Name: John Stephenson
Address: 2994 Moffett Road Independence, Ky.
41051 Kenton County
Date of birth: September 4, 1943
Education: Graduate University of Kentucky (See Attached
Resume)
Occupation: Educator/Rank II Masters, Realtor/Real Estate Broker,
Videographer
Religious
affiliation: Christian, Baptist Denomination
Family: Married Wife: June Geiman-Stephenson and Four
Children and Eight Grandchildren
John Stephenson, Republican U.S. Senate
Campaign Disclaimer: Before answering the
following questions, I believe it is extremely important to impart to you and
to your readers, my campaign disclaimer. Our nation and our wonderful
Commonwealth of Kentucky cannot be all that they are called to be UNTIL
we invite God back into the political process. Politicians can offer sound
solutions to every issue our country is faced with. However, sound ideas alone
do not, a great country make. Rulers during Biblical times would attest to this
reality. It is time our country makes a U-turn back to God before we find
ourselves in the same circumstances. We must approach every national and state
issue through these lenses. John Stephenson
Government bailouts seem to be enormously unpopular,
though some would argue that they've been enormously effective. Economists for
both the Bush and Obama administrations recommended these interventions at a
time when it seems that everyone was in agreement that something needed to be
done. Would you have supported the bailouts? Why or why not? If not, what would
you have recommended?
There is a really big elephant in the room and it
needs to be permanently removed. For the past several decades, this big
creature has been convincing political parties that it is okay to game the
system; buy politics, bribes, inside knowledge, and not the least of these,
technology scams. The bow and arrow was a great technology until it posed a
problem; man learning he could use it against his neighbor. This is why we need
Checks and Balances and Accountability. President Reagan
offered us a lifelong treasure when he voiced the quote, “Trust, but verify”.
It is that simple.
Brilliant minds, put to the wrong use and with the
wrong motives, WILL soon fleece a field of sheep if they think they are getting
something for nothing. Greed and continual, blatant excesses have, and will
continue to drive this nation to the brink of disaster, if we do not change
our ways now. We must implement stricter regulatory conditions and severe
monetary punishment/s for all violations. Zero tolerance must be the lesson
of the day. All bonuses of any manner must go through a justifiable
commission when the amounts reach a certain level; to be determined by
Congress. All meetings shall be open to the press and public and written
objections may be sent as a part of the process.
If I were asked to bailout these systems, the
preceding restrictions, which I have mentioned, would be, at best, the minimal
requirements. I would demand that IN ADVANCE, before a vote took place and
certainly before, if I would even consider casting a “yes” vote. I would
immediately propose a joint piece of legislation to pass a tax increase,
progressive in nature, in order to pay for the bailout if it was a measure to
avoid borrowing monies from a foreign country like China. I would demand a
complete FBI investigation into which the responsible parties were and with
great haste, prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
Judging Others: I want to remind every voting citizen that there are no
perfect political parties. I would also like to add that I am not perfect; I am
reminded of that fact daily. I keep in the forefront of my mind the following
quote to help me keep a proper perspective on life and government: “before
I try to take the speck out of my brother’s eye, I should try to remove the log
from my own.” Matthew 7:5. I believe that when one makes a
mistake/s, we must humbly admit it and move forward to find solutions.
To that end, I believe my Republican Party and my
President George Bush/Cheney Administration dropped the economy ball in several
ways and it has had far reaching consequences. Let me also make the point that
NO ONE presidential administration is perfect, but I believe my Republican
Party lost many nation changing opportunities during their presidential
administration. This was a great disappointment to me as it was also too many
Republicans across the country. While President Obama has certainly made
mistakes and has assumed responsibility for the current bail out and stimulus
monies, he has only been the President for one year. What disturbs me as a
United States citizen is the “scapegoating” of the
current president. It was on the watch of the Republicans that the economy was
taking a spiral downward. I find it disheartening that many of our leaders and
candidates nationwide are trying to put all the blame on one President.
Considering the magnitude of the problems this country is faced with, I would
say that the President has tried to be bipartisan in his approach. Perfectly?
No! If the President suffers from any malady it is naiveté in looking for the
idealistic and idyllic approach.
I have been in a member of both major political
parties, and money has influenced most of the votes and the strategies of each
party for years. There is a small contingent of members in the House and in the
Senate who, from time to time, will break the mold and vote their conscience.
Unfortunately, money and its’ influences have circumvented pure democracy.
