The following are the answers to 10 questions I emailed Raymond McKinney, who is seeking the Republican Nomination for Vice President of The United States. To get more infromation about Mr McKinney, visit his website. He also has a myspace profile
1: Why are you running for Vice President, and not President?
To be quite honest, I want this job. I started off as frustrated with the way politicians were handling things. I did my research and I believe this is the best job I am qualified to do starting on day 1. I have a high regard for all of the offices of government, just not a high regard for many of the people in these offices. I am not egotistical enough to believe I am ready or worthy to lead this country. I believe I need experience in Washington to have the credibility. Can I make hard decisions? Yes. President of the United States should not be on-the-job training. I do believe that the position of Vice-President is perfect training for the Presidential post.
2: As Vice-President, your Constitutional power would be limited. What do you think you could accomplish?
Precisely one of the reasons for taking the position. The power is very limited, I would basically be an assistant to the President. However, there are many things I can accomplish. The first would be putting fear of the voter in every politicians mind. In my opinion that is a good thing. The next is, while I would not have much in the way of final say, I would be a DIRECT link between the American People and the office of the President. Every day I would be there to remind the President and all of the others on Capital Hill that they work for the people and the people are watching.
3: Describe your "Say Yes To Nukes" energy stance:
I am referring to nuclear power. A field that I have been intimate with for over 20 years. I have had unescorted access to over 40 reactors in the United States. This is the cleanest form of VIALBLE energy on this planet. The only source with greater potential is Fusion Power which is still in the research stage. Our fossil fleet is aging and we are currently at capacity on our power grid. Future growth of this nation depends on cheap, available power. Fossil plants create 81% of the CO2 in the US. I want to build more of these plants. I want private companies which are begging to build more of these plants do so. The enormity of this project would create hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs. The take rural areas and bring billions of dollars, private dollars. The resulting surge in factory orders will revitalize our steel and machining industry. It will REDUCE our dependency of foreign sources of energy and it will give us a product that the rest of the world is already demanding that we can EXPORT. We could streamline the industry, the design, the process and we can market that product, the pumps, valves, electronics, software, engineering and even construction around the world.
4: What is your position on Immigration reform?
After 6 months of taking office I would immediately enforce existing laws. Cut off the supply of money from employers. Treat a crime like it is a crime. Seize assets of illegal immigrants, the car you find them in, the apartment they are living in. Use the fines to cover deportation. Give them a choice, leave on your own and get in line or face deportation and a life time ban. Cut off the money and the support. There will be no incentive to stay.
5: Tell us why you support The Fair Tax:
First off it is the most researched tax plan out there. Simply put, it removes all taxes from low income workers. All taxes will be paid from anyone buying a new finished product. The drug dealer will pay taxes, the illegal immigrant will pay taxes, the tourist from France will pay taxes. There will be no loopholes for the rich to hide taxes. It will eliminate the cost (Billions) just to prepare taxes. A Snickers bar has over 21 points at which the Federal Government collects taxes. Remove the incentive for politicians to put in loopholes for constituents. The ramifications are tremendous. It would force interest rates to plummet. No interest deduction? Well, rich people would have no need to finance, they would just pay cash. Businesses have no need to “lease” to protect assets. The demand for borrowed money would drop, lenders would look for new markets to loan. With no taxes on interest earnings, lenders could make the same profit margin by lending at a lower rate. Who would borrow? The people that needed to borrow, people like me and you or the low income people. With no taxes and a smaller demand, interest rates would drop and it would be easier to borrow money. It is a win/ win for every American taxpayer.
6: If you were forced to vote for one Democrat currently running for President, who would it be?
Your really scaring me with this one. Every one I have looked at has a policy of increased spending to “solve” problems and I do not believe that is the answer. I think almost anyone of them would wreck our economy. If you locked me in a booth, I would have to write in my own name.
7: If you were elected Vice-President, and for some reason you had to assume a Presidential role, what would you do to reform the U.N.?
