Question 1: Economy/ Jobs.
If elected, would you pledge to introduce or support a bill that would stimulate job growth through the implementation of the "fair tax", less government regulation, and increased incentives to small businesses? Please list specific solutions you propose.

Patricia: Yes, I support all of the above. At the very least, we must resist any increased taxes. However, I believe we must also move toward fundamental tax reform, whether that be in form of the FairTax, a flat tax, or other kinds of tax reform which will reduce the impact the IRS has on the ability of businesses to produce jobs. In the meantime, I strongly support reducing the corporate income tax, cutting the payoll tax in half, and reducing the capital gains tax, including zeroing it out for a period of time to stimulate the economy. Free market solutions for health care, such as allowing small businesses to pool together to offer the same benefits large companies do, will also help businesses grow and be competitive with larger companies. Finally, we must do away with any federal regulations that serve no legitimate purpose other than to stifle businesses with needless costs that otherwise could be spent on job growth.

Question 2: National Security.
If elected, would you pledge to preserve the rights and privileges of American citizens by protecting us from terrorists, enemy combatants, and illegal aliens - through stricter border security, focused airport passenger scrutiny based on known risks, and military tribunals? Please list specific solutions you propose.

Patricia: As I wrote in my column “Our Focus is Off”, I am deeply concerned that the Administration’s eye is not on the ball when it comes to fighting the War on Terror. The United States must have a strong national security policy as we realize that jihadists will stop at nothing to kill Americans and our allies. We must kill them us before they kill us – and that certainly means strong border security (completing the fence, cameras, etc), treating terrorists as terrorists through the use of military tribunals, and not closing Guantanamo Bay. Most of all, we must recognize we are indeed in a war. Our strategy needs to be as Ronald Reagan said – “we win, they lose.”

We can also help stem the flow of illegal aliens from crossing the border for jobs by requiring employers in all the lower 48 states to use e-verify when hiring employees. This almost virtually fullproof system would prevent employers from (and knowingly) hiring illegals. Additionally, we must enforce the laws on the books to pursue actions against those employers who hire illegals.

As a former enforcement attorney with the Federal Aviation Administration, I am the only candidate in this race with experience on airport security. The United States needs to keep up with the ever evolving tactics, (think underwear bomber), that may be deployed by those seeking to smuggle through a new type of explosive or weapon. The screening procedures at the airports will need to become more sophisticated and used in conjunction with the lists of known, proposed or watched terrorists as they attempt to board flights. I believe this coordination can be done effectively without compromising on anyone’s liberties or without to much more inconvenience in flying.

Question 3: Constitutional Issues.
Do you believe we have drifted away from limited government and that government has abused the Bill of Rights - specifically the 1st, 2nd, and 10th Amendments? Please list specific solutions you propose to reverse this (such as supporting H.R. 450 Enumerated Powers Act proposed by Ron Paul).

Patricia: Individual liberty and limited government are two of the key tenets of my campaign, so I am deeply concerned that the Constitution is increasingly being ignored by the left and others who want it to mean whatever it fits their agenda.

In regard to the First Amendment, I will resist any efforts to undo the recent ruling by the Supreme Court, and seek to repeal any remaining elements of McCain-Feingold and other laws which restrict the freedom of Americans to participate in the political process – that includes the restrictions on churches, who should not be afraid to speak up for fear of the IRS. Along those same lines, I also support freedom of religious expression and recognizing the establishment clause does not mean removing any talk of God from the public square.

In regard to the 2nd Amendment, I have also taken a strong stand, as I said in this “Ask Patricia” piece several months ago. Efforts to undermine the 2nd Amendment – by the federal government or the states – should be resisted.

I am also pleased that there is a renewed focus on the 10th Amendment. I strongly support Mary Pilcher Cook’s Resolution, SCR 1615, to reclaim Kansas State Sovereignty and also her companion bill, the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment. Of course, these efforts wouldn’t be necessary if we had members of Congress committed to uphold the Constitution. As a member of Congress, my first test on any legislation would be “is this Constitutional” and that includes whether it violates the Tenth Amendment. If I felt it did, I would vote NO. And this is right in line with HR 450 requiring that Congress specify the source of authority under the United State Constitution for the enactment of laws, which I support.

Question 4: Federal Spending.
If elected, would you support legislation to freeze or lower any spending at the federal level, support a balance budget amendment, and reverse the growth of government? How can we make Federal Reserve board accountable, reduce lobbyist influence, and fix the problems with Social Security? Please list specific solutions you propose.