Rarely is there a bill that comes before Congress that you cannot pre-determine
how a member is going to vote on the subject. I would never, and I repeat,
never pass a bill which I had not read and studied in full detail. This
is the very reason my position has not changed with regard to term limits. It
is my desire to serve ONLY one six year term. I would not have to concern
myself with the preoccupation of and time and energy required to raising money
“to stay in office”. However, your question comes down to the bailouts.
Never would I vote for any bailouts under the circumstances presented to date
and with hardly any contingencies for proper usage and repayment of
funds. The consequences of this decision have truly been the worst case
scenario of greed that our country has witnessed to date. The taxpayers
have been fleeced twice with little or no accountability. This crisis
was understood by many respected economic experts, in responsible positions and
yet their “cries of wolf” were not heeded.
We have to begin at the top. If the leader is not
in control and if he does not hold his team responsible for their actions, then
the American voters must demand restitution through their voting voices. Please
do not get me wrong. As a former advanced government teacher, I taught my
students that the free enterprise system and capitalism is the best system ever
developed to maintain economic growth. However, a capitalistic system has no
conscience. Profit and more profits is its only goal. An unwatched
pot will boil over; a train engine without a “controlling” governor will burn
itself to pieces. With regard to multi-national corporations, the disappearance
of “internal” loyalty to America is going to be the next “rude awakening” to
every American citizen because profit knows no boundaries. This sounds
scary, does it not? Well, that is free enterprise, unrestrained and unbridled
and uncontrolled and without conscience.
What can we do now? First, I would turn
IMMEDIATELY back to God in a “voluntary” National Day of Prayer. Yes, I do mean
calling all citizens and Government leaders and workers to join together in a
voluntary 24 hour day of prayer. I would have held the prayer meeting before
God with regard to our national economic crisis. We have learned a valuable
lesson from our current federal legislative leaders Senators Bunning and
McConnell, through their tenacity and legislative power that was used to block
health care legislation would have used that same power to stop the bail outs
while they were occurring.++
We have heard much talk about clean-coal technologies in
Kentucky with its abundant coal reserves. Many would argue that developing
these technologies can only benefit the nation's environment and the state's
work force. Some have encouraged government investment in these technologies.
Others believe that it's a matter for private companies to pursue. What do
consider to be the government's role in developing clean-coal technologies?
I do believe that the government should
participate in this research as a part of a bigger picture in a jobs bill such
as we saw in the 1940’s with the Workers Progress Administration Program.
America
must consider a plan that resembles the New Deal that was created in 1939 under
President F.D. R.’s Administration. We need a program
that will create jobs and stimulate the private sector. God will help us
through our economic depression. I agree with the old saying, “If it isn’t
broke, don’t fix it.” However, things are broken in Washington and the people
of our nation must get involved to help turn this country back to God.
Money and time management are
commodities that must be harnessed. Former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
taught us, “That we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” It is time to put
our egos, our pride and personal agendas aside. Federal, state and local
lawmakers must remove the blinders and begin looking at what can work, even if
it is a program that is like the WPA. The Works Progress Administration was
instituted by presidential executive order under the Emergency Relief
Appropriation Act of April 1935, to generate public jobs for the unemployed.
The WPA was re-structured in 1939 when it was reassigned to the Federal Works
Agency. Let me share the following historical facts:
“By 1936 over 3.4
million people were employed on various WPA programs. Administered by Harry Hopkins
and furnished with an original congressional allocation of $4.8 billion, the
WPA made work accessible to the unemployed on an unparalleled scale by
disbursing funds for an extensive array of programs. Hopkins argued that
although the work relief program was more costly than direct relief payments,
it was worth it. He averred, "Give a man a dole, and you save his body and
destroy his spirit. Give him a job and you save both body and spirit."
While responsibility for
such unemployable people as children, the elderly, and the handicapped was
remanded to the states, the WPA provided literally millions of jobs to
employable people, enrolling on average about two million a year during its
eight-year stint. Far fewer women were enrolled than men. Just 13.5 percent of
WPA employees were women in 1938, its top enrollment year.
The WPA was charged with
selecting projects that would make a real and lasting contribution — but would
not vie with private firms. As it turned out, the "pump-priming"
effect of federal projects actually stimulated private business during the Depression
years. The WPA focused on tangible improvements: During its tenure, workers
constructed 651,087 miles of roads, streets and highways; and built, repaired
or refurbished 124,031 bridges, 125,110 public buildings, 8,192 parks, and 853
landing fields. In addition, workers cleaned slums, revived forests, and
extended electrical power to rural locations.
