Less government key to Constitution Party

Senate candidate Swan wants to

get back to what Constitution says

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- U.S. Senate candidate David Swan and his Constitution Party claim the size of the U.S. government is larger than the constitution allows.

Swan said that his three major U.S. Senate candidate opponents propose things that would increase the government's size, which he said is against the betterment of society.

"We are the only party that wants to limit the size of government," Swan said Friday on a campaign swing through southern and western Minnesota.

"Visualize your paycheck with no federal deductions," said Swan.

Among his claims are that if the government was operated the way the constitution allows, the federal government could perform its delegated powers with tariffs and a small excise tax on non-essential goods, (large-ticket items excluding food and clothing).

Under the Constitution Party's plan, the federal government would operate on one-fourth the amount of money it now uses.

Other aspects of the party's plan:

* There would be no federal income tax or taxes on capital gains, estate, social security, FICA, Medicare or Medicaid.

* The national debt would be eliminated in less than a year by selling unconstitutionally-owned federal lands and using the proceeds to pay off the debt.

* Use the surplus to gradually phase out Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other welfare programs that the government has no business providing.

Under the plan, citizens would be able to direct the investment of all Social Security funds collected from them into privately-held pension plans.

The Constitution Party's plan would protect people now "trapped" in the "awful (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid) systems," and wean future generations from government dependency.

Swan said his opponents should read the constitution.

"They still don't get it," said Swan. "Even with surplus spending plans, the government will still be far larger than the Constitution allows. The other three candidates still don't want a smaller government, just one that is rearranged in the way it spends money."

Swan said medical services providers told him they hate the managed care programs the government has forced on them. They would like to see an end to third-party managers negotiating group health plans that remove decision making from individuals and give it to bureaucrats or bottom-line driven HMOs or PPOs.

He said the future of the current health care system is predictable--decreased quality and rationed care that will cost more and more. People will literally die because bureaucrats will decide it is not cost-effective for certain people to live.

Swan also wants to eliminate the Department of Education and federal money spent to influence education at the local level.

"Children and parents have been systematically dumbed-down by educational bureaucrats for generations," said Swan. "Education has become therapeutic instead of knowledge-based. The trend is away from strong, reasoning, independent-thinking individuals to a herd mentality where the state is the benefactor of the citizens."

Swan also wants to see federal pandering to large agri-businesses stopped and the federal government removed from the agriculture business. He prefers state help for farmers.

The Constitution party seeks a return to a "real" money system, backed by precious metals, reducing the Federal Reserve to a clearing house. Fractional banking, which is says drives inflation, must stop.

The party also stands:

* Against all laws that would require the registration of guns or ammunition.

* For withdrawl from the World Trade Organization and other agreements in which people or groups other than Congress establish policies that directly affect the economic well being of all Americans.

* For a fully-operational, space-based defense system as soon as possible.

* For pro-life, with no exceptions.

Swan is a System Business Analyst for Compuware Corporation in the Twin Cities. He and his wife home educate their children and prefer a privately-operated educational system that would return control of child education to parents.