Seriously, I would suggest that we treat the UN much like we do the Olympics in that the headquarters be moved from one city to the next every 6 years. I suggest Havanna for the first move. I know it sounds ludicrous but my point is the UN has turned into a joke. I think the idea is noble but in reality it has been degraded from within. I would like to turn the UN building into a Friends of the United States building and invite all FUS members to set up a delegation. I would still remain a member of the UN but in a lesser role. They continually use us as a whipping boy and frankly I am sick of it. We have no business playing monitor to a bunch of kindergarten children. The FUS would do real things and solve real problems. The UN is not interested in solving problems, the goal of the UN is to bring down the US to their level.
8: How do you think we can solve the looming Social Security crisis?
While the age levels may change with further discussion this is basically what I want to do with SS. First off, I want to say that if you or I had come up with the original plan and managed it this way (as a private plan) we would be in Federal Prison for fraud and many other charges.
50+ You are in, you get your stated benefits under the current plan.
45-50 You can choose to stay in the plan or opt for the new plan.
16-45 You are in the new plan and you choose from the following options. YOU CHOOSE!
New Plan
Based upon your contributions to date you will be credited with a refund to put in the following accounts. All future contributions will go to your choice.
a: Treasury Bond account. You will be paid the current treasury rate. All future government borrowing will be from the US SS accounts before selling to foreign sources. Our money stays here.
b: Money Market account. You will be paid the current market rate that the government uses to borrow money. Before borrowing from any institution, the Government will borrow and pay interest on our money.
c: Mutual Fund account. You choose who and how much to invest in mutual funds. You take the risk you get the benefit. The money you choose to invest in mutual funds is NOT guaranteed by the Federal Government.
You choose any combination of the 3. If you don’t know what you are doing, then just put all of your money in a or b. The money is yours. You can collect it Tax Free at age 62 in a lump sum or monthly payments. If you die, the money goes to whoever you indicate. The money never goes back to the Federal Government.
9: If you were put in charge of the RNC, what would you change?
The perception of the RNC is that the middle class in invisible. The stories I can tell you. The RNC ignores so many of our population. They do not think outside the box. They are still driving the Titanic and arguing over how bad the dinner was while taking on water. The are not proactive, they are reactive. People have lost faith in the leadership. I would seek to reach out to people that we have given up on and people that have given up on us.
10: Do you think voting for Ray McKinney for Vice-President would send a message to the Republican Party without jeopardizing a possible Republican Presidency?
I look at it this way. Whoever gets the nomination will get the vote of the base even if they had Mickey Mouse on the ticket. Look at people like Quayle. Who knew who the heck he was. The base is going to vote for their nominee. We have a chance to use the VP slot to draw people that the other candidates won’t even talk to. My policies, which I will push for, are good for the lower class and are especially good for the union workers in this country. We can solve major problems not by government spending but by setting loose the American worker and getting government and regulations out of their way. I believe I can reach out to the Independents and even Democrats that no other candidate can.
It would be quite simple, actually to determine this. Give me a shot. Let me be heard. Show people that the GOP is a place for average Americans. If I do not get the poll numbers, then I was wrong and you can put whoever you want in the VP slot, BUT, if the numbers show that I am attracting out of the base voters then why would you not want to put me on the ticket?
Look at it from the average guy/gal position. What choices are the RNC giving us now? They are all basically carbon copies of professional politicians, people who have been lying to us for years. Why do you think Barak is so dang popular? It is not because of his experience, in fact he is currently running on his LACK of experience as a good thing. People are attracted to Barak because he is NEW.
I don’t think he can win the nomination but I do believe he will be the VP nominee. Why? Because if he is not, the DNC will lose a lot of votes from his supporters. The DNC is building a tag team this cycle. Currently it is Hillary/Obama. But whatever it turns out to be, the are reaching our all over the place. The RNC is not doing that. All of the candidates are fighting over the base vote. I am reaching out for the other votes. Any current team you put together for the RNC only attracts the base.
Respectfully,
Raymond McKinney
To be quite honest, I want this job. I started off as frustrated with the way politicians were handling things. I did my research and I believe this is the best job I am qualified to do starting on day 1. I have a high regard for all of the offices of government, just not a high regard for many of the people in these offices. I am not egotistical enough to believe I am ready or worthy to lead this country. I believe I need experience in Washington to have the credibility. Can I make hard decisions? Yes. President of the United States should not be on-the-job training. I do believe that the position of Vice-President is perfect training for the Presidential post.
2: As Vice-President, your Constitutional power would be limited. What do you think you could accomplish?
Precisely one of the reasons for taking the position. The power is very limited, I would basically be an assistant to the President. However, there are many things I can accomplish. The first would be putting fear of the voter in every politicians mind. In my opinion that is a good thing. The next is, while I would not have much in the way of final say, I would be a DIRECT link between the American People and the office of the President. Every day I would be there to remind the President and all of the others on Capital Hill that they work for the people and the people are watching.
3: Describe your "Say Yes To Nukes" energy stance:
I am referring to nuclear power. A field that I have been intimate with for over 20 years. I have had unescorted access to over 40 reactors in the United States. This is the cleanest form of VIALBLE energy on this planet. The only source with greater potential is Fusion Power which is still in the research stage. Our fossil fleet is aging and we are currently at capacity on our power grid. Future growth of this nation depends on cheap, available power. Fossil plants create 81% of the CO2 in the US. I want to build more of these plants. I want private companies which are begging to build more of these plants do so. The enormity of this project would create hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs. The take rural areas and bring billions of dollars, private dollars. The resulting surge in factory orders will revitalize our steel and machining industry. It will REDUCE our dependency of foreign sources of energy and it will give us a product that the rest of the world is already demanding that we can EXPORT. We could streamline the industry, the design, the process and we can market that product, the pumps, valves, electronics, software, engineering and even construction around the world.
4: What is your position on Immigration reform?
After 6 months of taking office I would immediately enforce existing laws. Cut off the supply of money from employers. Treat a crime like it is a crime. Seize assets of illegal immigrants, the car you find them in, the apartment they are living in. Use the fines to cover deportation. Give them a choice, leave on your own and get in line or face deportation and a life time ban. Cut off the money and the support. There will be no incentive to stay.
5: Tell us why you support The Fair Tax:
First off it is the most researched tax plan out there. Simply put, it removes all taxes from low income workers. All taxes will be paid from anyone buying a new finished product. The drug dealer will pay taxes, the illegal immigrant will pay taxes, the tourist from France will pay taxes. There will be no loopholes for the rich to hide taxes. It will eliminate the cost (Billions) just to prepare taxes. A Snickers bar has over 21 points at which the Federal Government collects taxes. Remove the incentive for politicians to put in loopholes for constituents. The ramifications are tremendous. It would force interest rates to plummet. No interest deduction? Well, rich people would have no need to finance, they would just pay cash. Businesses have no need to “lease” to protect assets. The demand for borrowed money would drop, lenders would look for new markets to loan. With no taxes on interest earnings, lenders could make the same profit margin by lending at a lower rate. Who would borrow? The people that needed to borrow, people like me and you or the low income people. With no taxes and a smaller demand, interest rates would drop and it would be easier to borrow money. It is a win/ win for every American taxpayer.
6: If you were forced to vote for one Democrat currently running for President, who would it be?
Your really scaring me with this one. Every one I have looked at has a policy of increased spending to “solve” problems and I do not believe that is the answer. I think almost anyone of them would wreck our economy. If you locked me in a booth, I would have to write in my own name.
7: If you were elected Vice-President, and for some reason you had to assume a Presidential role, what would you do to reform the U.N.?