Work was provided for
nearly a million students through the WPA National Youth Administration (NYA).
The Federal One projects employed 40,000 artists and other cultural workers to
produce music and theater, sculptures, murals and paintings, state and regional
travel guides, and surveys of national archives. The Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) was a program designed to address the problem of
jobless young men aged between 18 and 25 years old. CCC camps were set up all
around the country. The WPA's positive results for
the public good and its popularity helped Franklin D. Roosevelt
to garner a thumping electoral victory in 1936, even
though the agency employed no more than about 25 percent of the nation's
jobless.
Meanwhile, New Deal
critics in Congress accused the program of waste, political maneuvering, and
even subversive activity; they took their chance to prune the program when
unemployment figures dipped a little in 1937. When unemployment rose again the
following year, funding was brought back to previous levels. However, 1939 saw
more cutbacks. The Emergency Relief Appropriations Act of June 30 eliminated
the Federal Theater Project, cut back WPA pay and limited enrollment to 18
months. Reacting to charges of politicking by WPA employees during the 1938
congressional races, the Hatch Act of August 1939 prevented federal workers
from participating in a broad array of political activities. We have seen the
same act used in races in Northern Kentucky this year with several people
resigning to run or dropping out of their races for fear of losing their jobs.
With wartime prosperity rising in the 1940s, the WPA became more difficult to
justify, and on June 30, 1943 the agency was terminated by presidential
proclamation. All told, the WPA had employed more than 8,500,000 individuals on
1,410,000 projects with an average salary of $41.57 a month, and had spent
about $11 billion.” (Internet research
history of W.P.A. and quotes)
The point? As a nation, we can
learn valuable lessons from the W.P.A. experience. We can put into effect
a program that utilizes the private sector and the government; putting many of
our people back to work and create learning and training opportunities that
will create even further productivity. We can find ways to use our prison
population and allow most of them to return to society as productive citizens.
The worse thing we can do is sit back and hope someone else solves the problem.
The giants of moral, structural and socio-economical collapse are looking us
squarely in the face and we better elect leaders who will know how to move the
ball down the court of life and operate in God’s will. First, we must humble
ourselves, seek the face of God, ask for His forgiveness and turn from our
wicked ways. Then we can ask Him for help. He will help us and He will
heal our land literally. God is a God of promise keeping. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
I believe the government’s
role should be to work collaboratively with our universities nationally,
research centers and various private enterprises in order to jointly
explore every conceivable avenue to make this country energy-independent.
Kentucky has an abundant natural resource of coal with ninety percent or more
of our energy already being produced by coal. It would behoove us, as a nation,
to initiate research and development in conjunction with a national, mutually
working WPA-like/private enterprise plan that will be of benefit to the entire
nation. Because this would be a national plan, I would recommend every level of
government; local, state and federal, be participants in the efforts of energy
productions, including new green technologies such as solar, wind and nuclear.
Government works best at all levels when we avoid unfunded mandates and when
various levels of governments are included in the process. Our country cannot
afford turf battles and partisan politics and ear marks in this endeavor.
Energy-independence must be a
priority for the federal government because it is a national defense
requirement. That is why we need to tie it to a national WPA type program. We
need to introduce new legislation that enforces the Biblical concept of
“stewarding” resources and helping our neighbor/s. ++
How would you react to an acceleration of the permitting
process for nuclear power plants, including such plants in Kentucky?
Nuclear power plants have always been an answer,
but it does have its drawbacks, that have not yet been completely resolved.
Waste and what to do with it, to make it environmentally safe, is still a
question that needs to be answered. Another pressing question to be considered
is nuclear vulnerability to a terrorist attack. National Security clearance is
paramount. If these problems can be addressed, then I believe nuclear energy
can be used successfully in conjunction with our coal resources. ++
Kentucky is caught in a great debate over the pros and
cons of the method of coal mining known as mountaintop removal. Obviously,
there are strong feelings for and against because of the jobs it provides and
because of the changes it brings to the Appalachian landscape. What legislative
or regulatory changes do you believe are needed relating to mountaintop
removal?
