Tom Gleinser, candidate for Texas House of Representatives, District 45

Tom Gleinser, candidate for Texas House of Representatives, District 45

Written by Darcie Duttweiler Tuesday, 21 October 2008

Note: Democratic and Republican Candidates, Patrick Rose and Matt Young, were unable to answer questions before print date. Community Impact Newspaper decided to include Libertarian candidate, Tom Gleinser’s interview but remains neutral on the election.

Tom Gleinser, Libertarian

264-1499, tom@tomforliberty.com

• Lived in the district: Since 1993
• Education: Two years at San Antonio College; “40 years at the university of the real world”
• Career background: Construction management, construction consultation, and building design since 1972
• Political background: Ran for Texas State Representative twice and Anderson Mill MUD board once

Q. How did you become involved in politics?

A. I have helped other Libertarians campaign since the late ‘80s. I decided to run myself to give people an opportunity to vote for someone who believes that the explosive growth of government constitutes a clear and present danger to our society.

Q. What is your platform and why?

A. I believe in:
* Free markets because it is the best way to ensure that hard-working citizens are happy and prosperous;
* Personal responsibility because no one should be forced to pay for the mistakes and bad life decisions of others;
* Private property rights because no one, especially not the government, has a right to take by force what one owns, no matter how well-intentioned;
* Individual Liberty because no one can be happy if they are not free;
* Limited Government because government is more often the problem than the solution.

Q. What challenges do you face as a third party candidate, and how are you working to overcome them?

A. The primary challenge is convincing people that I am a viable candidate and worthy of their support. Since I am a man of principles, I do not have anything to sell. Special interest will not contribute to my campaign because they know that it will not buy them influence. That is why my opponent, Pat Rose, has raised over $800,000.

Q. What will be some of the major issues during the next session, and how would you deal with them?

A. - Education. I will work to expand a parent’s choice in education. We must rid our education system of the Teacher’s Unions. They are working to ensure that our kids will only have bad teachers teaching them;
- Taxation. I intend to reduce taxes by working from the inside to expose government for what it really is. Government is a racket designed to separate hard working Americans from their income for the benefit of politicians, bureaucrats and their special interest supporters;
- Property rights. Nothing is more important to an individual than the fruits of his or her labor. Government now seizes property on the slightest whim. I think taxes should be taken from people only in the direst necessity.

Q. Besides voting, how can citizens get involved in the legislative process?

A. At present, there is not much that a person can do to influence the legislative process without writing big fat checks to corrupt politicians. People should support an initiative and referendum law in Texas to take power away from those that are abusing their power and put control of government back in the hands of the people, where it belongs.

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