Marv Bolthouse
Libertarian | Michigan
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Marv Bolthouse
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 88
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Mi, Bachelor's of Science in Education, 1991
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Libertarian Party of West Michigan, Outreach Coordinator
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Until the nation passes a constitutional amendment to ban abortions nationwide, the legality of abortion should be left to the individual states to decide without federal involvement.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
It is not the responsibility of Government to fund organizations such as Planned Parenthood.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Agree
I support voluntary euthanasia. Voluntary Euthanasia is the term used for requesting to be killed or killing oneself to escape some inevitable ill fate. The killing is voluntary because either the person does it himself or requests that another do it for him. The ill fate that is usually at issue is intractable pain, a terminal illness (imminent death from an incurable disease), or an irreparable harm to one’s dignity.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
The State legislature should find more voluntary means of supporting state services, such as lotteries and user fees. The income tax should be repealed. Taxation of privately owned real property should be eliminated. In effect, it makes the state the owner of all lands by forcing individuals to pay rent to the state or forfeit their title. The remaining personal property tax on Michigan businesses should be repealed. Tax favoritism should be illegal. Abatements, subsidies, credits, or other incentives to businesses based on geographical area, job creation, or any other criteria deny equal protection under the law.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I believe in a radical restructuring of the Michigan state budget. I want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others on the free market. The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society therefore much of the state budget should be eliminated.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Calling something free doesn’t make it free. Nothing in life is free. It’s simply a matter of who pays the costs. If a college education has value, why give it away? If college becomes free for students, colleges will attract more young people who are not suited for college and more students will major in fields with little or no market value.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
I believe that property rights protect citizens from providing services that violate their moral or religious beliefs.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
I support the constitutional right of U.S. citizens to practice their Religion openly without infringement of Government.
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.
Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded. The free market would provide a higher quality health care for a lower cost.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
This issue is very complicated as the U.S. Constitution both promotes the General Welfare of the people but also protects the individual rights of its citizens. I believe citizens have the right to refuse vaccinations but government, school, or employers do have the right to ask employees as well as students to show a negative test before entering a facility.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
I believe that the U.S. should return to a non-interventionist foreign policy. Much of the anger found in the Middle East against the U.S. has ties to U.S. meddling into the affairs of foreign nations. One example would be the C.I.A. backed overthrow of the democratically elected Iranian leader Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1954. Once the C.I.A. removed Mosaddegh from power, the C.I.A. promoted the reinstatement of the Shah of Iran. The Shah cruelly ruled over his country with an iron fist. The U.S. should lesson its footprint in the Middle East and Islamic Terrorism will subside.
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.
Strongly Agree
Like all people, Palestinians are born with "natural" rights that should not be infringed upon.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Yes, one of the basic functions of Government is to maintain a secure border. I only support legal immigration to our nation.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
I support U.S. immigration law based on the following principles: the reunification of families, admitting immigrants with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy, & the protection of refugees.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Disagree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Disagree
Government does not belong in the business of Marriage. It is a religious rite between two individuals and Government should not have a seat at the alter.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I support the U.S. Constitution of the United States and the values found within it's pages. Perhaps, one of the greatest documents written by Man.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
Other documentation should be considered suitable other than a photo i.d.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Mail in balloting is dangerous. It lends itself to voter fraud. I would restrict it to those who are physically unable to vote at the polls.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
I do not see racism as a threat to domestic security. The U.S. is less racist now than it has ever been in it's History.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
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) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The essential precondition for a free society is that people have the freedom to follow their own dreams in their own ways without government interference. This precondition allows that the only legitimate function of government, where it exists, is the protection of the inalienable rights of its citizens. To that end, government at all levels should be strictly limited to the essential services necessary to uphold individual rights, maintain public order, and adjudicate disputes. Government at the state and federal level should be involved only in issues not best handled by local or regional government.
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?
Choose not to answer
I am a proud Libertarian.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
I have written letters to the Editor in the Muskegon Chronicle that can be found online.
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?
I would like the voters to know that if elected I would seek to reduce the size of Government and promote the civil liberties of all citizens.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Disagree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
If police departments are over-funded then the money should go back to the tax payers.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
The responsibility of the violent act was perpetuated by the individual not the gun company.