Seriously, I would suggest that we treat the UN much like we do the Olympics in that the headquarters be moved from one city to the next every 6 years. I suggest Havanna for the first move. I know it sounds ludicrous but my point is the UN has turned into a joke. I think the idea is noble but in reality it has been degraded from within. I would like to turn the UN building into a Friends of the United States building and invite all FUS members to set up a delegation. I would still remain a member of the UN but in a lesser role. They continually use us as a whipping boy and frankly I am sick of it. We have no business playing monitor to a bunch of kindergarten children. The FUS would do real things and solve real problems. The UN is not interested in solving problems, the goal of the UN is to bring down the US to their level.
8: How do you think we can solve the looming Social Security crisis?
While the age levels may change with further discussion this is basically what I want to do with SS. First off, I want to say that if you or I had come up with the original plan and managed it this way (as a private plan) we would be in Federal Prison for fraud and many other charges.
50+ You are in, you get your stated benefits under the current plan.
45-50 You can choose to stay in the plan or opt for the new plan.
16-45 You are in the new plan and you choose from the following options. YOU CHOOSE!
New Plan
Based upon your contributions to date you will be credited with a refund to put in the following accounts. All future contributions will go to your choice.
a: Treasury Bond account. You will be paid the current treasury rate. All future government borrowing will be from the US SS accounts before selling to foreign sources. Our money stays here.
b: Money Market account. You will be paid the current market rate that the government uses to borrow money. Before borrowing from any institution, the Government will borrow and pay interest on our money.
c: Mutual Fund account. You choose who and how much to invest in mutual funds. You take the risk you get the benefit. The money you choose to invest in mutual funds is NOT guaranteed by the Federal Government.
You choose any combination of the 3. If you don’t know what you are doing, then just put all of your money in a or b. The money is yours. You can collect it Tax Free at age 62 in a lump sum or monthly payments. If you die, the money goes to whoever you indicate. The money never goes back to the Federal Government.
9: If you were put in charge of the RNC, what would you change?
The perception of the RNC is that the middle class in invisible. The stories I can tell you. The RNC ignores so many of our population. They do not think outside the box. They are still driving the Titanic and arguing over how bad the dinner was while taking on water. The are not proactive, they are reactive. People have lost faith in the leadership. I would seek to reach out to people that we have given up on and people that have given up on us.
10: Do you think voting for Ray McKinney for Vice-President would send a message to the Republican Party without jeopardizing a possible Republican Presidency?
I look at it this way. Whoever gets the nomination will get the vote of the base even if they had Mickey Mouse on the ticket. Look at people like Quayle. Who knew who the heck he was. The base is going to vote for their nominee. We have a chance to use the VP slot to draw people that the other candidates won’t even talk to. My policies, which I will push for, are good for the lower class and are especially good for the union workers in this country. We can solve major problems not by government spending but by setting loose the American worker and getting government and regulations out of their way. I believe I can reach out to the Independents and even Democrats that no other candidate can.
It would be quite simple, actually to determine this. Give me a shot. Let me be heard. Show people that the GOP is a place for average Americans. If I do not get the poll numbers, then I was wrong and you can put whoever you want in the VP slot, BUT, if the numbers show that I am attracting out of the base voters then why would you not want to put me on the ticket?
Look at it from the average guy/gal position. What choices are the RNC giving us now? They are all basically carbon copies of professional politicians, people who have been lying to us for years. Why do you think Barak is so dang popular? It is not because of his experience, in fact he is currently running on his LACK of experience as a good thing. People are attracted to Barak because he is NEW.
I don’t think he can win the nomination but I do believe he will be the VP nominee. Why? Because if he is not, the DNC will lose a lot of votes from his supporters. The DNC is building a tag team this cycle. Currently it is Hillary/Obama. But whatever it turns out to be, the are reaching our all over the place. The RNC is not doing that. All of the candidates are fighting over the base vote. I am reaching out for the other votes. Any current team you put together for the RNC only attracts the base.
Respectfully,
Raymond McKinney
