Questionnaire Response: Ray McKee
Here are the responses to the Flashpoint Candidate Questionnaire from Alabama 5th District Congressional candidate Ray McKee:
General
1. As a freshman legislator you may be limited in the amount of legislation you can personally champion. Please list two or three specific bills that are already pending or that you would introduce that you would personally fight for in order to secure their passage.
The FairTax Bill has been pending for years, and I will devote considerable time both in Congress and at the grassroots level to get this bill passed. Term limits for Congress is second on my agenda. I am prepared to immediately go to each of the states to get this bill on their ballots as a constitutional amendment.
2. NASA’s annual budget is approximately one half of one percent of the total federal budget. Do you believe this is adequate to meet the challenges they have been issued to return to the moon and eventually send a manned vehicle to Mars? There appears to be a looming gap between launch requirements and launch asset availability – how would you address this issue? Should their mission and/or funding be altered in any way?
I believe that the Federal government should be a heavy participant in scientific research. Virtually all of NASA falls into this category. Clearly, actual missions to the moon and Mars have not been funded. We need clear objectives for NASA and short term goals working toward those objectives. The funding of these short term goals will be high on my priority.
3. Please provide a description of what you feel would be appropriate Constitutional gun restrictions.
Violent felons and the mentally ill should have limited access to guns.
4. What makes you the best prepared candidate to represent the interests of Redstone Arsenal?
I worked at MSFC for 5 years during which time I was project manager for a Skylab experiment. I worked approximately 25 years for AMCOM on numerous defense programs. I am able to understand the technical aspects of the programs of both these organizations, and I am able to simplify the technical talk for a convincing presentation to the Appropriations Committee. I recently worked with a Democratic Candidate in Tennessee in the start-up of a new grassroots organization to promote the FairTax Bill. Consequently, I believe I will be able to work with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in providing adequate representation for our local programs.
Economy
5. What is the role of the federal government in the Economy?
Controlling Federal spending.
6. During campaigns candidates are eager to talk about programs they want to create or expand, but something has to give. Would you be willing to eliminate or curtail any programs and/or raise taxes to address budget problems? Please provide specifics.
I am not a politician seeking to buy votes. I do not talk about any of these things. I want to go to Washington to solve problems most of which, if not all, should be non-partisan.
7. What is your position on free trade? How would you vote on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement? Do you support continuing NAFTA?
Free Trade agreements are currently killing the manufacturing business in the U.S. I oppose the Colombia Free Trade Agreement and I oppose NAFTA. The one way trade with China is causing a boom in the China economy at the expense of the U. S. One result is a large demand for oil by China resulting in high prices in the U.S.
Government Ethics & Corruption
8. What efforts would you make to increase the public’s trust in government?
We are at war with our government. How can you trust the enemy? The FairTax Bill and term limits will remove the power from government and give it back to the people. We can trust our government when we have the power to change it almost instantaneously with our votes.
9. Would you pledge to abstain from seeking or accepting earmarks as a member of Congress? Note: According to Citizens Against Government Waste there were five senators and ten representatives who received no earmarks in FY2008.
I see no reason that Congress should not vote on every single line item in a final federal budget.
Social Security
10. What are your thoughts on Social Security? Is it in trouble, if so, how do you propose to fix it?
Only the FairTax Bill can fix Social Security.
National Security/War on Terror
11. What country or group do you believe poses the greatest threat to the United States? What actions would you take to secure our safety from this particular threat?
Islamic terrorists are the biggest threats to World peace. The world needs to remove regimes which allow people from within their borders to harm people outside their borders.
Education
12. Does the country need more or less involvement from the federal government in educating our children? Do you support market based school choice programs such as vouchers or tax credits?
All governments need to be removed from our school systems. I support any program which helps accomplish this.
Health Care
13. What responsibility does the federal government have for health care? What are your thoughts on addressing the issue?
The Federal government needs to stay out of health care as much as possible. Now, the Federal government prevents us from getting cheap drugs from Canada, places a significant burden on doctors and hospitals in administering the Medicare system, and, in general, stymies a free market system.
Iraq
14. What is your position on the Iraq War? Are we winning? When should we leave?
The only acceptable solution to me is a swift and decisive victory. The current strategy is not working. It needs to be changed.
Taxes
15. What specific measures would you support to change our federal tax code?
I will get the Fairtax Bill passed.
Immigration
16. What should the federal government do about immigration? What impact have illegal immigrants had on Alabama?
The Federal government needs to enforce the immigration laws and make legal immigration to this country less painful. As for illegal immigration, the Federal government needs to make it more painful for the illegal immigrants to be here than from where they came.
Abortion & Other Social Issues
17. Which term best describes you: pro-life or pro-choice?
Pro-life.
18. Would you address the issue of human trafficking and slavery in the US and worldwide?
The perpetrators of such crimes must be dealt with harshly.
19. Would you support an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as being between one man and one woman?
Marriage is between one man and one woman. We don’t need a constitutional amendment. At best, this is a state issue.
Energy
20. What should the federal government do, if anything, to decrease fuel prices and what should the government do to develop and promote sustainable alternative energy sources?
The Federal government needs a strong research program for discovering and developing non-fossil fuels, and I am not talking about ethanol. I want our farmers to grow food.
While we are developing this new energy source, there are many band-aids (a term I hate) that we can place on the problem, but even these are not near term solutions. We can:
1. build more refineries;
2. build more nuclear power plants;
3. drill for oil in ANWAR and off our coasts (although I would rather use up the Mideast oil first);
4. end the one way trade with China;
5. balance the budget, reduce the national debt, and pass the FairTax Bill (i.e., strengthen the U. S. Dollar).
Softball
21. Are there any questions you wish we had asked? Go ahead and answer it.
Why are you running for this office and why should people vote for you?
Because the incumbent was satisfied with power, not with helping the people of the community or the country. We, the people, need to start looking at the future of our children and grandchildren. I had the backbone to run against a nine term incumbent and I will take that backbone to Congress to fight for the people, not to gain power.
I already have an agenda ready for when I arrive in Washington and will immediately go to work to solve problems. I will take power out of Washington and back to the people with the FairTax Bill and term limits. I will solve the energy problem and the immigration problem, and seek immediate counsel with the new President to look for solutions and implementations for the War on Terror, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Aid.
All I have heard my opponents say is that they are running because an opportunity arose. I do not see that reason as one I would be able to accept to send someone to such an important job. Apparently none of my opponents have an agenda to accomplish anything when he or she gets to Washington. I assume they will go there wide-eyed and ready to be slaughtered.
