Why so much information?

The trickery of magic works by limiting and controlling the information available to the audience.  A magician convinces you that an illusion is real through ‘sleight of hand’ by focusing your attention elsewhere at the critical moment.  Before the deception, the magician has ruthlessly prepared and practiced both the ‘sleight of hand’ and the ability to divert attention from the trickery.  I am not a magician and care not to practice any ‘sleight of hand’ or ‘flip-flopping’ on my standings.  I proudly stand as a citizen of the United States of America.  This country is not a stage show designed to trick people with promises and rousing pledges, only to demonstrate different banner colors after securing a position of representation.  I cannot and will not apologize for being prepared, being honest, or being straight forward and open.  I want nothing more than to satisfy the great need for true service to the citizens of Nevada and the United States of America.  Although it is accurate to note that I have often expressed my concepts, ideas, opinions, wishes and hopes in written opposition to others, I only do so after careful study and considerable preparation.  I will take the same diligence with me in service to our state.  It is easy to fault public servants as hypocrites if they never reveal their ideology.  It is extremely important that you understand my footing, the value I put on preparedness and the precision by which I operate.  I will be a servant for Nevada rather than a magician.

What about accountability to the people?

It is a sad day when most of the representatives of the United States of America, do not truly represent the interests of the people that elected them.  Unlike most in Congress, I will strive to understand and act upon the voices of the Nevada citizens with gladness.  Please understand that if I am elected by the people of Nevada, I will represent the interests of those people.  I will not be held hostage by lobbyists, special interest groups and big corporations because I will not trade influence for their funding.  My funding is from my pocket, from fellow citizens like you, and sources willing to support me without any strings attached.  My campaign is from my heart out of love for this country and the state of Nevada.  My choices will be directed by the people of the state of Nevada, to whom I will be held accountable.

How do you plan to get Nevada citizens involved?

I have received many advertisements in the mail from political parties and political candidates that express their themes and concepts without concern for the citizen’s thoughts and concerns.  In order for Nevadans to become actively engaged in the legislative process, they need access to the actual language of pending bills.  If elected, rather than clutter up my official Senate webpage with self-aggrandizing photos and boastful stories about my contacts and accomplishments, it will focus on providing links to pending bills critical to the interests of Nevada.  Because your areas of interest vary from mine, I will place a priority on forwarding a link to other pending legislation to any constituent that requests it.  That way, my constituents can judge for themselves the merits and dangers of legislation important to them, and to Nevada.  I will value your input, through all communication avenues, regarding pending legislation and whether it should be supported, modified, or opposed.  I will staff my office with people committed to reading and actually understanding the positions of constituents that provide input.  Such input will play a prominent role in my decisions about the actions that are in the best interest of the people of Nevada.

Do you support people’s rights?

We live in a time in which ‘people’s rights’ have been pressed and exploited from every angle.  The rights of people are tremendously important and have supported the walls of this great nation since its founding.  Our founding fathers understood that human rights are not granted to people by their government, but rather are inalienable gifts from God.  Thus, they established a Constitutional Republic under which certain intrinsic human rights are granted to the government by the people to foster their general welfare and liberty.  The rights and powers granted to the federal government by the people are limited to those specifically enumerated in the Constitution of the United States.  The Ninth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees that these enumerated rights do not deny or disparage other rights retained by the people.  The Tenth Amendment explicitly decrees that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are reserved to the States, or to the people.  Thus, we, as a State and a people, need to stand against the slow and secretive erosion of rights that were recognized at our creation.  Otherwise, we will awake one day and notice that we have been stripped naked of the rights we once wore.  Let us, as a state that champions truth, stop the attrition and stand firm on proven ideas that kept this nation afloat for over 200 years.

Do you honestly think the state of Nevada can make a difference?

Within the nation’s Senate is a group of people that are made up of representatives from each state.  Each state has two representatives which brings the total count of Senators to one hundred.  The state of Nevada has the same representation in the Senate as any other state, regardless of their land area or number of residents.  Nevada can most effectively make a difference when their representatives speak, act and vote on behalf of the Nevada citizens.  We can make a difference if the elected representative is not an agent of a major party.  I will be a voice of those I am elected to represent and not a salesperson for the campaign contributors or party platforms.

Is it possible for the people to stay informed?

This is one of the many reasons that I am running for Senate.  It always brought grief to my heart to get a phone call inviting me to a town hall meeting when others were left out in the cold.  Does our representative get to hand pick the people that he is representing, or does he symbolize all the peoples of the state?  The opinions of all the citizens are what matters.  If you as a citizen ‘opt’ in, I will provide requested information by which ever convenient communication method you desire.  The town hall meetings, mailers, press releases, online communications, open office communications and any other helpful outlet would be offered at your leisure upon your request.  I will wisely utilize the money set aside for such assistance, for precisely pumping the information life-line to the citizens of Nevada.  I will not use such allocations to further my campaign or further my future in Congress.

Is a Non-partisan candidate a “worthy” vote?

Voting is a cornerstone in the foundation of this great country.  As citizens of our great Republic, we have the ability and responsibility to use our vote to direct the political process that shapes the very lives we live.  You have a vote and you need to cast it for the candidate that you believe will best serve the interests of the people of Nevada in the United States Senate.  Every vote for a candidate that will best represent you, the people of Nevada, is a “Worthy” vote.

The simple fact is, the senate candidate that receives the highest number of votes wins.  In every state within our great country, the highest number of votes wins, regardless of party affiliation, purchase power or agenda.  For example, in an election with three candidates, if one candidate received 34% of the vote, while the other two candidates split the remaining votes with 33% each, the candidate with 34% of the counted votes is declared the winner to represent the people of their state.  In this example, none of the candidates received a majority of the total votes (more than 50%), but the candidate that received the greatest number of votes still won the election.  This is the law of elections.