As to how we access coal, I would leave the
methodology to engineers, consultants and corporations. I believe in the free
enterprise system. However, I would support implementation of common sense governmentally
approved environmental procedures, guidelines and safety measures with
regard to procurement of Kentucky’s invaluable coal resource. The safety of our
coal workers and protection of the environment are paramount. We must also embark on energy
independence, using all resources and common sense in our regulations so as not
to stifle the industry with bureaucratic red tape. Our goal must be to steward
land properly. Coal is one of our major resources. We must work together
and continue to use common sense in reaching the maximum use of this precious
gift from God. As I have traveled throughout our 120 beautiful and
diverse counties, I have sung publically, dedicating “Sixteen Tons” by
Tennessee Ernie Ford, to every hard working coal miner and their families. This
song comes from my heart and how I feel about the coal workers and drivers who
mine and who haul this resource across our nation. Many coal haulers will
recall that as the Commissioner, under Martha Layne Collins, I fought
extremely hard for the coal haul roads and the money to build them. God
gave us the gift of coal, black gold, and we must steward it properly, and with
common sense. If used properly, coal can be a major answer to our
National Energy Independence as well as being a “desired” resource
internationally. We must market our treasures. ++
The debate has raged over health care at the federal
level. What one portion of the plan being championed by congressional Democrats
do you believe has the most merit? Why? What one portion of the plan do you
least like? Why?
We
are now faced with the question, “How can we work out a Health Care Reform that
stimulates business in the private sector?” Every American citizen needs and
deserves basic health care. The ability to fully participate in the free
enterprise system, without the fear of a major medical catastrophe personally
or in one’s family must be a right for all. Health care coverage is a right
that must be extended to every American citizen just as I would have health
care coverage as a United States Senator. Health care is not and should not be
a Republican or Democrat issue. Health care is a human right issue and “We, the
People”, need to understand the importance of this issue. How else can we
proceed to rebuild our economy?
In
order to curtail or harness the activity of greed and self interests, efforts
must be made to publically access all major health care planning forums. This
gives every citizen the right to view meetings where major policies are formed,
in keeping with transparency. With the move by President Obama to call the
leadership of both parties to sit and discuss this issue for over seven hours
publically, following a year of debate and decades of health care problems
facing the nation. It is high time to act. I support the majority
party in this reconciliation action, and I fault my own party of its inaction.
The Republicans had power for eight consecutive years and did little.
Disappointedly, we dropped this ball many times. Now that we are the minority
party and the Democrats have the office of President, we should have worked for
bipartisanship. Instead, we have demagogued the
issues and shamefully played on the worse fears of the People. Half truths
will never have lasting benefits. Our leadership could learn lessons from
the late famous Kentuckian, Henry Clay through his special ability to bring
about compromise. Instead, our leadership will sit on the sidelines and attack
the President and hope he fails. This is no position for Statesmen, Patriots,
Americans or any God-revering person. It certainly is not what I would
do. The power of the U.S. Senate office should be used to stop all
abortions and to return to Godly principles.
History
is a light to our future. History
can and should open our eyes. “In 1973 the Endangered Species Act was
enacted by Congress to protect animals facing extinction. To date, there are no
fewer than 10 laws protecting more than 1,214 animals ranging from the giant
panda to the Alabama red belly turtle to the bald eagle. In fact, the list includes
nests and eggs of both bald and golden eagles because apparently an eagle is an
eagle even before it is hatched. Ironically, the same year, Linda Coffee
and Sarah Weddington represented Norma McCorvey in the U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade. This
landmark case opened the door for women to legally end the lives of their
defenseless unborn children. From the legalization of abortion to July of
2008, approximately 50 million children have been killed. In that time,
the number one provider of both surgical and chemical abortions has been
Planned Parenthood. I would like to remind citizens that according to Jim
Sedlak, president of STOPP International, project of
the American Life League, the federal government has given over 4.8 billion
dollars to Planned Parenthood. In 2010, Planned Parenthood will receive more
than one million dollars every day from the pockets of American
taxpayers. Approximately every 30 seconds since Roe v. Wade, a son or
daughter has been killed. And although black women make up 12% of the
population, they have 37% of abortions according to recent Centers for Disease
Control study. A black child is five times more likely to be aborted than
his white counterpart. Margaret Sanger would be proud. Her organization
kills more African Americans in four days than the KKK killed in 150 years.
What Margaret Sanger once said about those on welfare is now true for her own
organization: it “would die out were the government not feeding (it).”
(Excerpts taken from American Family Association Journal, January 2010.)
