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Positions and Views on Other Issues where Information is Available: |
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| Government |
Positions and Views |
| Government, a General Statement |
Tanner: No Response |
| Government Reform, a General Statement |
Tanner: Given the huge foreign, fiscal, and social policy challenges that face the nation, maintaining the status quo is no longer an option.
While we need a vibrant two-party system, only a small percentage of independents (who would act as "trustees" in confronting the real issues) are required to hold government accountable. But as it stands now, the borders remain unprotected, fiscal restraint has been abandoned, and judicial nominees are still blocked.
Because the two-party system depends upon a popularity contest, where "delegates" garner votes with our money (through taxation), every waking moment for a typical "career" politician is influenced by polls and partisanship in order to retain power. "Pork barrel" spending and special earmarks totaled over $47-billion last year.
Unfortunately, the partisanship, discord, and obstruction that characterizes “career” politicos in Washington has induced a state of myopia so acute that they're blind to the perils that confront the American experiment. For example, partisan battles at home make it difficult to speak with one voice on foreign policy in the war on terror.
Or how about the obstruction and infighting on energy policy, which only sustains our current dependence on fossil fuels and necessitates a presence in the Middle East. And with an unfunded fiscal exposure on entitlements (Medicare, Medicaid, and social security) that exceeds $46-trillion, we'll soon be unable to service our nation's debt.
Now ask yourself, when is the last time a "career" politician ever broached the deficit/debt impact that their spending proposals would set in motion? Never mind attacks on the homeland, with foreigners controlling 60% of our fuel sources and over 50% of our debt, they could tank our nation's livelihood without firing a shot.
After handing government a conservative mandate for change in 2004 (as seen in control of a majority of governorships, both houses of Congress, and the executive branch), many vo [Response was truncated to maximum response length of 2000 characters.]
Source: Submitted by Roy Tanner Date: 10/16/2006 |
| Government Agencies, a General Statement |
Tanner: No Response |
| States' Rights |
Tanner: No Response |
| Influence of Special Interests |
Tanner: No Response |
| Lobbying Reform |
Tanner: No Response |
| Reporting of Lobbyist Contacts |
Tanner: No Response |
| Government Ethics |
Tanner: No Response |
| Government Officials Becoming Lobbyists |
Tanner: No Response |
| Executive Branch Employees Accepting Corporate Gifts |
Tanner: No Response |
| Earmarks |
Tanner: The announcement reply I received was brief and to the point, "If you're planning to be a "career" politician, you'd better be prepared to sell your soul." Of all the advice that I'd take to heart in my run for higher office, in retrospect, nothing could be more prudent than the admonition of maintaining your integrity.
According to media research, the FBI's focus on public corruption includes over 2,000 cases that are currently under investigation. High profile scandals include everything from IL Governor George Ryan's conviction for racketeering and fraud, to the Jack Abramoff lobbying inquiry, to the multi-pronged corruption probes associated with House Representative Randy Cunningham's guilty plea.
To counter the corruption, I'm running for the U.S. Senate (FL). And while I have no interest in becoming a "whistle blower" and have pledged not to engage in the politics of personal attack, my campaign is devoted to reforming the political process as it now exists in Washington D.C. Aside from policing human nature though, how can the institutionalized practices (that lead to abuse) be improved?
Said differently, independent of demands for character and qualifications from those who represent us, how can the complex legislative phenomena that our founder's set in motion - as the primary value-mediating institution in American society, perform at a higher standard? The stakes are huge when our answer will yield either better accountability from Congress, or settling for rule by thieves.
Iron triangles - What invites corruption most are closed, mutually supportive relationships that often prevail between government agencies, special interest lobbying organizations, and the legislative committees that have jurisdiction over a particular area of government policy. These triangles are said to be as "strong as iron" versus other interests, which are excluded from policy-making.
Career politicians - The common welfare of the citizenry is also sacrifice [Response was truncated to maximum response length of 2000 characters.]
Source: Submitted by Roy Tanner Date: 10/16/2006 |
| Bureaucracy |
Tanner: No Response |
| Privatization |
Tanner: No Response |
| Sunset Clauses |
Tanner: No Response |
| Freedom of Information Act |
Tanner: No Response |
| Citizen Participation |
Tanner: No Response |
| Availability of Government Information |
Tanner: No Response |
| Live Broadcasts of Agency Deliberations |
Tanner: No Response |
| Regulatory Relief |
Tanner: No Response |
| Single 6 Year Term for US President |
Tanner: No Response |
| Term Limits for Supreme Court & Federal Justices |
Tanner: No Response |
| Term Limits for US Representatives and Senators |
Tanner: No Response |
| FEMA and Hurricane Katrina |
Tanner: No Response |
| New Orleans |
Tanner: No Response |
| U.S. Postal Service |
Tanner: No Response |