LIBERTARIAN FEELS HE OFFERS ONLY REAL CHOICE IN 8TH DISTRICT

Each of the three candidates for 8th District were asked the same set of questions. the candidates will appear in the order they were interviewed. Jo Ann Emerson's interview will run Wendesday. Tony Heckemeyer's interview will be published Thursday. The interviews were edited for length.

What is the most pressing problem facing the 8th District as a whole?

Hendricks: Right now, the most pressing problem of the 8th District is the over taxation and the over regulation of the district. As the representative from the 8th District, my first goal would be to virtually reduce the income tax to zero -- phasing it out over a period of time, getting the government's money cut off.

You'll never be able to cut the over spending of the government until you cut off the money. You just can't cut it off tomorrow because that just wouldn't work. But a phase-out program would such as constitutional amendment to eliminate the income tax. I would back that 100 percent. It takes time to do that. If it ever reaches the states, the odds are it would probably pass.

Basically right now the federal revenue, about a little more, say 55-60 percent is financed by personal and corporate income tax. The other 45 percent is excise taxes, use taxes. That's the way we used to fund the government before the income tax.

People act like that's the only money that comes into the treasury is from the income tax and that's not a true thought. But since the debt right is so high, I mean, we owe a lot of money, it's going to take time to do it. You just can't cut it off because we'll default. So, the guys who say eliminate income tax tomorrow, it's a great concept but not practical.

The government's like a big ocean liner, you know, the inertia of it. You just can't turn it around or you're going to have the Poseidon Adventure all over again. So you just kind of ease into it. That's the difference between the National Libertarian philosophy and what I call more practical Libertarian philosophy would bring for the 8th District.

Is the farm the economy hurting in Southeast Missouri? If so, why? What should be done, if anything, to improve the agricultural economy?

Hendricks: Basically, it's a little bit of the same philosophy. Agriculture, obviously, one of the toughest businesses in the world. You're at the whim of the weather.

Domestically, farmers can compete with themselves very well. They're very efficient. They're very sharp businessmen. The problem comes into allowing the overseas imports and export policy, which is a good function the federal government to regulate. I would be OK with subsidizing the farmers to a small degree in the effect that exports/imports have affected their pricing. Domestically, they can take care of themselves.

A little bit of subsidies right now to help them from getting undercut from Chinese grain, etc., is fine with me. That's not a real Libertarian philosophy but you've got to keep in mind, farming and food is what took our society from Agrarian society to the industrial society we have. It's a serious domestic national security problem as far as I'm concerned.

Should Congress take steps to preserve the financial viability of Social Security and Medicare? If so, what steps should be taken to preserve those programs?

Hendricks: Medicare and Social Security should be preserved. Earlier, I proposed a 25-year phase out for people involved in the program now. Basically, I want to reprivatize retirement and health care in America.

We have obligations right now, we just can't cut off Social Security tomorrow. But if we take people that are 25 years from retirement, that's people that fall in my age bracket, you can plan to totally opt out of the federal retirement program, if you'd like. Or you can stay in it. You can put your own money into it and let the government be your own little savings account. When you turn 65, the government writes you a check, mails it to you, you're done with it.

The people that are in it from 40 years old to 65 can stay in and get the same benefits that people are receiving now -- same principle, same concept or they can opt out.

Then in 25 years, we should be able to satisfy all those obligations, in correspondence with fading out the income tax. This has all got to be coordinated otherwise it will never work because someone will be screaming, "you cut me off but you didn't cut them off."

What are your qualifications for office? What do you think sets you apart from your opponents, essentially it comes down to why should people vote for you?

Hendricks: Essentially the reason I think people should vote for me is I am a non-politician. I know it's us against the government kind of thing. However, being a third party candidate puts me in a little bit different class from that.

If I would be elected from a third party candidate, I would hold no obligation at all to the leadership of the House. They couldn't press me for a vote. They couldn't make me vote against my conscience or against the 8th District. I can be up there and truly, truly representing the district.

Qualification wise, I'm a businessman. I have an understanding of how business works. The government is a big business that has a lot of force behind it.

I've paid payrolls. I'm self-employed. I've paid self-employment tax. I understand how hard it is. I can take that business knowledge and apply it to Washington D.C. Also, I'm straight forward. I have no other agenda other than representing the 8th District and basically, cutting back everything I can up there. I have nothing beyond that.

Do you favor or oppose gun control and why?

Hendricks: I oppose all forms of gun control. The Second Amendment is pretty clear. The right to bear arms is a unalienable right, as far as I'm concerned. So I would also work, these are pretty straight forward, simple issues. I would work for the repeal of the Brady bill and I would work for the repeal of the 1934 machine gun act which is just another form of gun control. That doesn't mean that you should go out and buy machine guns but you should have the right to do it anytime you want. Background checks, all that stuff, I'm totally against.

Should Congress change the tax code? Do you favor a flat tax or a sales tax, or some other solution? Would you scrap the federal income tax?

Hendricks: We should pretty much scrap the federal income tax code, like I said before. We do get some revenue from other forms whether it be user fees, excise taxes, etc. That money is enough to cover the basic functions of government which is of course, national defense, printing money and the Post Office. That's the main functions of the government right there. Everything else, you know there's other little functions, they don't cost a whole lot of money and we could pretty well cover everything else.

What is the single biggest problem facing small business today?

Hendricks: It ties right in again with the over taxation. As a small business owner, I pay a large amount of tax. It stifles business. It makes me not be able to pay my employees more. It forces me to make some choices that I shouldn't really have to make sometimes as far as inventories, investment, hiring more people, adding health care benefits.