I
believe we will have a health care bill. I pray that abortion payments are not
included. I fault our own Republican leadership for not using their filibuster
ability against the desire of the Democrats to make this a bi-partisan bill; to
keep these abortion demands of the left wing of the Democratic Party out of the
legislation. It remains to be seen what the final version will include. If our
leadership, who profess to be Right to Life supporters, had fought as tenaciously
to stop abortions, as they have to block health care reform development, we
could have prevented most abortions during the last decade. It is not too
late. We still can still stop the murder of the Innocent if we will use our
energy and argument vigorously for the rights of the unborn; in the interest of
the People; guided by Godly principles and not motivations, that are regularly
fueled by “Perpetual Washington Career” ambitions.
I
see universal health care as a conservative issue. It will allow the free
enterprise system to make a major move to eliminate the greatest fear any
citizen has; whether leaving a job to venture into opening a new business or
moving to new company. The fear of not having health care for oneself or their
families is very real. Release the shackles and people will find their way
under the free enterprise system. Again, what would Jesus do? ++
Do you believe the world is facing global warming? What
would you propose the federal government do to curb this climate change?
There is no doubt in my mind that we are facing global warming. My
question is to what extent does this condition change our lifestyle in some
major way?
Yes, we need to follow this closely, but we have
to create reasonable solutions. Going “Green” is a very good idea. I think we
received our first wakeup call in the mid seventies. I was working as a
congressional aide for Congressman John Breckinridge, handling every
energy-related matter for the Congressman and his constitutes. We, the
Congressman’s staff, learned a major and very important lesson about our
nation’s dependency on foreign oil and some of its consequences. Despite the
recommendations and warnings from those of us involved, our leaders and the
public were lulled back to sleep. Today, as a result of that inaction, we find
ourselves in the middle of an international gridlock both economically and
militarily. We have the strongest defense system in the world, but we are in
jeopardy because of our continued dependence upon foreign oil and now our National
debt. Just going “Green” alone will not solve our problems although, if
implemented with the Work Program I have suggested, we could see great
advancements and also betterment of our economy. This effort must be a joint
Government/Private Sector Program. Any new developments should be gauged
against their environmental impact. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and
ignore what is happening around us but we must also remember every action has
its reactions. ++
The Appalachian region of Kentucky has been a laboratory
of sorts for the federal government to experiment with fixes to social problems
like poverty, unemployment, even isolation. Please cite one of these programs
that you believe to have been effective and what you believe made it successful?
I think the following
programs pushed by Congressman Hal Rogers have shown great benefit to the
Eastern part of the state which he represents. Rogers has been the founder of
numerous organizations that serve these policy objectives including the
Southern Kentucky Economic Development Corporation; the Southern Kentucky
Agricultural Development Association; the Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism
Development Association; Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment &
Education - UNITE; and The Center for Rural Development. Rogers first such
organization was Forward in the Fifth, which promotes better education, and
Rogers efforts through Forward in the Fifth brought national attention to his
district, which at the time had the worst education attainment in the U.S..
Through S.K.E.D., Congressman Rogers has been instrumental in the creation of
10,000 jobs in southern and eastern Kentucky. ++
Among Kentucky voters, abortion clearly remains an
important issue. Tell us why you would/wouldn't support a constitutional
amendment to ban abortion.
Our nation and our Commonwealth
will continue to be “plagued with ills” UNLESS we first stop the atrocity of
abortion and the infanticide that occurs daily, permitted “by law”.
Whether it is viewed politically correct or not, LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION. God
ALONE gives life and it is God alone Who has the authority to take life away. It
must be the number one responsibility of the office of U.S. Senate to push a
constitutional amendment to ban abortion.
Historically, nations that walked
away from God and behaved godlessly would soon discover that God would remove
Himself from that nation. Is that fact any different today? No. How can God
bless a nation who is behaving in ways that are against His will? Not only will
God not bless the nation, He cannot bless a nation who blatantly commits
such heinous crimes. In fact, according to Deuteronomy 28, God makes it very
clear that if a nation keeps God’s commands, God in turn will bless that
nation. Deut. 28: 1-3 says, “...if you will diligently obey the Lord your
God being careful to do all His commandments...the Lord your God will set you
high above all the nations of the earth..Blessed
shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the country.” In turn,
if a nation disobeys God commands, “...if you will not obey the Lord your
God, observe His commandments… all these curses shall come upon you and
overtake you…” vs. 15-68. There are fifty three verses of consequences for
being out of God’s will. I would encourage everyone to read the entire chapter
of Deuteronomy 28. These are not my words, these are God’s words and whether
our nation wants to believe in God or not, or “choose” to believe in His
commands or not, does not change the truth that God is and He does. We will not
be a great nation again unless God is at the helm again.
