My County Magazine: Candidate Survey
October 3, 2008 | Conversations, Positions, Voter Information
My County Magazine, published in Western Missouri, has a comparison of the candidates for public office online. My responses are quoted below.
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What are your top three priorities to accomplish?
REDUCE TAXES on all Missourians, not just the middle class or the well-to-do.
ELIMINATE INTERFERENCE in the daily lives and property rights of all Missourians.
Bring about a SMALLER GOVERNMENT, reducing expenses and removing non-essential services, and returning the money to YOUR pocket book for YOU to spend as you wish. Who knows best how to spend your hard-earned money: you, or the legion of legislators and rule-makers who work in our state government?
How do you plan to accomplish them?
The Governor submits a budget to the legislature. I will accomplish my goals through the power of the VETO, if the legislature attempts to increase the budget I’ve submitted. The state will effectively go on a diet, for its future better health.
In addition, I will call for and support legislation and constitutional amendments to forbid the state government from interfering in its citizens’ lives. The taking of one person’s private property for the benefit of another via eminent domain, all in the name of “economic development,” must be stopped.
How do you plan to pay for them?
All three of my priorities will reduce the cost of government. Therefore, I plan to “pay” for it by giving the money back to the citizens; and once the legislature has reduced the tax rates for all Missourians, both rich and poor, I plan to “pay” for it by keeping the money in the possession of the people.
What unique characteristic or qualification do you possess that makes you the best person for this job?
I am not a politician - which makes me unique. I have to work for a living.
I am a computer software engineer — we don’t just study a problem or pass a new law further restricting how Missouri does business: we actually solve the problems. Libertarians fight for YOUR individual freedoms, and personal responsibility for the choices we make.
I am also a Catholic music minister, a singer, a landlord, a small, internet business operator, a member of MENSA, and a newlywed husband.
I know what it’s like to have to make ends meet through hard work and a realistic budget.
Why should voters elect me instead of my opponents? Only I will bring about a smaller government. My opponents promise new and expanded programs, spending to the limit of the state’s checkbook from taxes and fees. Only I will fight for your individual freedoms and liberties, while my opponents have accepted millions of dollars in campaign contributions - which they spend wastefully on negative advertising and misleading statements of “truth”. Do they think we are that stupid? No, we are not.
Don’t waste your vote — vote for Life, vote for Liberty, vote for Andy.
When was the last time you had a one-on-one conversation with a member of the opposite party? What did you hope to accomplish?
Also unique in our state, an office-mate of mine is running for State Representative this year. Two candidates working at the same non-political office running for state office the same year. It must be something in the water.
He is a Democrat. I am a Libertarian. We had been talking about the economy, and the $700 BILLION dollar (or more) bailout that was proposed over the weekend. As has been typical, we agree on many more points than we differ. We were not trying to persuade each other of the rightness of our own views, or the wrongness of the other’s views. We were discussing what would be best for our respective 401(k) plans.
Do you vote a straight party ticket, or what criteria do you use to vote when evaluating a candidate?
I do not. I gather information about each candidate, and each issue. I do not let my feelings get in the way. I evaluate each candidate or issue based on the principles of government that I hold dear: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, individual choices and responsibility for those choices. I never vote for the “lesser of two evils”, because that choice STILL chooses evil. And then I vote.
Events for the week of September 7th, 2008
September 6, 2008 | Announcements, Voter Information
This week promises to be a busy one for Finkenstadt, with a busier one the following week.
September 7th: Finkenstadt will be at the SEMO District Fair, Libertarian Party booth with Branden McCullough, the US Representative (District 
candidate, from 4pm through 10pm.
September 11th: Finkenstadt has been invited to participate in the Candidates Forum sponsored by the Missouri Press Association, the Missouri Broadcasters Association, the Missouri School of Journalism, and the Missouri Society of Newspaper Editors. 3:15pm through 4:30pm, in the Fisher Auditorium, 87 Gannet Hall at Mizzou.
Also on September 11th: Finkenstadt will be participating in a live and in-person, on-air interview with The Drive with Gary Nolan. The show is on from 4pm to 6pm, listen in from outside the area on The Eagle 93.9.
September 13th: St. Louis County Libertarian Central Committee picnic, an informal event held at Castlepoint Park in Jennings (2465 Baroness Drive), from 12pm through 4pm.
UPDATED: to add The Drive event on September 11th.
The Libertarian Dime: Interview with Andy Finkenstadt
August 17, 2008 | Positions, Voter Information
The Libertarian Dime has a podcast up, containing an Interview with Andy Finkenstadt on running for Governor in the State of Missouri.
Talk with Andy on 93.9 The Eagle: Tuesday August 12th 5:15pm
August 11, 2008 | Announcements, Voter Information
Tune in this Tuesday to The Eagle 93.9, The News and Talk of Columbia, MO between 4pm and 6pm to the “The Drive with Gary Nolan.” Andy will be available for questions and responses between 5:15pm and 5:30pm. If you are not able to pick up the radio broadcast, listening in via the Internet is also supported — just “LISTEN LIVE” from The Eagle’s home page.
