Vote Chris Stevens, Idaho State Representative

Thank you for supporting Freedom & Prosperity!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:52:00 +0000

“All things considered, we did pretty well. 6,382 Pocatello voters (43.13%) voted for Freedom & Prosperity! The last Republican candidate to go up against our opponent only got 34.82% of the vote.” –Chris Stevens

“The 2010 election cycle is just around the corner. We must redouble our efforts to educate our fellow citizens, recruit and support liberty candidates, and marshal our resources for the battle ahead.” –Ron Paul

Learn how you can help revive the principles of freedom and prosperity that made America the most prosperous nation on earth. These proven principles can be reimplemented in Idaho, benefiting us tremendously and setting an example for the nation.

Don't believe the cynical lie that we can't fight the big money that funds politics as usual. People of every age, race, and background, united by a message of freedom and prosperity, are rising up to take this country back.

There Is Hope For America! BE A PART OF IT!

What's important to Chris Stevens?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:49:00 +0000

Restore the Constitution, protect our rights, local self-government, low taxes, and free markets. The essence of American freedom and prosperity is slipping away and very few leaders discuss these foundational principles anymore.

What's worse: “taxation without representation” or over-taxation with representation? We fought a war to change the former; we need principled representation to change the latter.

Government is too big, too intrusive, and too expensive! Do you want more big bureaucracy? Or, like me, do you want government to:

be regulated and controlled?
leave more money in your pocket?
butt out of your business?
quit messing up education, health care, and the economy?
stop restricting your rights?
give freedom, responsibility, and prosperity back to the people?

Big bureaucracy is not what made America the most prosperous nation on earth. Americans had incentive to be productive and industrious because they were free to keep the fruit of their labor. Can we expect big expensive bureaucracy to suddenly surprise us all and make us prosperous?

Government confiscation of twenty percent of the fruit of your labor used to be called slavery. Now we work for the government for one third to one half of the year, and some want to keep expanding government. This is outrageous! Our freedom and prosperity is being smothered.

We've got families struggling to make ends meet, people on fixed incomes, savings being eaten up by inflation, local businesses suffering, health care costs skyrocketing, people losing their homes, etc. We've also got legislative incumbents who won't rule out raising taxes instead of reducing bureaucracy.

Fortunately for Idaho, our state Constitution requires a balanced budget. So the choice facing us isn't whether or not we will have a balanced budget; the choice is whether we will increase our tax burden or decrease big bureaucracy.

This election provides a choice for creative and bold leadership to ensure our continuing freedom and prosperity. Your choice can help revive the principles that made America the most prosperous nation on earth. These proven principles can be reimplemented in Idaho, benefiting us tremendously and setting an example for the nation.

If we take some necessary proactive steps to strengthen Idaho, we can become so productive that we can prosper regardless of what happens to the national or global economy. Intentional improvements include our economy, roads, education, health care, and criminal justice system.

Instead of throwing ourselves at the feet of big government or global corporations, begging them to bring the illusion of prosperity to Idaho, we can take care of ourselves by making it easier for Idahoans to be more industrious and prosperous.

Learn more about empowering Idahoans with a brighter future: visit VoteStevens08.com for a highly relevant short report and video; plus, more discussion of the issues.

PS: I'm a concerned citizen - as I'm sure you are - not a career politician. I want to be Pocatello's State Representative, not because I want to be a politician, but because our freedoms are increasingly being violated and our prosperity is increasingly being consumed by a government that we have allowed to get out of control.

'We the people' must govern again! We must put principle above party and expose corruption and abuses of power at every level of government. If you can see through the dirty politics-as-usual that we're all so tired of, please vote principle on November 4th.

Idaho Should Take Steps To Secure Our Freedom And Prosperity

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:23:00 +0000

History and experience both teach us that limited government, free markets, and protection of property rights produces the greatest amount of prosperity for the greatest number of people.

History and experience both teach us that unlimited government intervention, regulation, and confiscation of the fruit of our labor produces increasing amounts of poverty.

I believe that our reaction to the current economic turmoil will have a profound impact on our future. Our two options:

We could continue down the path of expensive big government whose overbearing policies got us into this mess, or
We could return to a small easily controlled government where most decisions are made at the local level.

America became the most prosperous nation on earth - not because of what government did, but because of what government was prevented from doing. We used to regulate the government; now they regulate us.

When government was small and easily controlled, America prospered. We have allowed government to grow out of control, and now America is suffering. As government has become increasingly dominant over the last century, we have become less free and less prosperous.

I sometimes regret saying I'll try anything once. We've now tried big government in America. Should we keep serving it up or should we return to an inexpensive, Constitutionally limited government?