Do you favor or oppose school vouchers and why?

Hendricks: You know, government or public schools have been probably the worse thing to happen to education in a long, long time. Realistically, knowing that I can't go up there with a magic wand and change everything, I would approve of school vouchers because that is to me just another way of getting some of your money back.

It would be great to eliminate the income tax, but it will take a long time. But if tomorrow, get you $2,000 a child back so you can choose to send your kids to a private school or a government school or whatever you want to do, that would be fine with me.

That's an incremental step into returning your money back. Keep in mind, even though I'm a Libertarian, I'm not totally close-minded about how things really work in Washington D.C.

I absolutely approve of privatizing education -- privatize in the sense that the federal government shouldn't be involved with it.

What are your views on abortion?

Hendricks: At this time, abortion is what they call a constitutional right, whether you agree with it or disagree with it. As a Libertarian, as a person who believes in the Constitution, I would not be able in good conscience to vote against any restrictions on abortion at all.

That would be the same thing as me saying "well, I like the Second Amendment, but this time I think we'll vote on some gun control." You can't do it both ways.

I believe the fetus is actually a person when it reaches the point of viability, 20-24 weeks, which realistically is what most people agree. I would support a Constitutional amendment giving constitutional rights to fetuses from 20-24 weeks on. Then basically a third trimester abortion would illegal at that point. I would support that.

Beyond that, though, it's not realistic to support such legislation such as life begins at conception. That's a true statement but citizenship in America does not start at conception. It can't be like that because then all of a sudden you've got depoProvera against the law because prevents a conceived egg from planting in the uterus. Birth control pills prevent conceived egg from planting in the uterus. You'd have to ban that. You'd have to ban the IUD, it does the same thing. So, if you say, we'll do it after implantation, then you lose your argument about life starting at conception. You're starting to move the line again. So, you can't do it. You've got to make a firm decision where citizenship starts.

Do you favor criminalizing tobacco use?

Hendricks: I do not favor the criminalization of tobacco use. I believe that everyone has the right to make choices, personal choices. Tobacco's one of them. It's not a good choice. I don't approve of it but if you feel free to smoke, that's fine with me.

Should the federal government regulate the Internet?

Hendricks: The Internet, first, can't be regulated. It's just another instance of the government wanting to regulate something they just can't ever do. It's very similar to when they tried to regulate alcohol.

No matter what anybody says, anybody can buy beer anywhere. I'm sorry, anybody can get drugs anywhere. You can get guns anywhere. It's the same principle on that. Free speech is very important. The Internet is the current front line of free speech. The government cannot regulate it and they shouldn't even bother to try. They should concentrate on their basic functions. I guess that would be no.

Do we need campaign finance reform? If so, what changes are needed?

Hendricks: Absolutely. Campaign finance reform needs to be changed. All regulations, all laws relating to campaign finance should be eliminated. If I want to go out and spend $2 million on the campaign for whoever I want to, it's my privilege. That is my right.

If people want to ban soft money, soft money is spent by you and me. It's a group of people that have gotten together to spend money, to promote either a candidate or a position or an agenda. That's what America's about. So any kind of regulations on campaign finance, campaigns, I think should be totally eliminated.

The only campaign finance that we ought to have, is every two years, you vote for your representative. If you like him vote him, if you don't like him, vote against him. If he's done a good job, that's fine. Keep in mind, when I tell people, you don't have to submit a list to who's contributing to your campaign to the government, people say, well, how are we going to keep track of it? A strictly voluntary system is fine with me.

Do you think President Clinton should be impeached?

Hendricks: As a Constitutionalist, I truly believe in the rule of law. If it is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, which it's pretty close right now that he committed perjury in front of the grand jury as the chief law officer, he should be impeached by the House of Representatives and I would vote yes on impeachment based on that criteria.

If it cannot be proven, if it's kind of muddy, it's a whole different issue. But as far as I can tell, it's pretty clearcut at this point.

Let's keep in mind, everybody does lie about sex. However if you lie about sex under oath and if you get caught, that's the problem. Getting caught is where everything happens in America. So, that's just how it is. He got caught, he got busted, gotta pay the price. There's no censure available.

I think the only president ever censured was Andrew Jackson. Constitutionally, it's weak. I carry a $20 bill with Andrew on the front of it so it didn't hurt him very much. Actually, I think in the next session, they'll repeal that censure, I think is what it will boil down to. There is no remedy other than impeachment.

That's what America's about, you get caught, you pay the price. You know, there's no crime until you get caught then you're punished and you go on from there.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Hendricks: As a Libertarian, I believe in less government. Republicans basically talk the Libertarian line for the most part which is why a lot of people think Libertarian but they don't think to vote Libertarian.

If we want to make a statement to the Republicans, to the Democrats, that we need a change, you can't do it by continuing to vote Republican or Democrat. Vote for independent candidates where you can. They'll accumulate. The Republicans and Democrats will notice. That's the only way we've got.

Send a message from the 8th District, we want something different. That's the main reason why I decided to be in this election. To me, there's essentially no difference between Democrats and Republicans running right now, especially in this district.

I represent the second party, so to speak. I am a clear choice to the Democrat or Republican ticket.

MEET JOHN HENDRICKS

CANDIDATE: John Hendricks

PARTY: Libertarian

HOMETOWN: Jackson

AGE: 38

EDUCATION: Graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor of science degree in business administration.

JOB HISTORY: Self-employed, operates a retail business.

POLITICAL OFFICE: This is his first run for political office.

FAMILY: He and his wife, Joanie, have four children.