Throughout America’s history, parties have been born, developed, excelled and/or disappeared.  Some have survived for great lengths of time and some have slammed into the American capital and fizzled out.  Parties usually have an agenda that is identified by key principals forwarded by a platform.  However, a party platform provides no guarantee regarding how a party candidate will vote on the issues.  Major party contributors often pressure party members to put their specialized interests ahead of the party platform.  Candidates often utilize parties to gain entrance into elected positions and then side-step those portions of the platform that they never really agreed with.  Others endorse their party’s platform during the campaign, and then abandon party guidelines when the opportunity for personal gain presents itself.  When did our country become a house dominated by two parties that spout platitudes about representing your values, principals and morals, but instead consistently act to promote the interests of an ever growing, controlling federal bureaucracy?  When did we allow Washington to direct the way we are allowed to vote?  As much as the parties would like, they haven’t re-written the rules of our constitutional republic to limit our government to a two party system. 

Research shows that some citizens do not vote at all or vote only periodically.  Whether by confusion or intention, research has identified that “often” people vote a “split ticket” by voting for different candidates of different parties at the general elections.   After reviewing research (some utilizing 30 years of data), I might add that in allowing Parties to dictate our freedoms in forcing candidate A or B, we have lost the opportunity to elect the best suited candidate.

Are Non-partisans pulling votes from other candidates?

Yes…  In order to vote for candidate A, you cannot cast a vote for candidate B or C.  If you believe that candidate A will best serve the interests of the people by representing Nevada in the United States Congress, you should cast your vote in favor of candidate A.  If you believe a candidate or their affiliated party will not represent your interests, you are free to cast your vote in the direction of your desired representation.  One great thing about America is that you are free to cast your vote for any candidate that you desire.

Am I locked into voting for a particular candidate if I have a party affiliation?

No…  One of the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Unites States of America is the freedom to cast your vote any way you want, regardless of your party affiliation.  Under no circumstance may a party force any citizen to vote for a particular candidate or issue.  Although our history might have littered stories regarding such demands, the secret ballot system grants you the freedom to cast your vote in any direction that you see fit.  Just make certain your vote makes it into the ballot box to be counted.

Can I switch my party affiliation?

Yes…  You can switch your party affiliation any time you desire.  However, if you plan to vote in an upcoming elections, be sure to finalize your party affiliation far enough ahead to allow your registration information to be updated on the official election roles.  Numerous governmental locations, as well as the Nevada Department of Vehicles, can assist with your desired changes.  In a primary party election, a Democratic or Republican candidate will run against other candidates to secure a single spot for the party on the general election ballot.  As a party affiliate, you can vote in a primary election for the candidate that you believe will best represent your party in that position in the general election.  A majority of the time, an incumbent (previous term representative) will not need to run against another candidate to secure a spot on the ballot.  In this case, the incumbents are usually granted automatic victory as the party representative.

In the big election, can I vote for anyone?

Yes…  In the “big election,” officially known as the general election, or sometimes called the “final” election, you may vote for anybody that ‘suits your fancy.’  If you have reviewed and decided on the candidate that best serves the interests of the State of Nevada and its people, you are ‘free’ to cast a vote for that candidate , regardless of  your party affiliation or non-party affiliation.  I encourage you to cast your vote for whatever candidate you truly believe will best represent your interests in each race, regardless of their party affiliation or non-party affiliation.

Is there a difference between an Independent and Non-Partisan?

Technically, yes…  A non-partisan is a candidate that explicitly identifies without any party affiliations, therefore is not restricted by that party’s platform.  A Non-Partisan candidate, under Nevada State law, will be listed as Independent (I) on the ballot.  Certain party affiliations use the word ‘Independent’ in their name, such as the American Independent Party.  While such candidates claim to be independent, they are ‘partisan’ because they affiliate with a specific party.  There are people that identify themselves as independent Democrats or independent Republicans, meaning that they have moved outside the main party’s political umbrella, but still identify with more points of one party than the other.  It would be nonsensical for a non-partisan candidate to identify themselves as a non-partisan Democrat or a non-partisan Republican, as a partisan affinity is identified in the label.

Can a Nonpartisan or Independent candidate win?

Yes… As surprising as this may seem, George Washington was elected without any party affiliation.  He was not formally associated with any party during his two terms, referred to parties as factions, and found the concept of political parties distasteful because they become “an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party…”  Washington abhorred the idea of replacing the will of the people with party politics.  There have been many non-partisan or independent candidates that have held offices in all branches of the United States government, including the House of Representatives and Senate.

Can an independent candidate run on a party ticket?

A party would be unlikely to tolerate a candidate claiming independence.  This concept would defeat the allegiance formed by the party affiliation.  However, some variations can occur.  A candidate can lie and bind his agenda to that of a major party for the sole purpose of obtaining funding and running a campaign, only to desert the party after winning the election.  Deliberately campaigning under the umbrella of a party platform and betraying that affiliation after being elected is a bold and despicable approach.

Why not run as a ‘big’ party candidate?

Although there are some platform issues from both major parties that I agree with, there are many fundamental positions that both parties have taken in the recent past that are diametrically opposed to the interests of the people of Nevada.  The myriad shouts of dissatisfaction from Nevadans regarding these positions have been ignored far too long.  As trite as this seems, in order to faithfully represent the people of Nevada in the United States Senate, I must strive to understand the needs of the people of this great state, and advance their best interests in all actions taken by that legislative body.  I propose that we use our individual and collective intellect to identify and implement rational solutions to the challenges that we face, instead of allowing overbearing party factions to mandate a future that benefits their special interests rather than ours.