Vetting interview with Tim Harris, Libertarian Candidate for reelection to NC State Senate District 2

Tim Harris filled in the answers to the questions himself.

 

1.                   How do you want to be contacted?

 

Email: timharris@harris4district2.com orinfo@harris4district2.com or phone: 919 201.2602

 

2.                   Your educational background, experience and demonstrations of leadership?

 

Education: Home school & public High School; Youngstown State University, History, 2001; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, History, 2003; Phi Alpha Theta; Alpha Lambda Delta; B’nai B’rith Excellence in Undergraduate research award.

 

Experience:

Intern at Offices of Matthew J. Rinaldo, Member of Congress, New Jersey’s 7th  district;

United States Marine Corps, honorably discharged in 1999;

Campaign Outreach Coordinator; James Traficant, Member of Congress, Ohio’s 17th District;

 

I have been in the private sector since graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill in various sectors and as a small businessman. I have worked in the auto industry and heavy & farm equipment industry; in 2008 I began a career shift into the IT industry:

 

IT Systems administrator with the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UNC-Chapel Hill;

Systems & Network administrator at Cisco Systems 2010-2014;

Senior Systems Engineer at Rho Inc, 2014- present

 

3.                   Memberships and associations?

 

Regional Affiliate Coordinator; Libertarian Party of North Carolina;

Interim Executive Director; Libertarian Party of Eastern North Carolina;

Chair; Libertarian Animal Rights Caucus

 

4.                   Why are you running for this office?

 

I believe it is long past the time when North Carolina needs to put aside the partisan infighting and focus on the true task of governance- achieving those goals which the people have set for us with maximum efficiency and minimum intrusion into the lives and liberties of the people. For too long the Legislature has forgotten they are sent there by us to effectively do the work we demand of them that can be squared with the  rights to which we are all entitled.

 

5.                   As a representative of Coastal North Carolina what is your stance on regulation

of recreational and commercial fishing? 

 

We have ignored the proper balance between the needs of the recreational fishing industry and the Commercial. The mechanisms we have established to help foster this balance, such as the MFC , have been mismanaged by the State and poorly served by the partisan processes surrounding the Commission. The entire State, but in particular the Commercial fishing industry are in need of organized State efforts to keep foreign substandard products of our markets so that the men and women of the NC fishing community can compete on a level playing field. The State needs also to vigorously guard against undue influence in regulation and policy from well-funded and active advocacy groups who have set their sights on the commercial fishing community. The Legislature has shown little interest thus far in properly serving our fishing community and I intend to change that.

 

6.                   Would you support a ban on Sharia Law or any other foreign law in America?

 

The United States has a Constitutional, civil, and criminal code, State(s) and federal, that collectively represent the law of the land. And I know of no attempt thus far to institute or operate under any other type of law in the United States. Were such an attempt to occur I would oppose it categorically under all circumstances.

 

7.                   What place does God have in public schools?

 

God’s place in the public schools is in the hearts and minds the people in those schools- student and staff. I am a firm supporter of the highest and strongest walls of separation between Church and State. When we allow the State, and its monopoly on the use of force, to begin imposing religious practices or beliefs of any kind, we are leaving the door open for those institutions to do so in ways we may find fundamentally abhorrent later on.  I believe public institutions should focus on the singular mission of providing world class services (at which our education systems is failing miserably) and leave faith to the private lives of their students.

 

8.                   Should high school students be taught our founding history and the details

of the U.S. Constitution?

 

I’m saddened that we live in a world in which this even needs to be a question. But for too long our educators have systematically stripped any understanding of our history and our rights out of the process. We must, absolutely, get back to teaching these to our students for the sake of us all.

 

9.                   Would you support a law to remove requirements for “Certificate Of Need”?

 

Unconditionally. I would support any and all efforts to remove the CON system. Many States have realized their error and done so already and have seen tremendous gain in long-term health care outcomes, at significantly reduced, market-bearing, costs. To add to this I will support the tearing-down of the vast majority of the State’s “market-management” schemes, including most of the occupational licensing laws, which serve only to help hold down low and middle income populations while reducing capitalism’s energy in our community.

 

10.               What is your position on gun registration, gun free zones and concealed carry laws?

 

I oppose all of these. “The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” is pretty clear. As a matter of Constitution and as a simple matter of property rights we must firmly support the 2ndamendment.

 

11.               Do you support border security, including the wall, and better controlled immigration?

 

I believe we need to control and manage our borders, as any other nation on the planet must do. But I do not support building “the” wall, either physically or metaphorically. We should have gates, not walls. We need to establish simple, easy, manageable processes by which people can freely come here, we can know who they are, have some simple data on them and enable them to live and work here without fear, so long as they remain peaceful. If they get in trouble- we ship them back wherever they came from.

 

12.               Do you support picture ID requirements for voting?

 

I do not generally support any law that would impose on an American the presumption of guilt when exercising a fundamental right, unless they can prove otherwise. That is not part of the principles on which this nation was founded. The exercise of rights is not akin to any of the other activities we are involved in during our daily lives. Neither is the demand that an American carry on them any sort of government-approved ID in order to exercise a right. Rights are inherent and natural- such as the right to have a voice in the selection of those who will exercise power, they do not come from government. In fact government itself only legitimately exists by virtue of the exercise of that natural right.

If the federal government were to demand that voting for federal offices required you have a national ID card, I’m sure a vast majority of people would be against that idea. But there is no difference between the two propositions. In addition, the instances of voter-fraud that a voter ID law would purport to prevent are few and far between, they are very much a rarity. Our existing elections processes and laws have proven more than adequate in accurately verifying voting eligibility and protecting the general sanctity of the ballot. Therefore additional laws, and additional requirements are simply not necessary. I support in all cases where practicable, the reduction of laws, not the addition.  I do not, myself, mind having to show an ID to vote, but I would not support imposing that as a matter of law.

 

13.               What is your view on nullification and interposition?

 

I absolutely support the right of a jury to decide not only the facts of a case but to render by their verdict a judgment of the law. In all cases whatsoever. And the 10th amendment is clear and unambiguous. States absolutely have the right to take action, singly or jointly, to oppose the federal government in matters against the States, or their citizens.

 

14.               If elected, what is your number one priority

Fundamental restructuring of our educational system. The system we have now in unworkable, unsustainable fiscally, and a miserable failure. We are mortgaging the futures of our children by policy and by failing to properly educate them. Rendering our public education system viable and functional is vital to the long-term economic health of our State and nation, and the most effective method of reducing the size, scope, and cost of government in our lives.
Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *