Tom Ferkinhoff
Libertarian | Indiana
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Tom Ferkinhoff
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 6
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Batesville High School, Batesville, IN, 1980
Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, IN, BS, 1984
WORK & MILITARY
Thomas Ferkinhoff Prof Corp, Owner, 24
AFFILIATIONS
Son Serfer youth ministries, Director, 1st Wesleyan Church Richmond
Trustee, Fountain City Wesleyan Church, Treasurer/lay leader
Habitat for Humanity, construction volunteer, Randolph County EDC
board member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
US House 6th District IN, 2018
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Agree
I support the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires health care providers to provide life-saving treatment for infants who survive an attempted abortion.
Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I don't think abortion is an issue in a U.S. House race. The Supreme Court has made it clear that this is their arena and house members have no say in confirming Supreme Court Justices.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
Currently a person who delays their Social Security benefits until age 70 can raise their benefits by 8% for each year they delay. With interest rates being so low that rate needs to be lowered as well. A child under the age of 18 should not receive benefits just because their parent receives retirement benefits (note that a child whose parent becomes disabled or dies would still receive benefits). Allow young people to divert a portion of their SS taxes that are withheld from their paychecks to an investment account.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
We need to reduce spending across the board and then particularly look at agencies like the USDA and the FDA that overlap and eliminate the redundancies. The Department of Homeland Security that has repeatedly sidestepped the constitution spy on U.S. citizens should be eliminated.
Under what circumstances should taxpayers help pay off existing student loans?
If the person who owes the debt works for the federal government.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Governments should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Agree
I promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles.
Yes
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Note that this phrase does not appear in the U.S. Constitution. The federal government should not favor one religion over another. The government do what it can to insure that everyone has the freedom to practice the religion that they choose. Churches and exempt religious organizations should stay out of politics and refrain from lobbying.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
I support the elimination of private healthcare insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
Allow Medicare to negotiate for drug prices for those with Medicare coverage. Remove the government regulation from the system that causes prices to be inflated.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Agree
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
The conflict between Islam, Christians and Jews has been going on for thousands of years and it is not something that the U.S. is going to solve.
IMMIGRATION
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.
Disagree
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should be abolished.
Disagree
State and federal funds should be denied to any public or private entity, including but not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.
Neutral
Employers should be required to use E-verify to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.
Disagree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Optimally we should have fairly open borders. If you are not a known terrorist or there is no other reason that you are not likely to be a risk to U.S. citizens you should be allowed to come to the U.S. There are changes that would need to be made to the U.S. welfare system before this change could be implemented to insure that those who are coming to the country are coming to work and contribute to our society.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Neutral
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Agree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a born again Christian who believes that should show in the respect that a person shows for all other people. While a person's faith does affect their decision making process a person in office cannot create laws based on their personal convictions but must work to guarantee freedom for everyone to live according to their beliefs.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I agree with most of the Libertarian Party platform which is based on giving people the freedom to live their lives as they choose and to keep what they have worked for. Many people would consider that liberal when it comes to social issues but I believe that a true conservative would not want the government interfering in someone's personal relationship.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I have 35 years of experience as an independent business person with most of that being spent as a business advisor. My strength is evaluating data and trends to determine where issues are and what steps need to be taken based on that data and facts.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
The U.S. Constitution says that the right to bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED and we need to insure that right is protected.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
I support BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanction) against Israel if they refuse to allow the creation of a Palestinian state.
Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Agree
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
Balanced budget Eliminate/consolidate federal agencies Move federal employees from a defined benefit pension system to a defined contribution system
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No - Much of what is called racism in our society today is really racial insensitivity.
