John Hjersman
Libertarian | Colorado
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
John Hjersman
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 16
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
US Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY, BS, 1968
WORK & MILITARY
USNR, Lieutenant JG, 3
AFFILIATIONS
Libertarian Party of Colorado, Treasurer, Libertarian Party of El Paso County
Treasurer
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (2019)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
Candidate completed CCLC questionnaire on Climate-Clean Energy: Click on red "here" hotlink for access to Excel file.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
When a pregnant woman, well-informed of her options, desires it.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Agree
Actually, I support repeal of any existing laws against "aid in dying."
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
The tax code should not give breaks to favored businesses or professions. Computations should be simplified and the taxes should appear fair and reasonable to rational people.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Where to begin? If I could, I would wave a magic wand and remove pork from bills and ensure that the text of bills and their titles coincide. I would discourage giving taxpayer money to foreign governments, especially those unfriendly to the USA.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
College has become an institution of political molding in too many cases. That is not education and is certainly not a proper investment of taxpayer dollars. There should be no federal student loan program.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Slavery is supposed to have been outlawed in this country.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
When they're on fire. When they are successfully inciting members to commit offenses against people or property.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
Health insurance for routine health matters should not exist. Health insurance should be for catastrophic illness and insurance companies should not be effectively in charge of people's health decisions. This would free doctors to tend to patients instead of to coding nightmares. Costs would plummet.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
There are no circumstances under which any government should require ingestion of injection against a person's will. That doesn't mean that certain vaccinations aren't suitable prerequisites for some travel and/or occupations.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Stop attacking Islamic countries for a start. This is not rocket science.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Disagree
Why are we there? We have no business playing policeman to the world.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Agree
An border agents need to be allowed to do their jobs.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Productive, healthy, law-abiding people sworn to learn at least rudimentary English and their law-abiding, documented, immediate family members. At any time, but with numeric limits set by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to prevent overload of the country's ability to absorb the immigrants.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
The Department of Education should be dissolved.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Disagree
Basic morality is the golden rule. Judeo-Christian dogma complicates it unnecessarily.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Discrimination is part of having a brain. Bigotry is one very unfortunate form of discrimination. There are no special classes in a free society.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Neutral
Government has no business in what is essentially an individual couple's decision. Whether there is a religious accordance is up to the couple.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Neutral
Some institutions inherently favor a specific demographic, intentionally or not, insidiously or not. To make the sweeping statement that "the institutions in the United States" are fundamentally racist if nonsense.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in the basic goodness of humanity while recognizing that, by our very nature, survival comes before charity. I admire and try to live by the golden rule.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Ballot harvesting is too easy when voting is done by mail.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Every state should require in-person voting by identified citizens. Absentee ballots are appropriate when reasonable eligibility requirements are met.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Of course. When the media and politicians fan the flames, it gets worse. When people live alongside each other peacefully, that's domestic security. It ain't rocket science.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Societies work best when they're "color blind." Argentina is a good example. Creating a special class on a racial basis is anything but egalitarian.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
A. Environmental laws humbly and compassionately enforced are worth the cost. Zealous enforcement damages individuals and society.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
Energy is almost as vital as water to our society. As long as practices that are safe to people and to the environment are followed, anything that increases energy production should be pursued.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The protection of individual rights (including personal property).
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Lean Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
My answer needs no validation.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
free market exchange and limited government are this country's hope for the future.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Disagree
That depends on the department's policies, doesn't it? A police officer who can't distinguish an unconstitutional or illegal policy shouldn't be in law enforcement.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
Only if the police department is over funded. Mental health is a serious issue with plenty of legal implications. It deserves funding of its own.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Violent criminals may be deprived of their gun rights if the risk to society is deemed too great.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
That would be like suing the stationer or the pencil maker when you fail an exam.
