Matthew Smith
Republican | Pennsylvania
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Matthew Smith
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary and Spec. Elec. - Senate Dist 5
Race
State Rep., Dist. 169
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
York County High School, York, High School Diploma, 2005
WORK & MILITARY
Scotty's Tire & Auto Service, Full-service auto tech, safety/emissions inspector, 8
Banker's Life & Casualty/CNO Financial, Agent, Management- Unit Field Trainer, 3
Transamerica/Monumental, Career Agent, 2
Kelso Insurance, Agent/Broker, 2
Route 30 Seafood, Cook, 11
Self employed, General Contractor, 7
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)
FreePA
PA Economic Growth PAC
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
A medical procedure to treat a life threatening condition to the mother or child is an incidental termination, not abortion.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Tax revenue from all levels would be much better spent aiding/funding IVF treatments for those struggling to conceive, and on streamlining assistance to aid adoption services.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
PA's corporate tax rate cut in half to 5%, personal income tax cut to 2%, and restructure education funding to a per-child system to eliminate school property tax.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Billions in education appropriations to state correctional facilities. All state COVID-labeled misappropriations, except to specifically outlined needs by application submission. Unneeded state police spending where adequate municipal and county agencies exist. Current FY state police appropriation exceeded $440 million, and state police traffic control and safety appropriation exceeded $599 million. $32 million/year advertising to attract tourists and businesses to PA. Reduce the current $2 billion/yr appropriation to state correctional facilities: requiring inmates to work on roads, storm water management, agriculture, etc. to help fund facilities operations burden. Require state agencies to report spending, cut waste and abuse, and eliminate redundant/unneeded employees. Strict requirements and prerequisites for participation in state pension plan. Cut state appropriations-funded programs to city of the first class. Overall reduction of spending on grants to special interest groups and organizations that can't operate otherwise, or doesn't benefit PA. There is too many areas of state spending that need systematically reduced or eliminated.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Thousands of people in PA that received technical or trade training are far more successful than those who believed they had to go to college and now can't find employment in their degree's field.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
True freedom allows consumers to shop where they please, just as business owners are free to operate their private property/business as they please. Freedom of religion goes hand in hand with personal and private property rights.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
None. Everyone is free to choose whether or not they go to church under any circumstance. Freedom and Liberty don't exist with exceptions. If rights have exceptions, they are NOT rights.
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.
B) if I have to choose one. My experience in health insurance, with a specialty in underwriting groups within medicare, gives me a far too complex answer. Because of claims experience in certain underwriting groups, smaller groups can have prices to each high and low extremes. Larger groups of younger and healthier people require less premiums to pay the claims of the group. State insurance law requires an insurance company to remain solvent at all times, so premiums often increase with claims experience in older and less-healthy groups. Healthcare for all creates one large group, so older people have comparatively cheaper premium cost, but younger healthier people have higher than private premiums because they are actually paying for the unhealthy people. A government-funded option is great for some people, but there has to be the availability of private insurance for those who can benefit from cheaper premiums while they are healthier than others. You cannot force someone to buy something that they don't want to buy.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None. Everyone has the choice to protect themselves from whichever illness or virus they choose. Those who choose not to don't effect those who do. People like me only made it halfway through baby and youth inoculations/vaccinations before almost dying several times and suffering life-long harmful effects. There are many issues against Liberty with forcing someone to put something in their body, very similar to forcing someone to buy something, but much worse on this topic.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Secure borders, secure elections, and vetted immigration are the most important things. We should not go looking for terrorism, but keep it out to begin with.
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.
Neutral
This topic doesn't seem to be any of our business or interest. Let's get the U.S fixed first.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Vetted, approved, non-felons, here to work or provide some sort of benefit to our country. Refugees would have to fit the same criteria within a reasonable amount of time, because our welfare systems are all overloaded and hemorrhaging money.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
With that concept, comes fiscal responsibility in school districts, because the best implementation would be combined with eliminating school property taxes, especially for our retired Pennsylvanians on fairly small fixed incomes.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Agree
Agree, those values are what placed the concept of right and wrong into us all. It is the foundation of many societies, especially the U.S. and PA.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Choose not to answer
Further definitions are required for intent and context of this question. Discussion required.
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
In biblical text a man and woman were considered married once the woman was brought into the man's house. Government was not involved, in my understanding. A traditional Christian church and pastor like mine will only marry a man and a women. Government is involved in marriages so they can sell licenses and retain records. Anyone can marry whoever they want wherever they want, that has nothing to do with my marriage or my God. Matthew 7:1 says "do not judge, or you too will be judged."
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a non-denominational Christian, which by nature I embrace love, hope, faith, and charity. Seeing and understanding every perspective is important, to truly sympathize with every unique situation. I believe not only in protecting the unborn, but also educating on every aspect surrounding the topic, including scientifically and constitutionally. Socially and fiscally conservative, with emphasis on moral conscience guided by the teachings of love and grace by Jesus Christ.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Photo ID is required for so many things in our society. It should not be an issue to present ID if you have attained the age of 18 and registered to vote.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Return absentee ballots/mail-in ballots to only being issued with an approved excuse like travel, medical, or military. Modern problems call for modern solutions: All ballots should be trackable and have record of its existence, similar to how Blockchain technology retains a ledger of transactions with identifiable sending and receiving addresses. Public trust has been broken, and real trackable, auditable solutions would help restore that public trust.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes and no. Race relations were fairly good until political motives that serve to deceive en masse were used to create a renewed racial divide. When every issue is twisted into a racial issue, and violence ensues, it sure is a threat.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
This concept uses racism from over 150 years ago to use racism against others in modern times. The question is vague, so I won't add to it.
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.
Neither one. Knowledge, experience, and science have many solutions for many energy and environmental issues. Real solutions are never discussed, because the solutions are always centered around taxation and growing government for more oversight and intrusion into people's lives. Private sector innovation holds the solutions, but the government perverts it for greed and political gain.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
I support fracking with the use of innovative technology and methods to prevent the previous environmental and health concerns like contamination of groundwater and wells.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
To simplify constitutional wording in modern terms: justice, peace, general well-being, defense of man and country, and liberty. Maintaining fiscal responsibility, a minimum amount of taxes and government required to operate; roads, safety/protection, enforcing contracts, allowing commerce, and protecting private property and rights. The government is not intended to be abusive, or get in the way of life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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?
Conservative
The Constitutional conservative holds many ideals and values that fit the definition of libertarian in modern times.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
I was not previously a public figure so there are currently no interviews I can provide.
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?
My top 5 priorities are: elimination of property taxes (together with school choice), election integrity, mental health, personal and medical freedom, and roads. There are way too many issues to list, like abuse of power, wasteful spending, state liquor monopoly, several other taxes, and energy.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Neutral
If the departmental policy is flawed, the department is not protected from civil legal penalty.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
I support more mental health and community programs, but that is not a replacement for police. Misappropriated money that's wasted everywhere can pay for expanded mental health and community programs.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Felons and mentally ill persons shall not own firearms.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
That concept is no different than banning all the sober drivers from driving, or suing the vehicle manufacturer the drunk guy hit uswill
