs? (Answer in 50 words or less.)
No magic bullet can control US healthcare costs – currently the world’s highest. By 2016 Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP will consume a third of the federal budget. Meaningful progress requires multifaceted solutions like integrated health IT, replacing wasteful fee-for service plans with bundled episodic care, and prioritizing primary care.
5. ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY: What measures do you support to balance the interests of businesses and individuals with the protection and improvement of our environment? (Answer in 50 words or less.)
Sustainable growth, energy security, and fighting sprawl all require the same core national policy: Lower mass-immigration driven demand growth, for 50 to 75 years, until Third World birthrates stabilize in the same way that U.S. native birthrates did in the late 1970s. See Hethmon’s detailed analysis at
www.mikehethmon.com/sprawl[/b]]sprawl.
6. CIVIL RIGHTS: How would you balance individual liberties and national security? (Answer in 50 words or less.)
Until Congress repairs years of damage by activist judges to the privileges of American citizenship, civil rights and national security remain in perilous conflict. Despite 9-11, our government refuses to lawfully account for millions of nonimmigrant foreigners, while profiling ordinary citizens as potential terrorist suspects in our own country."