Why are you running for Congress instead of enjoying your retirement from the Navy?

Because, like pretty much everyone else, I’m incredibly frustrated by the House and Senate’s inability to function rationally and to fulfill their Constitutional duties in an effective and responsible way. Rather than just complaining about it, I want to be part of the solution and I’m at a time in my life where I think I can really help.

What do you think is the #1 problem in Washington?

MONEY! There’s way too much money in our political process. Money buys influence. American plutocrats and special interests wield way too much influence. Until we can get the soft and dark money out of our political process we can’t fix ANYTHING. Each of us has guaranteed freedom of speech and each of us gets one vote. Giant corporations, oligarchs, foreign actors, and special interest groups should not be allowed to bulldoze their way over individual citizens by purchasing undue influence.

What would your priorities be if we elect you?

We need to balance our budget. Not just once in a generation, but every year. How do we do that? Simple. Decrease what we spend and increase our revenue. We do that by eliminating waste, corporate welfare, AND ensuring that EVERYONE pays their fair share. This can only be done by completely overhauling our tax system. We must make it the law of the land that we can’t spend more than we take in unless we are in a declared war or are facing a national crisis that threatens our continued existence.

Where do you stand on the political spectrum?

For years I’ve described myself as a “Rabid Moderate.” What that means is I believe that most of us exist in the middle 80% between the far-right and the far-left. If we filter out the noise coming from the 10% on either extreme we will find that we can agree on most issues. As for the polarizing issues, I have faith in the middle 80% that we can find honest and workable compromises.

I’m also a Reformer. We have more than enough laws on the books. We need to close the loopholes and enforce the existing laws. Our tax code is broken. Our immigration laws are broken. Our campaign finance laws allow millions of dollars to flood elections without accountability or transparency. The fix isn’t hard. We simply need like-minded individuals on both sides of the aisle to come together, roll up their sleeves, and get the job done.

What are some of your other concerns?

I’m concerned about digital privacy. The founding fathers could not have anticipated the Information Age, but if they had, I believe that the Right to Privacy would have made it into the Bill of Rights. I’m less concerned about digital privacy with regard to the Government. We actually have pretty strong laws about that (although the Patriot Act needs to be revisited). What I’m talking about is the fact that our digital presences are being harvested, then bought and sold by private corporations and used to manipulate all aspects of our lives, from the shampoo we buy to the people we vote for.