Florida - Hillsborough County - ballot stuff
Congressional Representative, District 11

Jim Davis, D-Tampa

If you're in this district, you shouldn't need me to tell you about Davis. He's a gun-grabbing quasi-socialist. On the plus side, he seems to be a decent human being - a rare beast indeed in today's Democrat party. He pesters the state of Florida far too much when he should be working for it, but he does occassionally have decent ideas.

Robert Edward Johnson, Libertarian-Tampa

Bob sent me an email:

Hi, my name is Bob Johnson. I am sending you this email because you've shown interest in helping the cause of freedom in the past. My web site is Bob Johnson 4 Congress.org and I'm also sending you two enclosures which state what I'm for and what I'm against (the latter being my opponent's voting record). I'm confident that if you'll read both enclosures, and especially if you'll read my informative and entertaining web site, you'll want to vote for me. If so, please at the very least feel free to forward this enclosure to as many friends as possible. I am running for Congress in the 11th District which not only includes Tampa, but the S.E. portion of St. Petersburg and portions of Manatee County, including portions of Brandenton. This was a result gerrymandered in 2002, when my opponent, alleged Democrat Jim Davis, cooperated with surrounding Republican Congressmen to gerrymander more Democrats into his district and out of theirs. However, I believe he has hoisted himself by his own petard this year. While he was unopposed in 2002, I am running a serious campaign in ALL districts in the 11th, and hope you will support me. I'm the only one on the ballot against him. I'm finding that the folks who should be his base (the sort who'd normally vote 85% Democrat) actually can't stand him, don't feel he's given any constituent services, etc. A fellow who USED to campaign for my opponent called ME up after I gave him a leaflet and HE AND HIS PEOPLE ARE HELPING ME UNDERMINE MY OPPONENT'S CORE BASE!!! Many Democrats also dislike Davis' voting record since he voted for the war and the so-called PATRIOT Act. If I can get the minimum Republican vote (about one third) who can be expected to vote AGAINST Jim Davis ANY day of the week, and if I can get about a fourth of the Democrats to cross over and vote Libertarian, I WILL win and become the first Congressman ever elected on the Libertarian Party ticket.

[snip] the rest is send-me-money-volunteer.

Bob's 1st enclosure:

Bob Johnson for Congress – Let’s Try FREEDOM!
Some recent votes by my Democrat opponent Jim Davis:

he voted to invade Iraq, causing a 35% increase in the price of gas and electric bills, $1200 in taxes per family per year, and resulting in 1000 US dead and 5000 wounded.

he voted against a resolution supporting allowing the Pledge of Allegiance.

he voted for the so-called “PATRIOT” Act, allowing ‘sneak-and-peek’ at bank accounts without a warrant, investigating reading material at libraries, etc.

he voted twice for tax-supported abortions on military bases.

he voted against the long-standing ban on using tax money for international organizations that promote abortions. The ban was maintained by only five votes!

he voted against allowing marijuana for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

he voted to increase taxpayer funding for the National Endowment for the Arts that in the past has funded highly offensive ‘art.’

he voted against a bill that would have capped our contributions to the UN at no more than those of any other permanent member of the Security Council, despite the UN Security Council’s lack of help on Iraq.

he voted for allowing negligence lawsuits against gun manufacturers, sellers, and trade associations when criminals use firearms illegally - not surprising since he’s a lawyer and this helps create lawsuits.

he voted against a bill that would have followed modern mainstream thinking on forest management (thinning forests to lower risks of wildfires, diseases, etc.).

he voted against using a small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. Imagine how high oil prices would be now if this had failed!

he voted against allowing voucher education for low-income schools in Washington, DC. This passed by one vote!

he voted against moving national class-action lawsuits out of local and state courts and into Federal courts to stop the “court shopping” that costs consumers millions and enriches trial lawyers. He also voted against medical malpractice reform.

he has consistently voted against tax cuts and government spending cuts.

