Don Kissick

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2010 General Election, 2012 General Election, 2014 General Election, 2016 General Election

The issue of Life vs. Choice just is not the black & white issue I once believed. There are competing truths on both sides that require equal consideration. I believe life begins at conception. Furthermore, I find the rate at which medical abortions are performed deeply troubling. The first uncomfortable truth, however, standing in the way of any effort to ban the practice of abortion is that prohibition never works. Another uncomfortable truth is that while the unborn child is truly alive and in their most vulnerable position of any stage of human life, any decision whether to continue with pregnancy or end it invariably concerns the body of the woman who is carrying and her right to decide what happens with her body. Lastly, conception and pregnancy do not (and cannot) come with a guarantee of carrying to term and live birth. We could accomplish more to reduce the rate at which abortions are performed via reducing the demand: by making birth control available over the

While we always should maintain a strong military through effective training and modernized hardware, I believe the most effective path to eliminating the threat of radical Islamist ideology is an economic one. We have more than enough domestic oil deposits to meet our country's petroleum consumption needs for generations. I also support actively drilling for our own oil and putting an end to our incessant overseas military interventionism. This two-pronged approach to our own policies would force those Muslim nations which are most actively financing the spread of that ideology to tax and allocate greater volumes of monies for these efforts and their own military needs. That would create a dynamic shift in the paradigm for that part of the world, better enabling the citizens of those countries to take control of their own destinies.

According to author W. Cleon Skousen, the idea of separating the powers of the three branches of government was to use humanity's propensity for jealously guarding its own holdings as a means to keep any one area of government from amassing too much power. Through the system of checks and balances, each branch of the federal government held the means of preventing either (or both) of the other two branches from accumulating additional power outside of what was enumerated in the Constitution.

I am a non-denominational Christian. I believe the four Gospels serve as the core of how we are expected to reflect God's light while the Old Testament gives vitally important context for much of what Christ said and did in his time of earthly ministry and the epistles which follow offer good guidance in understanding how to apply the lessons of the Gospel in day-to-day living.

Moderate

Reviewing my Notes section at my Facebook page and a simple Google search will lead anyone to an extensive body of essays and blog entries regarding my libertarian outlook. Some of my viewpoints have changed somewhat since I published those writings, but my philosophy on (very) limited government remains. To extrapolate on what it means to be a libertarian (which, unfortunately, is not one of the options for candidates to select), the best way to describe myself is as a small-government moderate. Spending should be minimal. Authority over people's personal matters should be even more restricted. Government's primary purpose should be to bring to justice those who violate the rights of others, serve as a neutral arbitrator over civil disputes, and maintain -- within reason -- secure borders.

The best path to promote affordable and effective healthcare coverage is through getting the federal government out of the way and letting free enterprise work in this industry. The insurance industry is one of the worst inventions of the modern world. But by regulating it to the extreme the federal government does, we have locked our economy into a singular understanding of how to make medical services available and affordable for people of all income levels. This has served to suppress innovation in this particular arena and keep far too many people in a cycle of struggling to get care for themselves or loved ones. Deregulate health insurance and let corporate and non-profit operations innovate new ways to cover those who would seek it.

Ultimately, none. I advocate significant deregulation of industry along with federal tax reforms that are actually meaningful to everyday working Americans. On the second point, while I favor scrapping the tax code entirely and replacing it either with a simple flat tax or the Fair Tax, one change in taxation I intend to pursue is a dramatic reduction to federal diesel fuel taxes. The benefits of slashing diesel fuel taxes would be both swift and long-lasting. Transportation is one of the main pillars of America’s economy – along with manufacturing, tech, agriculture, and retail. All of those industries rely on a healthy transportation industry. Every product we buy is moved from one point to another by a diesel engine vehicle, whether you’re talking about its raw materials, separate components, or the final product. This would improve everyone’s cost of living – making a great many necessities more affordable for middle class and lower-income families.

To reiterate: I favor scrapping the tax code entirely and replacing it either with a simple flat tax or the Fair Tax. Realistically in the short-term, one change in taxation I intend to pursue is a dramatic reduction to federal diesel fuel taxes. The benefits of slashing diesel fuel taxes would be both swift and long-lasting. Transportation is one of the main pillars of America’s economy – along with manufacturing, tech, agriculture, and retail. All of those industries rely on a healthy transportation industry. Every product we buy is moved from one point to another by a diesel engine vehicle, whether you’re talking about its raw materials, separate components, or the final product. This would improve everyone’s cost of living – making a great many necessities more affordable for middle class and lower-income families.

Deregulation of industry and major simplifications to the tax code. In effect, let a free market work.

The federal government needs sweeping reforms to how it spends. By accepting this truth and treating nothing as sacrosanct, we ought to be able to bring the federal budget to a sufficient surplus so as to direct portions of it toward shoring-up the Social Security Trust Fund. Ultimately, though, whether or not that can become reality I believe we ought to give every taxpayer the opportunity to opt-out of Social Security if they so choose.

First and foremost, I meet the constitutional qualifications as stated in Article I, Section 2. I have actively studied the Constitution and principles of federalism since joining the Libertarian Party nine years ago. Additionally, my active involvement in party leadership over the years has greatly expanded my political horizons. Also, I view my oath when I enlisted in the United States Navy as still being in full effect. As a father, husband, and average everyday auto worker, with my wife we have to deal with the day-to-day realities of living within our means while we honestly earn our respective livings. This simple aspect is painfully missing from the mindset on Capitol Hill.

kissickforohio@aclpo.org 419-302-7269

I have gone from the U.S.A. to the Strait of Hormuz and through the Straits of Magellan. In all my travels while I was in the Navy and in the years since, there is no place like northwestern Ohio. We live in the greatest cross-section of Americana you can find: we are the heart of the Midwest’s manufacturing output; we are an agricultural hub; our towns hold appeal for someone who likes downtown shopping as well as the avid outdoorsman. We have a rich history yet we are boldly charging forward into a new millennium. Northwestern Ohio keeps the heart of Middle America beating. It is my wish to represent you all in the House of Representatives. I pledge to do so with an independent minded spirit.