The image above was provided by Mirror Indy.
Q&A
Why are you running for Indiana House District 97?
The answer is almost cliche, but I want to make a difference. As a Libertarian, I see the Democrats and Republicans moving in a direction that I think is, in the long term, going to be adverse to most Hoosiers. The fundamentals of being a Libertarian are the respect for the individual and the free market. I just want to be a voice in the legislature to advocate for those things and to improve legislation that’s going through the house. I’m an individual that’s going to be able to work with people in both parties. I’ve met legislators on both sides of the aisle that I respect, and I would look forward to working with them.
What committees do you feel you’d be best equipped to serve on in the upcoming legislative session?
I’m a chemical engineer from Rose Holman, so the logical answer is any of the committees that are dealing with science and technology issues. I’d also like to serve on committees that control the budget more directly, because that is where I feel I can actually have a big impact. I would definitely offer to work with anybody when there’s common interest to produce better legislation and contribute to the process.
What would be your top priority if elected?
It’s going to be interesting to see how this next legislative election goes. There’s some really bad ideas out there now. You can see that in states like California, Maryland, Washington State and New York, with [Zohran] Mamdani. So part of what I want to accomplish, although I hate to say it, is to make sure these really bad ideas don’t come to fruition in Indiana as well. Some examples of that would be a wealth surtax, taxation on unrealized gains, free grocery stores like in New York, and other things that are actually going to undercut the free market. Some of them are well intended, but the consequences are going to be bad. I’d also like to eliminate waste in government spending at the state level like we have at the Federal level. I am also passionate about election integrity. I am definitely opposed to the mass mailing of ballots, it creates too much uncertainty in election results. I’m also concerned about privacy, because everything you do can be recorded now, whether it be by Meta Glasses or automatic license plate readers (ALPR). The ALPRs are everywhere, and they’re recording all your movements. As a Libertarian, I have serious questions about who has access to that data and what it is being used for. Any issue where people’s privacy may be violated is something I’m very concerned about.
What do you think is the biggest problem for the residents of Indiana House District 97 and how would you address it?
I think the biggest problem for District 97 is its general economic development. Generally speaking, it’s run down and I think we need to focus on bringing good, working class jobs to the district. Expanding Eli Lilly or relocating a corporate headquarters is not going to help the average resident. We have to have real jobs available to folks, and that’s a function of both the state and the city, in terms of creating a good economic environment for us. Some of the policy decisions we have made recently have stifled economic development. We should be taking advantage of the jobs leaving places like California, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts. We should be drawing them here. Sure, the climate isn’t as good as Florida, but I believe Indiana is a pretty good place to live and we should make an effort to develop our communities through bringing good jobs here.
What role do you think the federal government or national organizations should play in state and local politics?
As little as possible. I don’t know what else I can say to that. I would argue that it’s oftentimes the actions of the national government that cause a lot of the economic problems that we’re seeing now. When you take a look at the federal government right now, national spending is around $7 trillion annually. That’s outrageous, especially with the size of our deficit. Everybody’s very concerned today about the basic cost of living anymore, and a lot of those problems are actually caused by the actions of the federal government. When your national debt is approaching $40 trillion, that’s an inflationary environment which just undercuts everybody’s savings and wages. My personal background is being a first generation American, as my folks immigrated to the United States from Germany post World War II. The economic hardship that my parents experienced was just incredible, and we haven’t experienced that same type of hardship in this country in the last 100 years. However, if our state and national leaders don’t get their act together, that kind of hardship may be brought upon us again.
Why should voters support you?
Because I truly will be a voice for the people. I’m going to be a person who asks questions. Again, my motivation is to work to promote good ideas and to stop bad ideas. I’m also very comfortable saying that I can work with both parties. I mean, I’m not really going to have a choice, I’m going to have to work with both parties as a Libertarian.