I’d have voted the opposite way on these votes. Unfortunately, this is the tip of the iceberg! Please help us by emailing or giving out leaflets or putting a sign in your yard. Call 813-951-2604 or write to Bob Johnson for Congress, 902 E. Annie #27B, Tampa, FL 33612. Vote Nov. 2! Pd. Pol. Ad. Pd. for by Bob Johnson for Congress Committee, 902 E. Annie St. #27B, Tampa, FL 33612, approved by Bob Johnson, Libertarian, for U. S. Congress, District 11

Bob's 2nd enclosure (what Bob is for):

A phased withdrawal over the next two years of our troops from abroad, saving almost 20% of the Federal Budget. Defend US borders, not 130 nations abroad. Our nation should attack only when attacked. Afghanistan needed invading for that reason; Iraq did not. Costly in lives and lucre, the Iraq invasion has increased terrorism instead of reducing it (which is reflected in the higher gas prices as of April) not only in that region, but in nations like Thailand which previously had a relatively ‘mellow’ Moslem population before Iraq fighting intensified in April. We should also have been out of the Korean peninsula decades ago, since we’re defending not only South Korea (a nation with a larger GDP than Canada) but Japan for free. Bush said Clinton should never have gotten us into Kosova or Bosnia, and had promised in 2000 to withdraw, but we’re still there. We should also get the US out of the UN, which is obviously corrupt beyond repair. As our troops come home, they’ll make our economy stronger and restore our families. We’ll also have a lot more resources available to defend our own borders not only from 9/11 terrorism but also from undocumented aliens with criminal backgrounds.

Abolish the IRS, replace the income tax, social ‘security’ taxes and Medicare taxes and replace them with a National Sales Tax. Taxes on income from work or business activity discourage work and business activity. Taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains discourage savings. Are we surprised that we have a pathetic savings rate and record bankruptcies, VISA card debt, etc., when we tax work and saving rather than consumption? Abolishing the IRS will also stop the 1040 loopholes for the wealthy since it’s somewhat harder to hide consumption and thus evade taxes.

Slowly privatize Social ‘Security’ to be a true savings plan instead of the ‘reverse Robin Hood’ ‘rob our children’ plan we have now, saving 25%. Social ‘Security’ is insecure. It has never been a true savings plan, and that’s why even Alan Greenspan recently raised the red flag on its future. Without a drastic increase in birth rates or immigration it is doomed. Let’s continue to fund benefits for the elderly and those about to retire out of the National Sales Tax, but let’s phase out benefits increasingly for younger folks, since their income will no longer be taxed, making work and saving for retirement much easier. ‘Social’ Security is also quite anti-social since it largely robs the poor and gives to the rich (e.g., poor folks start work before they’re 18 and frequently die before they’re 65, they raise more kids for the wealthy to tax, etc.).

True medical reform that makes medical care and drugs actually cheaper. The AMA deliberately restricts entry into medical schools, which drives up the cost of medical services. Let’s look into use of anti-trust and RICO statutes to stop this. Let’s also deregulate the drug testing process somewhat to make drugs cheaper. Today, aspirin wouldn’t even pass muster since the same proportion you give to a person kills a rat.

Auction the electromagnetic spectrum and Federal lands in Western states and divide the proceeds amongst all Americans, giving each a check. TV stations, radio stations, etc., use the airwaves for free. Why? As long as they pay us a yearly rental fee or a one-time purchase amount, let them say whatever they want. Let’s do the same with unused Federal lands and give each American a check in a bank account that each American can use upon reaching 18 years of age.

Here's campaign money info on Bob.

Karl M. Butts, write-in. - Socialist Workers Party.

Ahem.

Looks like Mr. Butts has submitted no financial information. Why does this not surprise me? Socialists do seem to think laws are for 'other people.'


Well, hell. Maybe I'll skip this spot on my ballot. I WILL NOT vote for a democrat for the foreseeable future. Johnson is bad on the war, pretty good on all else. I wish the Libertarian party hadn't gone all whackjob on Iraq. Defending the country IS a constitutional responsibility of the Federal government.