United Liberty Showcases Tom McClintock

Michel Powell contrasts candidate’s, his positions.

As a temporary California resident (I’m here for school), I thought it would be interesting to look at libertarian leaning Republican congressional candidate Tom McClintock’s positions on the upcoming ballot propositions. Currently a state senator, he is running for office in California’s 4th District, which is the northeastern region of the state.

Following are his positions, with a follow-up by myself:

Prop. 1A High Speed Rail Bond. NO: This is the most outrageously expensive boondoggle in California’s long history of outrageously expensive boondoggles. The ultimate cost of this project could end up exceeding $90 billion - or $10,000 per family - all for a train that goes from Los Angeles to San Francisco in two hours longer than it takes to fly. It’s brought to you by the same folks who botched Boston’s “Big Dig.” (I’m one of the official opponents of this measure.)

Prop. 1A High Speed Rail Bond. YES: California in many ways is one of the most interconnected of all of the states in the union. Public transportation of this sort can be very helpful in connecting several economies to one another and allowing people of all backgrounds to go to and from each city with less investment than it takes to buy a car. I’m not against government actions if they benefit the taxpayers in the long run, and I believe public transportation does.

Prop. 2 Farm Animals. NO: Sorry, but farm animals are food, not friends. Plan on somewhat happier cows and much higher grocery bills if this one passes.

Prop. 2 Farm Animals. NO: I’m a lifelong vegetarian who has found the few experiences with meat that I’ve had to be pretty gross. I’m a big supporter of free-range farms. However, governmental advocacy in the marketplace can often have adverse effects.

Prop. 4 Parental Notification. YES: Parents must give written consent before their teenage daughters use a tanning booth or get their ears pierced. This measure simply requires them to be notified if their daughter is having an abortion.

Prop. 4 Parental Notification. YES: McClintock is touting common sense here. I remember having to get parental permission when I was seeing a PG-13 movie in high school. It seems like common sense that one would have to do the same when they’re terminating a pregnancy.

Prop.5 Non-violent drug offenses. NO: The fatal flaw in this otherwise decent measure would allow criminals to use their drug offense for leniency for other non-drug-related crimes.

Prop.5 Non-violent drug offenses. NO: You know, we really wouldn’t need things like drug-offender rehabilitation if we ended the failed War on Drugs. Imagine the money that taxpayers would get to keep if prisons were reduced to only house those guilty of serious crimes, not for carrying marijuana.

Prop. 6 Police and Law Enforcement Funding. YES: This is a tough call. My favorite provision is prohibiting the release on bail of illegal aliens charged with violent crimes. Its principal purpose is to lock up an increasing portion of the state budget for local law enforcement. Law enforcement should be government’s top priority, but I don’t like auto-pilot spending or using state resources for local programs. I also don’t like its weakening of the hearsay rule. On balance I think it does more good than harm, but it’s a very mixed bag.

Prop. 6 Police and Law Enforcement Funding. NO: I agree with McClintock that this is a tough call, but I would vote NO. I’m uncomfortable with the provision that “deems any youth 14 years or older who is convicted of a gang-related felony as unfit for trial in a juvenile court and prosecuting these youths as adults.” Whether or not it’s gang-related, individual crimes are individual crimes and should be decided on the facts of the case.

Prop.7 Renewable Energy Subsidies. NO: This will send electricity prices through the roof. It requires the most expensive energy generation to comprise 20 percent of our electricity needs. Government should get out of the way and let simple economics determine the mix of energy generation in this state.

Prop.7 Renewable Energy Subsidies. NO: I agree with McClintock here. I’m all for renewable energy, but forcing companies to invest in unprofitable sources is going to have unintended consequences. I would predict that the same people who think this is a good idea would complain about their electricity bill when it goes way up.

Prop. 8 Defense of Marriage Act. YES: Marriage is a unique institution in which a man and a woman summon a child into the world - creating a unique tapestry of responsibilities. Our marriage laws are designed to support those responsibilities and are simply inapplicable to any other kind of relationship. Lincoln asked, “If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? The answer is four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it one.” And calling a homosexual partnership a marriage doesn’t make it one.

Prop. 8 Defense of Marriage Act. NO: McClintock’s position is about as anti-libertarian as it gets. If two consenting adults want to get married, it doesn’t affect me in any way. I’m all for people doing whatever they want as long as it doesn’t harm anyone other than those engaging in it. (If you’re about to bring up assisted suicide, I would argue that those who aren’t comatose and are seeking assisted suicide aren’t mentally fit to be making such decisions.)

Prop. 9 Parole Reform. YES: This requires the victim to be considered when a suspect’s bail is being set or a criminal’s parole is being determined. About bloody time.

Prop. 9 Parole Reform. YES: After spending a good portion of my life in the Seattle Public Schools, where teachers were allowed to get away with child abuse and the victims of the abuse didn’t have the right to find out what had happened to the perpetrator, I’ll all for victims’ rights.

Prop 10 Fuel Subsidies. NO: This $5 billion bond will cost taxpayers $10 billion with interest to subsidize “alternative fuel vehicles” and “renewable energy.” I’m all for alternative fuel vehicles and renewable energy as long as the consumers who want them pay for them. But don’t reach into my pocket to pay for somebody else’s choice.

Prop 10 Fuel Subsidies. NO: I’m extremely skeptical of subsidizing in general, unless it provides a service that can’t be provided otherwise. Growing up in Seattle, I was long disgusted with taxpayers having to pay for the construction of massive stadiums for the benefit of sports fans.

Prop 11 Redistricting. YES: This should be the all-time no brainer: voters should choose their politicians and not the other way around. This measure takes redistricting out of the hands of the legislature, removing an obvious conflict of interest.

Prop 11 Redistricting. YES: This is really cool. According to the League of Women Voters website, this proposition would require “government auditors to select 60 registered voters from applicant pool. Permits legislative leaders to reduce pool, then the auditors pick eight commission members by lottery, and those commissioners pick six additional members for 14 total.” California might end up with districting that corresponds with the electorate, and not the legislature.

Prop 12 Veterans Bond Act. YES: This is a self-liquidating bond (meaning taxpayers aren’t on the hook) to assist veterans with home purchases. The state has done this for many years and it has never cost taxpayers a dime. I co-authored this one.

Prop 12 Veterans Bond Act. YES: This is basically an extension of what California has been doing for veterans for over eighty years. When people put their life on the line for their country (even under controversial circumstances), they deserve our gratitude.