One third to one half of all the wealth produced by all of the labor of all Americans every day is consumed by an obese government that will never stop growing until we resolve to dismantle the bureaucracy and give freedom, responsibility, and prosperity back to the people.

Our wealth is being devoured by costly bureaucracy with all of its overhead expenses. This has reduced the finances available for family, friends, and charities to help those in need, which they still do for a fraction of the cost that bureaucracy can do anything.

Confiscating the fruit of our labor to pay bureaucrats to distribute our wealth to those who did not labor for it destroys the incentive to be productive - both for the one who labored and for the one who gained without labor.

We have allowed a culture of dependency on government to develop. I believe it's time to recreate a culture of industriousness in Idaho. It's more freedom and responsibility, not more government interference, that will produce the greatest amount of prosperity for the greatest number of people.

Why should we continue to allow the wealth of our communities to be confiscated and filtered through federal and state bureaucracies and then have to lobby to get some of it back into our communities? What a wasteful process!

We shouldn't reduce the salaries of state bureaucrats (as I was recently misquoted as saying), we should eliminate state bureaucrats! We must phase out the era of big government in a responsible and orderly manner, fulfilling our obligations to state retirees and those we've made dependent on the system.

A return to local self-government would mean a tremendous increase in the quality of any service the local community wants their government to provide. Local oversight and accountability is unquestionably superior to huge, wasteful bureaucracies.

For a pertinent example, read “Educational Excellence Through Local Control.” As the title suggests, I believe we should get expensive bureaucrats and their counterproductive mandates out of education.

I've been hearing an amazing number of complaints from witnesses of all types of government inefficiencies and services being abused. The bureaucracy is so big that people don't know where to begin dealing with such outrageous wasting of taxpayers' hard-earned money.

Here are just a couple of measures that would cost next to nothing to implement, would empower the people the government works for, and would help create better government accountability and transparency:

Every government expenditure of taxpayer money posted online for anyone to see: State budgets are already in electronic format, so it would be easy to upload them to the internet.
A “Complaint Box” on every government website and in every public office: Complaints directed to the right people at the time problems occur is an obvious quality control measure.

Both of these measures would help accelerate the process of bringing government back under control and reducing our tax burden. I look forward to sharing some of the other exciting things in the works to ensure our continuing freedom and prosperity in Idaho.

Reviving Constitutional Principles Will Not Get Easier If We Wait

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:49:00 +0000

Constitution Day is on September 17th of Each Year
On Sept. 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine brave men who changed the course of history. Now Constitution Day is a time for us to continue their legacy and develop habits of citizenship in a new generation of Americans.

If the Constitution and its limited government principles were revived, it would solve many of the most pressing problems of our time. The alternative to limited government is unlimited government, which has been the status quo for kings, dictators, and other forms of tyranny throughout the world.

Which direction is America headed? Should we scrap the document despised by those who think its limitations are a nuisance? Have we become so enlightened that we can now trust our government to be unleashed from the chains of the Constitution?

The bipartisan trashing of the Constitution and Bill of Rights has gotten so far out of control that accelerating numbers of citizens are realizing that 'We the people' must govern again! Local self-government must be revived.

Is there any corruption and abuses of power in your county, the state of Idaho, or the federal government? Who cares enough about their community and their country to demand accountability and work to replace politics-as-usual with a small, easily controlled government?

Free markets and private enterprise enabled American prosperity to flourish; government bureaucracy is consuming it. Proponents of expanding the scope of government beyond its Constitutional limitations are crippling our economy and defaming our country.

Who will help repair the foundations and demand that their elected representatives dismantle the bureaucracy and give freedom, responsibility, and prosperity back to the people? If 'We the people' held our representatives accountable:

we wouldn't be suffering a 29% tax burden
we wouldn't have an overzealous bureaucracy regulating our economy to death
we wouldn't have international bureaucracies, built under the guise of “Free Trade” deals, exporting industries and jobs out of the country
we wouldn't have a $10 trillion dollar nation debt (over $30,000 per person)
we wouldn't have the Federal Reserve System inflating the dollar supply, which devalues our currency
we would be free to use competing currencies that increase in value over time
we would be free to keep the fruits of our labor
we would be free to release American ingenuity
we would be free to compete against politically protected industries (regulation and subsidies shut out bright new ideas that don't have 'connections')
we would be free to produce our own energy

If we restricted government to its Constitutionally authorized functions and phased out all of the looting of taxpayers that's going on, we would also eliminate the incentive that motivates all of the special interests and lobbyists. Government would shrink to a fraction of its current size and cost.

