Johnathan McFarland
Green | Missouri
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Johnathan McFarland
Party
Green
Election Year
2016
Election
General
Race
U.S. Senator
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
(Candidate did not provide)
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Scene Everywhere, Founder and Director, Gateway Greens
9th Ward Committeeman, Missouri Green Party, St. Louis Representative
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
6th Ward ALderman of the City of St. Louis, 2015
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
none sought
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Congress should repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
Disagree
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Disagree
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Strongly Disagree
The U.S. military should wait for militant Islamic groups to directly threaten our national security on our shores, rather than eradicate them now wherever they may be worldwide.
Disagree
The United States must maintain a nuclear arsenal that is safe, reliable, modern and numerically superior to those of potential adversaries.
Strongly Disagree
I support legislation such as the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) that would prohibit discrimination against individuals, organizations and small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Strongly Disagree
The federal government should establish Common Core as a nationwide academic standard for high school graduation.
Strongly Disagree
I oppose the resettlement of Syrian refugees into the U.S. without proper vetting.
Neutral
Current regulations on domestic oil exploration and drilling are more restrictive than are necessary.
Strongly Disagree
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health care and a livable income.
Strongly Agree
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
Disagree
More restrictive gun control laws are needed to protect public safety.
Agree
The founders established pure democracy in the Constitution because they believed that it is the best form of government to ensure the safety and equitable treatment of all citizens.
Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property turn mankind's natural self-interest into the most productive economic system there is.
Disagree
Governments should pay to develop wind and solar energy solutions until they are economically feasible.
Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States.
Agree
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with public funds.
Strongly Disagree
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Agree
The United States should help defend Israel from attack by its enemies.
Disagree
Planned Parenthood should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Disagree
Marijuana should be legalized and regulated like tobacco and alcohol.
Strongly Agree
Islamic law (Sharia) does not pose a threat to the United States and its Constitution.
Agree
Based on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, please arrange the following entities, starting with the highest source of authority, and continue the list in descending order of authority, skipping any that do not apply: Academia, Congress, Constitution, God, Industry, Media, Professional Sports, Supreme Court, Voters.
Constitution, Voters, Supreme Court, Congress.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe that it should be a woman's choice whether or not to proceed with a pregnancy. To alleviate the burden of someone having an unwanted pregnancy, we should ensure that every American has adequate healthcare and a livable wage. Outside of health concerns and abuse, the most common reason a woman considers abortion is due to financial concerns. In our nation, people do not have the right to impose their beliefs on others. Therefore, the decision to continue, or not continue a pregnancy should be left to the woman who is pregnant.
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
America's Founders defined, separated, and limited powers in the Constitution due to mankind's propensity to be tyrannical, and oppressive. They also wished to increase political awareness, and to allow states to incubate new ideas and programs so as to make these United States better than the lands from which they left.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in God and Jesus as a prophet and savior. I believe that in most people there is an innate desire to be the best that they can be. I value life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as a condition of a meaningful human experience. We have a duty to shape our culture in a way that promotes these innate good qualities and discourages the greed and corruption that we are currently inundated with in our political sphere. I believe direct Democracy is a more reliable way of achieving this goal than our current Republic. If people were more thoroughly educated we would have more civic engagement. I also believe that no representative for any state can represent the individuals comprising the electorate without having lived with them, as they live. There should be no such thing as a "career politician," because living in the comforts of such a position distances that person from the real issues facing everyday people.
Considering all issues (social, economic, national security, etc.), which of these best describes you?
Liberal
Please defend your answer to the previous question by referencing your publicly available track record.
For the past seven years, I have worked to improve St. Louis with organizations such as the North St. Louis Arts Council, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), Jobs With Justice, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Gateway Green Alliance, and others. In 2012, I began my own non-profit organization, with the purpose of working with at-risk youth in St. Louis and the surrounding area, toward self-sufficiency through art-based education. I have worked on an initiative to raise the minimum wage, and in 2013 supported a participatory budgeting project in the 6th Ward of St. Louis. I have worked with the St. Louis Green Party since 2009, and in 2014, I ran for St. Louis City’s 6th Ward Alderman, and received 17% of the vote. Since then, I have designed a proposal to develop and restore the St. Louis North Riverfront, and worked with members of the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression (CAPCR) to support the passage of the Civilian Oversight Board.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you.
elect.jmcfarland@gmail.com (314)472-5986
Additional comment from candidate:
I have developed and supported many innovative solutions to community issues. If elected, my first priority is community inclusion in decision- making processes that affect our cities and towns. I will work each day to ensure that the needs of our entire state are understood, and are accommodated fairly and effectively. I will work to protect Missouri families from the damages caused by career politicians who are increasingly disinterested in what is best for Missouri. My goal is to bring Missouri into the 21st century and protect our natural resources by focusing on sustainable energy sources. I would also like to incorporate programs to increase jobs and manufacturing in Missouri. The multiple choice questions above should allow for explanations; if your organization's true interest is in non-partisanship. They are clearly steered in one direction, but many of my ideas on these topics are outside of traditional answers.
