Russell Beste
Independent | Vermont
Candidate Profile
Leans Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Russell Beste
Party
Independent
Election Year
2018
Election
General
Race
U.S. Senator
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
U.C. Davis, Davis, BS, 1980
U.C. Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, MS, 1991
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Controlled Release Society, Member, Sierra Club
Member Since 1964, Champlain Elementary PTO, Vice President
Vemont Biosciences Alliance, Board Member, MassBio
Member, Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout, Scoutmaster
American Society Cell Biology, Member
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.
Neutral
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.
Neutral
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.
Neutral
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.
Neutral
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has a livable income.
Neutral
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health insurance.
Neutral
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
Disagree
More restrictive gun control is needed to protect public safety.
Neutral
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Additional regulations are needed to prevent climate change.
Strongly Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Disagree
The United States should help defend Israel from attack by its enemies.
Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.
Disagree
Islamic law (Sharia) should take precedence over national and state laws where there are Islamic majority communities in the U. S.
Disagree
Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Agree
People should be allowed to use public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms based on "gender identity."
Disagree
I support sanctuary cities.
Neutral
It is OK for Congress to exempt itself from compliance with laws applicable to all citizens.
Disagree
I support the death penalty.
Agree
Tuition-free public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
The United States should protect its sovereignty from the United Nations.
Disagree
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Neutral
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2012 General Election, 2014 General Election, 2016 General Election
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Before the fetus becomes human. eg ~ 3 months. Open to deeper discussions on when life begins.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
Managed immigration. Assistance to other countries to move Islam away from terrorism and more closely aligned with the western world while still maintaining their religous beliefs.
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
The believe in goodness in mankind.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Not dogmatic, rather spiritual but also realizing there is so much we don't know. The one thing we do know is that life as we know it is wonderful, the most amazing of all gifts, and in this light we should spend more time loving one another and appreciating what we have.
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.
Hard worker throughout life. Grew up with great parents. Paid for my graduate schooling. Hard worker entire life. Stay at home dad 5 years. Raising 3 kids, have coached numerous boys and girls soccer and little league teams, lead cub scout and boy scout troops, served as Vice President of my kids elementary school PTO for several years. Lifelong member Sierra Club environmental organization.
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
Work hard to ensure baseline health care coverage for all. Implement progressive tax on higher income levels (it takes money to make money).
What role should government play in boosting the economy?
Fund and support long term research products. Well managed infrastructure projects. Provide baseline inexpensive online collegiate and trades education.
What changes should be made to the tax code?
Implement progressive taxation at higher levels, it takes money to make money.
What is the best way to bring down unemployment?
Create more jobs by providing improved online training to all who want it and by better managing our government to run more like a business.
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
Need to streamline our government to be more efficient. Need to better train workers to be more productive. Need to balance big government with big business, both are important in different ways to our economy.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I am 56 years old and have held leadership positions throughout my life. I am well spoken and have many great new ideas, with tons of energy within me to accomplish them. I also am very good at helping folks reach a middle ground of compromise. I have undergraduate and graduate technical degrees that provides me with very strong knowledge of technology, and I am very quick to find successful solutions to problems. I am also a doer not a talker! I also never give up, and I am Independent which consequently means I can and will focus on issues, not taking sides. I am also entirely self funded, I don't owe a dime or favor to anyone, and am thus able to focus exclusively on issues without debt to anyone.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you:
rbeste@gmail.com, 802-236-8650
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I'm Russell Beste, Independent Self Funded Vermonter for U.S. Senate. I'm an energetic positive leader with a life-long track record of getting things done. My plans are to bring clean well-paying jobs to Vermont; to protect our environment, schools, small businesses, and working families; be fiscally responsible; and focus on issues not sides. I am focused on bringing clean, well-paying jobs to Vermont so that our Families, Seniors, Children, and Children's Children, can continue to live in prosperity in Vermont! To accomplish this, we need more clean, well paying jobs! We can easily do this by bringing clean, small to mid-size companies with focus on technology (biotech, cloud computing, additive manufacturing), strongly support our local grown, globally recognized arts (crafts, arts, local foods, microbrews), and enable our many talented small businesses by balancing regulations with needs. Beste has spent his entire career successfully building these kinds of companies!
