Ken Driessen
Other | Wisconsin
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Ken Driessen
Party
Other
Election Year
2018
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 7
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Michigan Tech, Houghton, MDET, 88
UW, River Falls, 85
Mount Scenario, Ladysmith, 84
WORK & MILITARY
USN, SR, 1976
AFFILIATIONS
IBEW, Inside Wireman, USW
Union Steward, Peace North, Web Administrator
Local Ideas Inc NPO, Chairman
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
No Answer
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.
No Answer
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.
No Answer
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.
No Answer
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has a livable income.
Agree
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health insurance.
Agree
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
No Answer
More restrictive gun control is needed to protect public safety.
Agree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
No Answer
Additional regulations are needed to prevent climate change.
Neutral
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
No Answer
The United States should help defend Israel from attack by its enemies.
Neutral
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.
No Answer
Islamic law (Sharia) should take precedence over national and state laws where there are Islamic majority communities in the U. S.
No Answer
Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
No Answer
People should be allowed to use public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms based on "gender identity."
No Answer
I support sanctuary cities.
No Answer
It is OK for Congress to exempt itself from compliance with laws applicable to all citizens.
Strongly Disagree
I support the death penalty.
Disagree
Tuition-free public education should be guaranteed through college.
Agree
The United States should protect its sovereignty from the United Nations.
No Answer
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
No Answer
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2010 General Election, 2012 General Election, 2014 General Election, 2016 General Election
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
This is the United States where women have as much a right to use birth control as women also have a right not to use birth control. Think of it this way, in countries where abortion is not allowed under any circumstance there are cases of women committing suicide rather than give birth to a baby impregnated as a result of a rape. Personally I do not believe the government has the right to make rules over a woman's body and until the fetus can live as a baby independent of the mother, it is inherently unmistakably part of the woman's body. I can tell by the sponsors of this voter guide that my opinion is no doubt unpopular with a great number of the users of this guide. That is why I will implement Direct Participatory Democracy for our district. No male has the right to decide these things upon their personal beliefs. Things involving social norms and moral fabric of the district as a whole need to be voted on and decided by the majority of the district as a whole.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
Just like many earlier multiple choice questions in this survey, this question, the way this question is presented, answering it will logically lead to a false dichotomy. The question contains assumptions that Islam, an Abrahamic religion, sharing many of the same prophets and patriarchs as Judaism and Christianity share, is readily associated with terrorism. We know for certain that Iraq was not involved with the 9-11 attacks and Saddam did not possess any significant weapons of mass destruction in 2003. The Iraqi deaths due to the invasion by the United States Operation Iraqi Liberation, war related causes of death range from 500,000 to over a million since the 2003 invasion began. With all respect to the Veterans, with all respect to Christianity, what if someone asked you if the United State should help eradicate Fundamentalist Christian terrorism? There are 2.2 billion Christians in the world and 1.6 billion Muslims, calling each other terrorists will not bring peace.
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
From the time of the Magna Carta written in the 13th century divisions of power unto monarchy,barons and courts took place in European countries. In fact the first parliament, a representative sort of democracy first existed back in 10th century Europe. Not that a little pride and patriotism is all bad, I think it is beneficial to place the founding of the United States into historical reality. In spite of all their wisdom the founding fathers were genocidal to Natives and owned slaves.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe that to be legitimate, any religious teaching has to allow and even embrace, facilitate the health well being and longevity of all individuals as well as of the whole of humanity within and respecting of the finite biosphere of the planet we share. I feel that some Christians or some conservatives for lack of a better word have all but forgotten some of the most important parables of Jesus which are: "treat others as you wish to be treated, Luke 6:31, the least among us shall be our masters, Matthew 25:31, Love Your Enemies, Matthew 5:44". It does not matter if you are a Hebrew, a Gentile, a Christian, a Muslim, a Pagan or an Atheist; you can follow these words if you only chose. I have at times failed at all three of these lessons from Jesus but at least I try to live by them. I consider myself spiritual yet I am also quite earthly and scientific a naturalist, it would take a book...
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?
No Answer
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I am an Independent and my statement of principles is direct participatory democracy. Both a Democracy and a legitimate Constitutional republic are based on the will of the majority. I have a system which I will put in place when I am elected where every registered voter will be able to cast a vote on every law and appropriation that goes before the House of Representatives and I will cast the majority vote of the people who participate whether I agree with their vote or not. This plan to democratize the district I am campaigning to represent is not liberal or conservative, it does not fit into either fictitious category. I think dividing people up into two opposing camps is unproductive and not even true or real. We as individual citizens of a collective of a nation need to rethink our priorities and the goals, the moral fabric that unites us rather than divides us. We the majority need a legitimate vote.
