Domestic Issues

Social Security
The social security system is broken. If we're going to fix it, we need to sit down with the experts (not the politicians), and get everyone working together. I'm personally inclined to believe that taking control of Social Security away from government bureaucrats and putting you back in charge of your own retirement is the solution we'll come to.

The Environment
Did you know the single biggest polluter in the country is the government? That's because the government excepts itself from its own environmental laws. The government needs to obey its own laws (and if that's really impossible to do, maybe the law is a problem after all).

Space Policy
The job of the government is to do things that society considers necessary which cannot be done effectively by the private sector. Right now the private sector is aggressively pursuing manned spaceflight, and government regulators are standing in their way! Meanwhile, the antiquated and overpriced governmental manned space program is eating up resources from space science missions. It's time to reverse that trend.

Eminent Domain
Eminent domain is theft. What price can a government put on the emotional value of your home? Eminent domain should never be used to transfer property from one private owner to another.

Piracy
Whether you like copyright laws or not, copyright owners own their intellectual property. But they should not have the right to poke around in your computer looking for stolen property any more than I should have the right to break into your house to see if you've got my missing credit card.

Illegal Immigration
We need to embrace a policy that lets hard-working, law-abiding individuals come to this country to work legally, without the expense and bureaucracy that currently makes it impossible for poor people to do so. At the same time, we need a secure border. Taking one approach without the other is a recipe for certain failure.
(see full discussion)

Second Amendment
Control of the California National Guard must be returned to California. Our National Guard should be here, not overseas, if we ever need them to respond to a major natural disaster or terrorist attack.

Lobbyist Reform
Lobbyists provide an essential service to our nation. Laws (and potential laws) are complex, and lawmakers may not understand the implications they have for all people. Lobbyists educate lawmakers and help them understand the ramifications of government action. But lobbying does not and should not include bribes or attempts to win political favoritism. That is unethical, abhorrent, and cannot be permitted.

Corrupt Politicians
Politicians must not be exempt from the law. That said, we the people have the power to do something about corruption -- vote any corrupt politician out of office.

Abortion
Abortion must be kept safe and legal. I believe, however, that we could render abortion unnecessary if society would stop ostracizing women who are faced with unplanned pregnancies, and if we truly valued children as our most precious resource.

Election Reform
I support requiring a hand-countable paper trail for all ballots cast, instant runoff voting, and a Constitutional amendment doing away with the electoral college. Every vote must count, and must count equally.

Impeachment
There is ample evidence to warrant a thorough investigation of the Bush administration to see if we were deliberately misled about the reasons for the Iraq war and to see if the Bush-authorized warrantless domestic spying violated any laws. If these investigations turn up evidence against the administration, impeachment is the correct course of action.