Yes, I strongly support a Balanced Budget Amendment. This failed by just one vote in the U.S Senate in the 1990’s, and has not been tried since – it is time to revive it so such overspending as we see now is not only resisted, but is rendered unconstitutional. Regardless, I will support efforts to freeze and lower non-military spending, including fundamental entitlement reform, including Social Security, which has not been adequately addressed but must be. We simply must, while meeting obligations to seniors, move towards a system where the people are in control of their own retirement. Also, I support going to zero-based budgeting which would require all budget requests be justified and not automatically sanctioned from the previous year’s level of expenditure.

The Federal Reserve Board needs to be held accountable in some of its functions. However, I hesitate to politicize the Board in fear of Congress going down the path and eventually getting involved in their wanting to go so far as to set the interest rate for the markets. We need to keep Congress out of control of the financial markets any more than they are now as it can be easily argued that their meddling regulations into the housing market caused the sub-prime mortgage crash.

As far as lobbying goes, let’s not forget it is a constitutional right for people to seek redress for their grievances – and they have a right to do via interest groups such as trade organizations and the like. The best way to reduce inappropriate lobbyist influence is through the ballot box – by electing principled men and women to government who understand they serve the public and will listen to the people and vote their conscience. Those who do not must be held accountable – if they stray, vote them out.

Question 5: Stronger Education.
If elected, what measures would you take to improve our STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and founding history education for our students? What do you believe are the major reasons why public education is failing our youth today, and do you think that lack of parental choice and teachers unions play a role in this? Please list specific solutions you propose.

I believe this is more a question for the states, not the federal government, which has way too much influence in public education – which by definition, should operate the closest to the people as possible. And in that line, I would support the abolishment of the Department of Education. That said, I believe public education is suffering primarily due to the inappropriate influence of unions who have gone beyond their original purpose of supporting teachers to a specific agenda which is too often at odds with the purpose of schools – which is to educate! I encourage the people to elect the right people to their state and local school boards and for clear standards to be set in regards to math, science, history, and other areas of academics. I also believe that school choice must be supported, whether it be in the form of vouchers, tax credits, or charter schools. I also support the right of parents to homeschool. Parents must be in control, not the government – plus, the evidence is clear that such programs work and improve education. I strongly support choice within the DC school district, and believe states should continue to implement school reform as well.

Question 6: Free-Market Healthcare.
If elected, would you support new legislation on health care based on free market principle that include tort reform and portability to lower cost of private insurance and overall healthcare costs, as well as an acceptance of preexisting conditions (understanding that costs will be higher for those who don't buy insurance until they need it)? Please list specific solutions you propose.

Absolutely. In the fall, I issued a statement in support of the House Republicans health care plan, which embraces such free market reforms including; tort reform, medical savings accounts, purchase of health insurance across state lines, tax deductions of premiums, portability, requiring acceptance of pre-existing conditions and other reforms. My focus is to address the problems in our health care system while driving down the cost, improving accessibility and affordability, but without moving towards a system which is more about government control than it is health care reform.

Question 7: Energy Independence.
If elected, would you introduce or support legislation that would increase domestic oil and natural gas production, increase research on clean coal technology , increase the number of nuclear plants in our country, and further the exploration of other alternative sources of energy to make our country independent from foreign sources? What is your view of Cap & Trade bill and EPA? Please list specific solutions you propose.

It is truly unfortunate that despite the fact it’s been several years of higher gas prices and with so many oil producing nations not having our best interests at heart, we continue to put off having a true national energy policy. I strongly support all forms of domestic oil and natural gas production, including opening up ANWR, offshore drilling, and other forms of exploration within the United States – and Canada, as well – that would make our nation more energy independent. As an example, in the states of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming where the oil shale is estimated to contain as much as a trillion barrels of oil, we should be drilling. Our continued dependence on foreign oil only serves to undermine our country’s national security. And the money we send overseas in buying other countries’ oil has enriched the foreign countries while taking wealth away from our own country. .I also support alternative sources of energy, as well – and yes, I strongly support increasing the number of nuclear power plants – it is safe and clean.

I strongly oppose the cap & trade bill and in fact, it was Moore’s vote in favor of it which was one of the original motivations for me entering this race last summer. While I believe the EPA has a limited role in protecting the environment, I believe its influence has gone well beyond what it should, particularly in regard to CO2 emissions. Any environmental protection laws must be based on sound science, not on an extreme agenda based on attempt to control people’s lives.