Consider the circumstances of our
nation today. Not one politician or political party can singularly be blamed
for the current condition of our nation. Our nation “collectively” is
responsible. Every citizen who “chooses” not to believe God and His commands is
responsible. Tragically, abortion has been made law, but by man, a law that
completely contradicts the law of God, “You shall not murder”. Deut.
5:17. As a nation, we must recognize abortion for what it is the murder of
innocent lives. The framers of our Constitution were more in touch with the
will God then this nation as a whole is today. Many God-fearing groups continue
to fight vigorously against a current that cannot be stopped, unless we turn
this nation around and seek God’s face. The fact that centuries have come and
gone since we have become “one nation under God” does not remove the reality
that God does not change, nor does His will. God will bless our nation
again. He can bring healing and will bring “healing” to our land IF we
seek His face and stop the atrocities of abortion. God can and He will use
elected officials to bring real solutions, not perpetual sound bytes, not
fruitless efforts and not disharmony among the political parties. Our nation,
our citizens must begin to see this, and NOW.
Approximately 250,000 people die
each day in the world. According to Right to Life statistics, “over 4,000
of those deaths are by abortion. That is one and half million people each year
in the United States alone. These children, except for a few, are normal,
healthy children, free from any physical or mental handicaps. Many millions
more die from silent, chemical abortion. As the killing of innocent children
continues, more and more childless couples, faced now with the reality that
there will not be a child for them to adopt, are doomed to a life where there
is no child of their own to love.” A human life amendment would codify the
personhood of the unborn child from the moment of fertilization, holding that
life begins at fertilization, and that all innocent human life must be
protected by law. “Although legislation will protect the life of the unborn
child, only a human life amendment will protect the life of the unborn child
from the whims of the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of both the
federal and state governments.”
A constitutional amendment to
block abortions MUST BE the first order of business or our nation will continue to operate in an ongoing spirit
of futility. ++
Given the federal deficit and the ever-growing national
debt, and given the social and economic needs so apparent in many parts of
Kentucky, how do you feel about pork projects?
I think we must make a greater effort to prevent
all earmarks. Every proposed or presented project must stand on its own
merits or the lack thereof. Projects should have to go through a public
hearing process in order to determine the validity of the project. Secondly,
the project then must be considered by the specific agency, wherein it will be
implemented, as to it priorities. This process will help to weed out waste and
“politics as usual.”
I would like to share an example. I applied for
and received a large federal grant to educate statewide Community Action Agency
Workers. The non-profit was called Policy Management Associates Inc.
(P.M.A.). I had twenty five employees and I wrote grant proposals to train all
statewide workers. Through the construction of a full scale house within a
warehouse, while filming the step by step efforts, we applied the latest energy
saving techniques. Part of Phase 2 also included my produced training film,
Home Weatherization Training film, which was then aired on Public Access and
Education Access. Phase 3 involved disassembling the house, selling all the
lumber and rendering the rented space. My teachers and I traveled to 120
counties to show the weatherization film and actual statewide workers’ training
using on a senior citizen’s house. This effort increased productivity and at
the same time, helped a senior in the process. After completing a teaching tour
of all 120 counties, I dissolved the non-profit organization.
This is what needs to be done at the federal
level. We need to take a hard look at what agencies are really fulfilling
their intended purpose. This must be done in a non-partisan manner,
but with due diligence. We continue to see how the system, for many years, has
followed the rule of law in government, “spend it or lose it.”
Unfortunately, this is the very reason government has evolved into a bloated
patchwork of people doing many of the same tasks without the left hand knowing
what the right hand is doing. Where is accountability/supervisory arms,
overseeing all the agencies and their ongoing validity and duties? This
consolation and restricting must be done with sensitivity, but with due
diligence. I will never forget an “ethics challenging” lesson learned through
years of experience; the philosophy of “if you want to make a lot of money,
do business with someone spending someone else’s money”. Sadly, this is one of
the most fundamental flaws in our government today. Every system in
government should have to justify its mission’s validity and continuance. Every
such program should also be required to draft studies as to how they could
potentially consolidate services.