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
A universal national health care program, something like Medicare for all will become a reality. Even a Koch brothers funded study completed this last summer concluded that a Medicare for all program would save money and provide better care for everyone. A small increase in workers medicare-medicaid tax, plus regulating, eliminating off shore tax havens and eliminating some tax loop holes for the extremely wealthy which has allowed them to pay far lower tax rates than working class people; would more than pay for a humane level of healthcare for all. This would eliminate the need for companies and workers to pay for exorbitant private for profit health insurance premiums. Which it turn would help make out industries and goods more cost competitive lowering our trade deficits. Please consider that conservatives including my Republican opponent are opposed to national healthcare wanting private healthcare for profit.
What role should government play in boosting the economy?
Contrary to neo-republican free market Ayn Rand-ish ideology, the US Constitution specifically states that Congressional responsibilities include regulating commerce and coining the money. If one bothers to read the US Declaration of Independence, the Preamble of and the Articles of the US Constitution, much of it is synonymous with the definition of socialism. The prevailing economic trend has been to use mechanization and computerization to eliminate workers to increase the profits of the owner investor class. With news media and economic powers that be continuing to divide us into conservative and liberal camp those that are wealthy beyond fathom of the rest of us are calling the shots. We can use our wealth in a more equitable fashion to increase the quality of life for all. Instead of listening to divided camps we need Direct Participatory Democracy we need to make our national decisions based on majority mandate.
What changes should be made to the tax code?
The tax code, taxation is authorized by Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the US Constitution as well as in other places in the Constitution. Therefore certain people that label themselves conservative who hate socialism and call all taxes thievery are advocating insurrection. I think the notion of taxation has been handed down for generations to collectively provide for or,"to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of", nations of people. Up until now, if you want roads, if you want libraries and schools we have needed public contributions. In fact it will take years to transcend, to adapt my plan. Abraham Lincoln and US Congress printed green back dollars independent of the international banking cartel during the Civil War. We can develop a system where we have value based money instead of debt based money. Until then we need to regulate off shore banking and eliminate loop holes.
What is the best way to bring down unemployment?
We live in a time where increased mechanization and computerization means we can produce more products and services using less people. At the same time certain conservative ideologies as well as the higher standard of living brought by increased efficiency; is increasing our population exponentially. Humanity has evolved from hunting gatherers, to agriculturalists, to industrial workers and now to service industries; something I have sarcastically called burger flippers. In my opinion we need educators that are capable of helping people to improve upon their critical and creative thinking skills. We need more healthcare workers, we need people that can mediate, negotiate and learn to solve problems between individuals and nations peacefully. Our financial system our monetary system has to evolve away from a privately owned debt based money to a publicly owned value based system so we can utilize everyone's services in exchange for a decent standard of living for everyone.
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
The first thing we need to do is vote out all elected selected officials who are robbing from the Social Security trust fund to finance their wars and greed with the money workers earned and put into the fund. Social Security is earned and people in public office that call it an entitlement need to be removed from office. Tax breaks loop holes and access to low interest and interest free fiat money that the elite royal unconstitutional nobile class awards themselves and bailing themselves out with taxpayer money when they fail is a white collar crime and many elected selected officials coddle up to these modern day robber baron hedge fund operator types, some of which rake in over a billion dollars a year. We need to reward people who have good ideas that benefit all of us equally and work for the benefit of all rather than work for the elite few who take from us like a thief rather than serve humanity to obtain there wealth. Direct Participatory Democracy is needed to overrule them.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I was born in Milwaukee in 1956, graduated from Hayward High School in 1974 where I was recognized as an artist, excelled in shop classes. My college education was a disaster due to being falsely accused of cheating and my transcripts being frozen, although I did learn a lot. Many intelligent hard working underutilized people are in the same position I am because of a corrupt higher education system designed for the profit of the few at the expense and economic disaster of the many. None the less,I worked many jobs from, music teacher, nurses aide. first responder in a mine, union steward, mechanic, machinist, welder, electrician and in engineering. As far as representing people without offering them a meaningful vote on the issues, nobody is qualified to do that, we need Direct Participatory Democracy(DPD),that is what I intend to establish in our District. I( have spoken and played music in front of hundreds of people, I am an experienced web site administrator who can implement DPD.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you:
kendriessen@wethepeoplerule.net
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
There is far too much money involved in elections and no real message no plan to improve our lives. I am offering a methodology to allow each member of our district to vote on the laws and appropriations before the House of Representatives. I do not need your money.All I need is your vote. I will be speaking in public, writing and making videos to get my message out expressing the need for a change from a plutocratic kleptocracy to a true democracy where every person who desires can participate in our government. Yes We The People are the government and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I so far have done everything that gets done in my campaign my self. I plan on improving and adding meaningful content to my web site as I go. Very one is welcome to visit the site whether you are in the Wisconsin 7th Congressional District or not: http://wethepeoplerule.net. I'd like to thank the Ivoterguide people for their work and publishing my survey question answers. Good Day
