TEA Party Candidate Surveys: Jim Banks

Here are the answers Jim Banks submitted to the Huntington TEA Party Candidate Survey:

1. What place does the recognition of God have in the governance of our Nation?

Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Our Founding Fathers understood then what is lost on so many today that our rights are derived from God, not from man.

2. Do you agree that the Constitution is a "living document", that it is subject to change with the times, and if not, what does it mean to you as a public servant to ”defend the Constitution"?

I am a Constitutionalist who believes that our Constitution is not a “living document” or merely a guidebook to our government but rather a strictly written rule for the powers of government. Much of what troubles us about government today is that it has grown outside of the limits created for it in the Constitution. We must make tremendous strides to reclaim the meaning of the Constitution and the powers granted from it to the different branches or we will continue down the slippery slope of an out of control government in every aspect of our lives.

3. There have been frequent attacks on our freedoms and on the Constitution: the Hate Crimes Bill, FCC-Internet control, bank bailouts, government take-overs of private industry and health-care, Cap and Trade, etc.. What is your position on this agenda, and what will you do about it?

Again, the most important question to ask when making any vote is whether each agenda being voted on is what government should be involved with in the first place. Each of the issues mentioned above are examples of our out of control Federal government seizing control over issues they were never intended to be involved with in the first place. I am the only candidate to sign a pledge to reclaim the 10^th Amendment to decentralize wrongly claimed Federal government power back to the states where it belongs. I have challenged my opponent publicly to sign this pledge as well but he has so far resisted. You can learn more about the pledge and specific initiatives it lays out to restore the 10^th Amendment at http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/about/.

4. What do you believe is the best economic policy for achieving the highest level of prosperity in our nation? What role should taxes play in this?

The best path to economic growth and prosperity in our country and state is to shrink the size of government and reduce the overall tax burden on businesses and families. Government does not create economic prosperity but rather provides an environment for growth. I will work hard to reduce government interference and reduce the overall tax burden. I am the only candidate in this race to pledge to never raise taxes if I am elected while my opponent has stated publicly that limiting taxes through tax caps is “unconstitutional”. This is a major difference between he and I in this campaign. I will work hard to shrink government. That starts with making sure government spends less and begin to reevaluate many of the programs it administers that it should never have been involved with in the first place.

5. How will contributions to your campaign influence your legislative decisions?

Political contributions are a form of free speech and advocacy that we should encourage not limit. I will only take contributions from organizations or individuals where there is common ground in a limited government agenda. I will work hard to bring more transparency to the reporting of political contributions and lobbying in the State Legislature. The public deserves better transparency and a higher level of ethics and integrity in government at all levels. It is too simple to say in this forum that campaign contributions will not impact my decisions. Rather, voters should explore the voting records of the candidates in the SD17 race and they will find that my voting record on the Whitley County Council has been consistent in voting against wasteful spending, more government programs and for less taxes.

6. What are your views on term limits?

I support our Founding Fathers’ view of term limits in establishing regular elections to elect or remove elected officials.

7. Every year Congress passes hundreds of laws, many as riders on other bills. Would you introduce a bill that prohibits more than one law being passed on each bill so that an earmark can not be attached to any bill or law, but must have its own separate bill number and vote?

As a candidate for Indiana State Senate I cannot do much about this terrible practice in the United State Congress. In Indiana, we don’t need to do much since Article 4, Section 19 of the Indiana State Constitution states “An act, except an act for the codification, revision or rearrangement of laws, shall be confined to one subject and matters properly connected therewith.” However, this important part of the Indiana Constitution has been disregarded over time. U.S. Representative Mike Pence before he was a Congressman filed a lawsuit to restore this part of the Indiana Constitution in the 1980s. I will work hard to continue the work of Mr. Pence when elected to the State Legislature to make sure we uphold this constitutional law.

8. What do you believe would be the best approach to health care reform, and how can that be achieved?

This has mostly become a national and Federal topic. I will refer again to the above answers on the 10^th Amendment Pledge. At the state level we must protect and strengthen the tort reform Indiana has enacted. We should also work to become a state known in the nation for less government intrusion and interference in our health care decisions.

9. How will you help Indiana restore and protect it's State Sovereignty?

See answers above on 10^th Amendment pledge.

10. How do you define U.S. Sovereignty and what does it mean to you?

This is a particularly important question and issue to me as a gun owner who believes strongly that our 2^nd Amendment rights are under attack not just from within our country but from new world bodies like the U.N. who is pressuring the U.S. to conform to their laws and regulations on issues like individual gun rights. Additionally, we have seen a new U.S. President work toward ceding U.S. authority to new world order bodies on climate control and other issues. I am running for State Senate in Indiana and can do little about these issues other than work toward holding our Federal officials to a higher level of accountability. Let’s start by removing U.S. Senator Evan Bayh in the 2010 election. We have many good choices to choose from on the Republican side of the aisle to get this done.

11. Trust in our local, state and federal politicians is at an all time low. Why are you different, and why should we trust you to represent us?

This is a good question but very much ill-founded. You should never blindly trust a politician. Instead you should hold them accountable every step of the way. Much of what is wrong with government today is that we have lost a sense of responsibility in our country in participating in government at all levels whether elected or not. This experiment in self-government requires that all individuals are involved in keeping a watchful eye on our elected officials and holding them accountable for their decisions. Whether you agree with me or any other elected official 10 percent or 100 percent of the time, continue to hold us accountable for what we do with your tax dollars and with your government.

12. What is your position on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)?

I support DOMA and support an amendment to the Indiana Constitution that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. It is the only way to protect the institution of marriage from an out of control judiciary in redefining this important backbone of our society.

13. What role should the U.S. play in the United Nations and vice versa? Should the U.N. determine standards for our domestic policy related to education, environment, economy, parenting, etc. through the adoption of treaties?

I am running for Indiana State Senate so little I can do about this but if it were up to me we would leave the U.N.

14. What does the First Amendment mean when it says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”?

We live in the best country on earth that allows us to practice our faith and religion freely. Unfortunately, this right is under attack by leftists who are working to create and restrict this most important liberty. I will work hard against efforts by the left to remove for example 10 Commandment monuments on courthouse lawns, the freedom of students to express their faith in public schools, or prayer before public meetings including the Indiana General Assembly. We live in a time and age where this Constitutional right is under attack more than ever. These religious liberty issues are very important to me.

15. Do you believe that adding unrelated amendments to a bill is acceptable. Why or why not?

Please see my answer above concerning Article 4, Section 19 of the Indiana Constitution. I will work hard to restore this law that unrelated issues cannot be added or amendment onto a bill.