Melina Baker
Libertarian | Texas
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Melina Baker
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2018
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist.32
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Stephen F Austin State University, Nacogdoches, BBA, 1988
WORK & MILITARY
BMA Theological Seminary, Bookkeeper, 2.5
Sadler's Smokehouse, HR/Payroll Coordinator, 3
Superior Fiberglass, Sales/IT Support, 9
ACCESS, CFO, 5
AFFILIATIONS
Central Baptist Church, Sunday School Teacher, Boy Scouts of America
Cubmaster/Multiple Other, HOPE, Coats For Kids Organizer/Board Member
Jacksonville Soccer Association, Coach/Trainer/Board Member, Cherokee Civic Theatre
Director's Assistant, Libertarian Party of Texas, Treasurer
Libertarian Party of Cherokee County, County Chair
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
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.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I am personally opposed to abortion. I consider it acceptable as a morally difficult and regrettable decision only if the mother's life is in danger, and even then, it must be a personal decision for her and/or her family. From a legal perspective the government's place in legislating abortion is to establish a legal moment of life, and then treat it under existing law.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure 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
Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Agree
What role should government play in boosting the economy?
The government is notoriously bad at making businesslike decisions. It should leave business to business and business will find a way to boost the economy through its own autonomous acts.
What changes should be made to the tax code?
We need to do away with property taxes, which by definition means that a property "owner" can never fully own their own property, since it is subject to being taken away by the government for failure to pay property taxes. Income-based tax encourages taxpayers to minimize their reportable income, especially under the current tax code that thrives on loopholes and workarounds. I believe taxes should be consumption-based and flat rate. This greatly minimizes the overhead needed to manage the tax code and it puts more autonomy into the hands of the taxpayer, thus making government more accountable and transparent for the sake of "earning" its keep.
What is the best way to bring down unemployment?
Encouraging the growth of business by reducing the overhead created by government on private industry would bring about job growth, as would the expectation that those without jobs would be expected to provide some sort of service in exchange for benefits or charity. This encourages an individual to maintain a sense of worth and value while at the same time incentivizing them to find work at the greatest wage possible.
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
Retirement income should be privatized. Social Security was not intended to be an ongoing program, but was instead intended to get our aging citizens through a country-wide economic crisis. Leaving 7.65% of income in the hands of the employee to invest for his retirement makes him accountable for his own future.
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.
Strongly Agree
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with taxpayer or public funds.
Strongly Disagree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Disagree
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
As a Congresswoman, it would not be my job to interfere on this front.
NATIONAL SECURITY
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 United States should help defend Israel from attack by its enemies.
Disagree
Islamic law (Sharia) should take precedence over national and state laws where there are Islamic majority communities in the U. S.
Strongly Disagree
I support sanctuary cities.
Neutral
The United States should protect its sovereignty from the United Nations.
Agree
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?
Living in a free country requires brave citizens. I don't believe it is possible to eradicate the threat of terrorism as long as there is evil in the world that wants to aggress against us. I do, however, believe that we would be wise to invest in improving technology so that immediate and thorough background checks are possible for people crossing into our country, as well as technology capable of identifying and eliminating active threats earlier. Training of our protectors to identify and quickly handle terrorist threats is also critical, as well as active awareness on the part of the citizenry. Subjecting citizens to onerous and invasive violations of their privacy is not the answer to this problem. Our government preyed upon our fear in the aftermath of 911 to enact Homeland Security and other invasive measures and instead has made us subject to a form of domestic terrorism in the hands of the government.
EDUCATION
Tuition-free public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
Agree
People should be allowed to use public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms based on "gender identity."
Neutral
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
Our founding fathers had observed mankind's greed and desire for power in and were wise enough to know that the way to prevent such problems in the new country was to spread power across several bodies to prevent abuse of power and exploiting positions. I believe that many of our founding fathers were men of faith, I don't believe they were all men of the same faith. They recognized that the only way to be completely free to exercise their own faith was to vigorously protect the rights of all.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a born again Christian, believing that God is our creator and the creator of our universe. We are fallen beings, flawed by sin, so that God had to send His son to live a perfect life and die as a substitute for me on the cross. By faith I am saved, and evidence of my salvation is my works. I live by the biblical commandments to love the Lord my God and to love my neighbors as I love myself. Those two tenets, further defined by the ideals of liberty and justice as found in the constitution, guide me in day to day living.
ABOUT YOU
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2010 General Election, 2010 Democratic Primary, 2012 General Election, 2014 General Election, 2016 General Election
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?
Moderate
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
What does this even mean??? I consider myself moderate because I believe that I can personally hold myself to conservative Christian values while understanding that the role of government is not to hold everyone else to the standards I apply in my own life, but to establish a level playing field for all, to exert minimal interference in the lives of its citizens and only at times that one citizens aggresses on the person, property, or liberties of another. Private business should be permitted to operate as it sees fit, and citizens should be active participants in economic and political decision-making.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I'm an average citizen. I have a 40 hours a week job where I am expected to give a full day's work for a full day's pay. I have limited resources and so am good at making best use of what I have. I have a family and a home and I volunteer on many fronts, so that I understand how to prioritize and execute efficiently. We need more common sense in government and that comes from practicing common sense in real life, not from an education. Sadly, we've come to equate a law degree with the law and we have wound up with a legal code that even lawyers don't comprehend fully. As a Christian and as a scout leader, I approach things first from a position of integrity rather from expediency. My degree in accounting doesn't hurt either!
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you:
I can be reached by email at melinabakerforcd32@gmail.com and by phone at 903-721-1443.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
Many of the scale questions were difficult to answer because they assumed I would think government SHOULD be involved in most issues. I don't believe that, so if my answers seem contradictory in places, it's because of this fact. I'm running for Congress because I see a need for change and I want to make a difference. I'm running in CD32 specifically because I believe we need a leadership change if we want to move the government more toward "we the people". I believe that citizens like me have a responsibility to participate in government each and every day. Most importantly, I believe it is important for citizens to stand up and speak out against things they see that are unjust, unfair, immoral, and just plain not right, even if they stand alone, even if the fight is lost even before it begins. Protest is important. We know that is so because the American Revolution started as a protest and led to our own independence. What better testimonial is there than that?
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support the death penalty.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
More restrictive gun control is needed to protect public safety.
Strongly Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Additional regulations are needed to prevent climate change.
Strongly Disagree
It is OK for Congress to exempt itself from compliance with laws applicable to all citizens.
Strongly Disagree
