Interview with Tom Hayhurst, Candidate for the 3rd Congressional District

Let the General Election commence! There is not currently a declared Libertarian Candidate for Indiana's 3rd Congressional District.

The voters of the 3rd Congressional District will have two choices for Congress in November, Tom Hayhurst and Mark Souder.

I spent two hours talking with Tom Hayhurst about why he is running for Congress and what he hopes to accomplish. I started writing this as a long dialogue. The dialogue came out as an 18 page interview and that is just way too long for my blog. I may consider posting some audio interviews in the future...

I have decided to write a synopsis instead, it is below:


Tom’s Experience:
Over 30 years as a Doctor in this area.
Three years spent as a Doctor on active duty in The USAF 1969-1971.
Co-founded the Matthew 25 Health and Dental Clinic’s free pulmonary clinic.

What Tom is doing currently:
Tom currently works weekly at The Allen County Tuberculosis Clinic.
He works weekly for the smoking cessation program at Lutheran Hospital.
He works monthly at the free pulmonary clinic at Mathew 25.
He is a City Councilman in Fort Wayne (Elected in 1995).

General items Tom said in the interview:
1. As a Congressman he plans on asking himself the question “Will this benefit
working Americans” before he votes on each bill.
2. He believes in “Incrementalism.” He thinks we should make incremental
rather then drastic changes to programs.
3. Tom thinks we need to protect the environment for the sake of future
generations.
4. Tom has already taken an active role trying to save The Fort Wayne Veterans
Hospital. He wants to ensure that we fulfill the promises we have made to
our veterans and he wants to ensure they receive high quality medical care.
5. He believes in a strong military.
6. Tom thinks we need more control of our borders and that we need to limit
illegal immigration; while significantly increasing legal immigration.
7. He feels that politicians in Washington DC need to focus on the people
rather then special interest groups.
8. He feels that we need to protect jobs and we need to enact legislation that
will support job creation by businesses.

Specific items Tom wants to implement:
1. He wants the Federal Government to start bargaining with the drug Companies
and securing bulk discounts similar to those the Veterans Administration is
able to negotiate for the prescription drugs they purchase. This would
effect over forty million people on Medicare.
2. He wants to implement laws that will allow many smaller companies to pool
their employees together to purchase health insurance at a cheaper rate.
3. Tom wants to encourage exports and he wants to stop allowing foreign
countries to take advantage of America. Tom believes that International
trade agreements should provide for both worker and environmental protection
laws for the other country to help “level the playing field” for our working
families. Tom feels that this will protect American jobs.
4. Tom wants to see more children enrolled in Federal Programs for which they
are already eligible.
5. Tom wants to stop unfunded Federal mandates. As a City Councilman he has
specific experience dealing with these unfunded Federal mandates.
6. He does not want to make employers responsible for law enforcement in
regards to the illegal alien problem. He feels that The Federal and State
governments should secure the borders.
7. Tom is against Amnesty for illegal aliens; however, he is in favor of a
significant increase in legal immigration.
8. He does not want to lay-off employees if there are mergers between the City
of Fort Wayne and Allen County. He wants to allow attrition to downsize the
workforce.

To learn more about Tom Hayhurst please check out his website at:
http://www.tomhayhurstforcongress.com/

Mike Sylvester