We must pay our debt, while continuing to prime
the economy when and where it is required. This will take time. We must
evaluate our involvement in many of the military interventions we have become
involved with during the past twenty years. We cannot be the world’s policeman
nor should we be. However, we must never forget what history has taught us; weakness
is the enemy of democracy. National Defense is something you just cannot
“do on the cheap”. Remember, the freedoms we fail to use, we tend to
lose. Likewise, the freedoms we abuse, we also tend to lose. History has
shown us the world is not without its devious power seekers. I will rely
greatly on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our Commanders in the field.
This leads me to the next question. ++
To what extent do you believe the U.S. military should go
to stop countries like Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
I think we should use every available diplomatic
resource/s and economic pressures to convince Iran and other countries that the
best policy for them and the rest of the world is to refrain from building
nuclear weapons.
I think we have put ourselves into an interlocking
economic infrastructure with the Middle East due to our oil consumption and
dependence on its ready supply. These needs frankly bind our hands in
dealing with each of the countries in the Middle East. Can you expound anymore.
++
How would your service in the Senate differ from that of
Jim Bunning?
I would work with the Democrats to find compromise
and solutions to our major problems, which I have mentioned earlier in my
answers. I would really like to increase productivity and implement new ideas
through innovation and collaboration. We must call upon all political parties
and citizens to pull together to help restore America, returning her to some
normal growth pattern. We have got to keep our focus on the seriousness of
national circumstances and, at the same, time try to offer a return to some
form of normalcy for our citizens, and also try to maintain our middle class
social economic status.
I would be much more open and available to the
citizens and the press with regard to my functions and actions and their
questions and/or concerns. I believe in complete transparency and open records,
except with matters of National Defense. ++
In what legal venue do you believe suspected terrorists
being held at Guantanamo Bay should be tried? Why?
This has been demgoged to death so let me just say
this, “get the terrorists before a judge and if the citizens want it to be
outside America, then that would be fine with me.” I do not fear these
misguided souls, but I do not believe in torture. This is one thing John McCain
is right about. Do it within the law. America should always be America, the
best of the best and follow God’s teachings. What would Jesus do?
I think that we need to set an example for the
world to see by our actions of openness and fairness. A military trial would
most likely be best, but that is why we have a United States Attorney General
and a President to make these decisions. There should be a policy in place and
in most circumstances, we should follow that policy. ++
Position on
Education
I would work to be the Education Senator for
Kentucky. “All states and schools should have challenging and clear
standards of achievement and accountability for all children, and effective
strategies for reaching those standards.”—U.S. Dept. of Education. In
response, national educational organizations and state departments of education
have begun implementing sets of standard or guidelines. Governors and
Legislators representing forty eight of the fifty states have pledged to
implement the following standards put forth by the U.S. Department of
Education. This combined with the President Obama’s education incentive, which
we are line to receive in the forms of new education grants can boost Kentucky
to the next level to true education reform. Arnie
Duncan is doing a great job as Secretary of Education. My regular message to my
former high school students and parents was, “if the student has not learned,
then the teacher has not taught.” The freedoms we abuse, we tend to lose. And
the freedoms we fail to use, we tend to lose. We must teach civics to our
students. We have to remember, history is the light to our future.
There is nothing more dearly to my heart
than to see a child, or for that matter, an adult, have the opportunity to
learn new information and talents and skills. I believe we have a duty to
God to continue our education until death. I believe with whatever gifts and
talents we have acquired, we must share those talents in helping our fellow
human beings with their plights in life and to help make our country a better
place within to live. I love to learn and I enjoy to write and to share
what I have learned, including God’s teaching and Love. I have learned so much
about Kentucky by traveling into all 120 counties and filming their respective
history. My wife, June and I learned a great deal from interviewing over
300 people and while gathering thousands of signatures for my diary which I
began sharing in 1975. In the past fifteen I have also been collecting
signatures, for my personal Bible, from several Governors and Senators and
other dignitaries. I have been asked many times, “why sign my bible?” It is
really straight forward. When I ask any government leader to sign my Bible, I
am demonstrating to them that the word of God is the most important life
compass to me. It is my way to remind them that the Bible can be a life compass
for them as well. It is a way to pose the question to each signer, “What
would Jesus do?” ++
John Stephenson, Republican U.S. Senate Candidate
for the Commonwealth of Kentucky
P.O. Box 175885 Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017-5885
859-653-7000
859-356-0608 FAX JJGS@ONE.NET
WWW.JSTEPHENSON.COM