Imagine keeping an extra $200 of every thousand you earn. Is this a fight worth winning? I can already hear the pessimists whining, “It'll never happen.” To which I firmly respond, “Let not him who says it can't be done interrupt those who are doing it.”

Some of those who crave freedom will become public servants. Besides an understanding of Constitutional principles, they need the character and the courage to vote against the bureaucracy, the special interests, the lobbyists, and when necessary, their party. And they will need our support.

I would be negligent in my duty if I refrained from asking you to participate in this critical effort to revive freedom and prosperity. Please help by putting principle above party and exposing corruption and abuses of power at every level of government.

I look forward to prodding my colleagues in the State Legislature to strengthen free markets, preserve individual rights, and limit government. Republicans are elected to implement these ideals which are found in the Party Platform, a mandate written and approved by delegates from every county in the state.

The tide is changing. I believe Idaho can set an example for the rest of the nation by reviving the proven principles of personal freedom, responsibility, and prosperity. Read your Constitution and get involved. But be forewarned: the establishment will not walk away without a fight.

Bringing the Rally for the Republic to S.E. Idaho!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:56:00 +0000

Freedom BBQ

This event will be a celebration of our movement and our supporters, a launch party for the Campaign for Liberty in S.E. Idaho, and a clear call to the Republican Party to return to its roots of limited government, personal responsibility, and protection of our natural rights.

Just back from the Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis, Chris Stevens will officially launch his candidacy for State Representative.

Saturday, September 6th, 12-2 pm

Pocatello's Ross Park Pavilion (next to the pool)

Bring the whole family. Everyone who's serious about saving the Constitution will be there!

A nice quantity of Rally for the Republic memorabilia will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

PLUS: Freedom Speakers, Literature, and Vendors

Learn more and get involved. It's time for a new era of freedom!
BE A PART OF IT!

More info: 478-8683

This event is FREE to the public. Donations will be accepted.

Invite everyone you know in S.E. Idaho who should be a part of this historic effort.

"You and I began a revolution that is sweeping the Republican Party and the country back to its Constitutional roots. Campaign for Liberty will help us continue that revolution, spread our message and quite possibly, save our republic. Please consider joining today and making a generous donation." -Dr. Ron Paul, U.S. Congressman

Educational Excellence Through Local Control

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:55:00 +0000

Education in America has been severely declining for decades compared to other nations. At the same time, budgets and bureaucracy have grown dramatically. Many of the increases in school spending have not reached the classroom.

This trend in American education has followed the shift from local control to bureaucratic control. I would like to see Idaho reverse this trend and set an example for the nation. I believe the solution is to give control back to the people it belongs to.

If there are 150 educational methods, public schools are limited to five. Considering the numerous teaching styles, learning styles, personality types, special needs, and the variety of interests, forcing all children into a narrow mold is stifling the next generation of American ingenuity.

“No Child Left Behind” is one example of bureaucratic intrusions into local schools. Top-down control of education makes it more difficult for bright new ideas to spread. Opting out of the nationally failing one-size-fits-all model would allow innovative options to flourish in Idaho.

State and federal bureaucrats are not only expensive, but they have to continually come up with new regulations since their previous attempts failed to produce better results. Many of their dictates are counterproductive while consuming resources.

Bureaucrats also drive up the cost of education by requiring schools to take on more and more parental responsibilities. These responsibilities all cost money and government institutions can never do anything as efficiently or effectively as families can.

I don't think any of us want institutions to replace the family, so at some point we have to decide how many of these responsibilities we really want schools to have. Rather than paying far-away bureaucrats to decide, I think that the parents of each community should make these decisions for their children.

Free The Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:36:00 +0000

If you want to provide a neighborhood service or product to earn extra money (the way many successful businesses were originally started), you shouldn't have to go through a bureaucratic labyrinth. Also, the fruit of your labor shouldn't be confiscated to pay bureaucrats to distribute your hard-earned money to those who didn't earn it.

The prosperity and industriousness of the people is being smothered by taxation and regulation. It's affecting everything from health care to energy production. An overbearing and over-bloated government limits the people's ability and incentive to produce, stifling the economy.

The best way to stimulate our economy is to get the government off our backs and out of our wallets. Idaho can become the freest and most prosperous state in the Union by reviving the principles that made America the freest and most prosperous nation on earth.

We need to unleash the free market economic engine in Idaho! Freedom releases the ingenuity and productivity of individuals and families, and has resulted in unprecedented advances in the common standard of living.