Meet Andy at the Missouri State Fair on Saturday 16-August
August 10, 2008 | Announcements, Voter Information
The Missouri State Fair is happening right now, and both Andy and his wife Carol will be manning the Libertarian Party information booth in the vendor tent on Saturday, August 16th 2008 from 3pm until 9pm. If you are in the Sedalia Missouri area, we’d love the chance to meet you, talk, and discuss why Andy is the Excellent Choice for Missourians interested in a fresh start on Government.
Fireworks will follow.
Private: Primary Election Results are in!
August 6, 2008 | Announcements, Positions, Voter Information
The Secretary of State’s very cool election results web site shows that nearly every vote in the August 5th 2008 Primary Election has been reported, and counted.
Personal notes:
To the 1,718 persons who selected a Libertarian Party ballot and indicated their trust in my run for Governor, THANK YOU. I’ve had several people contact me via facebook to tell me of their decision.
To the 53,600+ people who voted in the Democratic Party Primary, and the nearly 200,000 people who voted in the Republican Party Primary for candidates — whose candidate did not win, I encourage you to vote for me this November. It is my promise to do what is right, and best, for the State and all of you, its citizens.
Instead of choosing between the lesser of two evils, Go for Excellence! Vote for Andy in ‘08.
Disability Resource Association: Voter’s Guide
July 17, 2008 | Voter Information
The Disability Resource Association has published a Voter’s Guide (PDF document, Adobe Reader required, 10 megabytes) which includes some responses from candidates in the upcoming primary and general election. Andy’s answers to the Disability Resource Association’s questions are contained within it. The text of those answers is here:
Dear Mr. Henning,
Enclosed please find my response to your questionnaire for your upcoming Voter Guide for the August primary elections and the November general elections.
State Children’s Health Insurance Program
As a Libertarian I am more in support of smaller government and fewer government programs than I am in expanding existing programs and creating new ones. I prefer to have less intervention at the Federal level with state and local concerns. Let us keep our tax money out of federal hands and in our own pockets.
Providing health care for one’s citizens is rightly a choice made at the state or local level, through the actions of the legislature in accordance with the people’s best interest. The legislature then provides the money from the tax dollars it has collected from its citizens, and makes its choices in where it is spent in accord with what it sees as its priorities. I will work to persuade them to make better choices in the future.
As Governor, I will happily contribute a portion of my own income to organizations and charities that provide essential health services to those who are unable to afford it on their own.
As a private citizen I already contribute this portion of my income for these purposes; I hope through my example that others do so as well.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Missouri State Capitol Building houses both the legislatures, and the office space of the Governor (soon to be mine) and some other agencies. The Missouri Assistive Technology group and the Office of the Administration has made many efforts to accommodate people with certain kinds of disabilities. According to this booklet, available online at <http://www.at.mo.gov/publications/capitol_booklet.shtm>, the Capitol Building has been made accessible, and there are employees in the public service responsible for fulfilling whatever accommodations are necessary.
The legislature is responsible for providing funding, and makes its choices in accordance with what it sees as its priorities. I will persuade them to make different and better choices in the future.
As Governor, it will be my duty and pleasure, on behalf of any citizen who is unable to reach my office’s doorstep, to visit and transact business with them at their convenience.
Citizens without Health Insurance
Public Health Eligibility and Access
There are no easy answers for countering a rise in the numbers of people who have no health insurance, nor are there simple, cost-effective solutions for providing basic health care for the aged, disabled and working poor.
Ultimately I believe the choices that have been made in the state and federal governments must result in a tempering of expectations of what it means to have “basic health care,” and the resulting lowering of cost to taxpayers who support those who cannot or choose not to afford other sorts of health care options.
Centers for Independent Living
Libertarians are, as a rule, strong proponents of individual freedom and self-responsibility.
The good work accomplished by the Centers for Independent Living and the organizations that support them should be applauded. They do great amounts of work with a small number of dollars.
As Governor I would work to pass legislation that effectively increases the amount of funding, by allowing private individuals and civic-minded businesses to contribute directly to the charities of their choice, receiving some sort of tax credit in return on their state tax return.
This tax credit, similar to the one already allowed for Food Pantries and the like, allows the people to decide directly how their tax dollars are spent.
As Governor I expect to make significant changes to improve the lives of the people in the State of Missouri.
Thank you for the opportunity to present my views through your Voter Guide. Best regards,
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Andrew Finkenstadt
Project VoteSmart: Political Courage Test
July 12, 2008 | Positions, Voter Information
The good people at Project VoteSmart have made available a large amount of material for many elections across the nation. Finkenstadt’s biographical information is now available, and they are working hard at collecting and organizing candidate position information. Project VoteSmart advocates the “Political Courage Test”, challenging a candidate to publicly take a stand on various issues.