Low taxes and free markets would:

provide incentive for local entrepreneurs
stimulate industry and economic growth
revitalize our local economy
stabilize Idaho's economy
insulate us from national and global economic woes

Idaho should be a land of opportunity so we can all enjoy a more secure future. We can set an example for the nation and the world. We can reignite the American dream!

Congressman Ron Paul Endorses Chris Stevens for Idaho State Representative!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:59:00 +0000

Ron Paul’s Liberty PAC

This is exciting news!

Perilous times are on our doorsteps, but more and more patriots are seeing the necessity of taking our country back by getting involved in every level of government. Not everyone can run for office, but most everyone can contribute something to elect good people to serve us in the fight for liberty. Together we can multiply our numbers, expand our influence, and turn the tide against big government.

Thank you for all you do for freedom and liberty. Please help me do even more by seizing this opportunity and turning it into a great victory in November. The impact of having more people in office who vote like Ron Paul would be so huge as to shake the very pillars of power and influence across this country. We may never have another opportunity like this one.

It's going to be a challenging race, but so far everything is going the way it needs to in order to win. We're raising money and organizing volunteers to continue the momentum of the Campaign for Liberty. Please join us in this opportunity to elect another freedom-loving candidate to office--a candidate who will fight for limited government, lower taxes, individual liberty and our precious Constitution.

Other Endorsements:

Republican Liberty Caucus

Law & Consequences

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:13:00 +0000

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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men...

Government is supposed to protect your rights and leave you otherwise free to regulate your own life! Paying bureaucrats to regulate our lives is not only expensive, but removing responsibility from individuals increases irresponsible behavior. Freedom requires responsibility and involves risk.

When people are free to prosper, they have incentive for making responsible decisions. If they choose to engage in risky behavior, they should be responsible for enduring the natural and logical consequences. They should not be rewarded with years of room and board courtesy of the taxpayer.

Those who violate the rights of others forfeit their own rights. Justice should be fair and speedy, with restitution made to their victim rather than the state. Prisoners should work to pay their keep and repay their victims. The sooner their debt is paid, the sooner they can go free.

A true revival of these principles would dramatically reduce prison costs and reform criminal behavior.

The freest state in the Union?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stevens) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:17:00 +0000

Ten years ago, in 1998, everybody was arguing about how much the government should spend on this and that. Most everyone argued for efficiency and elimination of waste. This went on for ten years and government spending doubled between 1998 and 2008.

*****

$28,398 Per Capita Personal Income (2005)
l-$8,525 29.0% Tax Burden (federal, state & local taxes as % of income) (2005)
$19,873 Average Income After Taxes

*****

'Only' 17.9% of Idahoans are employed by federal, state or local government, but Idahoans spend almost 1/3 of the year - every January, February, March, and half of April - working for the government. Put another way, you belong to the government for two and a half hours of every eight-hour work day!

FY2008 State General Fund Budget
Two thirds of the taxes collected by the State of Idaho are consumed by... Education
20% Health & Welfare
9% Law Enforcement
1% Roads

Everybody keeps arguing for government efficiency. That should be as obvious as the fact that if we continue our present course, we will be paying dearly for a 'nanny state' to control our lives from cradle to grave. I think it's time for a more fundamental analysis. What do you think?

We need to repair the foundations and give freedom, responsibility, and prosperity back to the people!

It's not what government did that made America great; it's what government was prevented from doing. We have now allowed government to become an out-of-control beast that is devouring our freedom and prosperity. It's time to put the beast back in its cage!

Local Self-Government is held hostage by far-away bureaucrats. We need to revive Idaho's prevailing values of individualism, local control, and freedom from governmental constraints!

Economy: We need to unleash the free market economic engine! If you want to provide a neighborhood service or product to earn extra money (the way many successful businesses were originally started), you shouldn't have to go through a bureaucratic labyrinth.

Government Accountability: 'We the people' must govern again! We must put principle above party and expose corruption and abuses of power at every level of government. Let's revive the principles that made America the most prosperous nation on earth!

Education: Funding has increased as schools have taken on new responsibilities. But as school responsibilities increase, parental responsibilities decrease. This is just the opposite of what we should be doing. It's time to reverse this trend.

Idaho can become the freest state in the Union! Don't believe the cynical lie that we can't fight the big money that funds politics as usual. People of every age, race, and background, united by a message of freedom and prosperity, stand poised to take this country back. Join our cause!

Host your friends and neighbors for a one-hour house party. Everyone will get to meet and question Mr. Stevens after watching:

Overview of America
This 29 minute DVD gives you a big-picture vision of why we have enjoyed so much personal freedom and prosperity in America. It makes it easy to understand the great principles our unique nation must revive!

Schedule your house party today! Call 478-VOTE