Rob Witterschein for U.S. House, NJ

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Rob answers the Liberty Candidate questions below:

I) Re. the U.S. Financial System:
1. What is your view of the monetary system in the U.S. today?

Our monetary system currently in the United States is terrible.  We have a currency that is not backed by gold or silver, or any commodity for that matter.  Our monetary system is not controlled by the people or Congress for that matter.  It is run by the Federal Reserve, which is not part of the Federal government or even a Federal agency.  They basically print money out of thin air, and give that money to whoever they want, whenever they want and whatever amount they want.  In addition, we also have fractional reserve banking in which banks give out depositors and investors’ money which further devalues our currency; in addition banks never suffer any real losses as the Federal Reserve will be the “lender of last resort” and print up whatever is necessary to keep banks afloat.

2. What corrective actions could we take right now to improve the economy?

The first thing that needs to be done is to get the Federal government out of economic affairs.  There is nothing in the US Constitution that states that the government gets into “job creation” (subject of another discussion).  Another problem here is that the government has also passed legislation that has favored the large banks, corporations, and special interest groups that have prospered while the average person has not.  These groups you will also notice donate huge sums of money to get the people they want into elected positions.

In addition to the above, you also have to address the Federal Reserve System and the fractional reserve banking system.  Until Congress goes back to “coining money and regulating the value of”, the Fed and the banks will continue to destroy of monetary system which in turn also damages our economic system.

3. Do you agree with the actions the Federal Reserve has taken to solve the financial crisis? If not, what could the Fed have done differently?

No I do not agree with anything the Federal Reserve does – at all.  But anyone who knows about the Federal Reserve (or any central bank for that matter) knows this is the reason why central banking was setup in the first place.  Because of the banking system, we will always have economic booms and busts – with the busts being catastrophically worse than the booms.  Banks, big corporations, governments have basically worked with a blank check and have engaged in reckless decisions because they know that there is no consequence for bad decisions because the Federal Reserve is going to bail them out each and every time.  Of course there is no loss to the Federal Reserve either, since the money is printed out of thin air.  Or in some cases not even printed; with a few strokes of the keyboard it could be “wired” into a bank account.  This could easily be solved by going to a commodity based money system and NO fractional reserve banking

4. Should the Federal Reserve be audited fully, no secrets, or does it need to keep some information under wraps?

We need a full audit of the Federal Reserve, and this is included in my platform for Congress.  It needs to start from today and go back to the beginning.  We need to know what banks and corporations it’s giving money to, whether they are funding wars, what foreign countries and banks they are giving money to and so on.  I believe a simple audit – an awareness of what these people are doing, will be enough that the Federal Reserve will self-destruct.

II) Re. Foreign Policy:
1. What is your opinion on current US foreign policy?

Our current foreign policy is not only unconstitutional, but it is illegal.  We are engaged in multiple wars all over the world, we have around 900 permanent military installations outside of the United States, we are not even protecting our own borders, and all of this unnecessary military adventurism is costing us trillions of dollars not to mention is threatening our national security.  Our founding father wanted a non-intervention foreign policy focused on a strong national defense and stop being the world’s police force.

2. How should we fight a “war on terror”?

The whole “war on terror” is propaganda created by the Federal government in order to expand the military and police state and to further take away our civil liberties.  You go back to the Constitution.  When you focus on a strong nation defense, and accompany it with a person right to bear arms, you have a 2 pronged defense system that will allow the weak to be safe and the strong to be just.  A thing like the so called “war on terror” diminishes because with us minding our own business the threat of us being attacked decreases dramatically.

3. Should the U.S. occupy other countries? If not, would you push to close all bases? Are there any you would keep open?

We should be occupying NO foreign country.  One of the biggest reasons why we have the problems we have: because we have military bases all over the world.  This needs to end.  We need to close EVERY foreign military base and bring our troops and equipment back home, where it will be used for national defense.  Since we will have Navy ships and submarines in the water, we could have Navy ports in other countries for logistic purposes only

4. Should the U.S. maintain its standing army?

We should maintain our standing army, but how we approach this is very crucial.  We actually have a 3 pronged defense system: An armed forces that is there to prevent foreign threats and go to war only when it is absolutely necessary, a National Guard that is maintained by the states, and also the 2nd Amendment allows us the right to bear arms.  Our military is the greatest in the world, and all we have to do to make it better is to refocus its goals from overseas wars to national defense – keeping our coastlines and borders safe.  The National Guard is property of the states, and its goals should be what the states say and should be reporting to the governor and state legislatures, not the Federal government.  Finally, with the right to bear arms, if by any chance any threat were to get past our Armed Forces those who want to do harm to us would then have to face the American people, who will not go down without a fight.

5. Is the Patriot Act necessary to protect America? If not, would you vote to repeal it?

The notion that we have to give up our rights in The Patriot Act is not only unconstitutional, but completely unnecessary and very destructive order to protect them is preposterous.  Not only that there is no proof is has even worked.  If it worked the government would be bragging out it.  I intend to not only repeal the Patriot Act, but will work to make sure those who did for it never hold public office again.

III) Re. Personal Liberty:
1. What information may the U.S. government legally gather about its citizens? When would it be necessary to overstep those boundaries?

The Federal government should not be gathering any information on its citizens.  The scope of the Federal government is very limited: protecting freedoms and rights and maintaining a national defense to keep us safe from foreign harm.  Even with the Census, its only job is to get a head count only.  States and Local governments have authority in this area, and even that is supposed to be limited.  And in regards to the boundaries the government has, please see the 4th Amendment.

2. What limits, if any, should be placed on the U.S. government’s ability to search its citizens without a warrant?

I believe that question pretty much answers itself.  Yes, there are going to be some bad people out there who do very bad things.  But we have procedures in place for a reason, and that is to make sure that people’s civil liberties stay intact.  That means if someone were to commit a crime, that the crime gets investigated, that there are warrants issued in cases of search and seizure, that arrests are proper, and finally to make sure that the accused have a right (no matter how guilty or bad of the crime it may be) to a trial by their peers and those people are brought to justice.

3. Ought the U.S. government to be allowed to protect its citizens’ health by outlawing foods it considers unsafe, or to force medicate (i.e., fluoridation) or force vaccinate citizens?

Once again, this is an area the Federal government has absolutely no business being in.  Only the states and the people have authority in this area, and even with that cannot do anything by use of force.  If anything, the Federal government can only prevent the use of force in these areas, not use force.

4. What controls, if any, should be placed on the right to own a gun? Is there an effective way to keep guns out of the hands of madmen and criminals without encroaching on the rights of free, law-abiding citizens?

The 2nd Amendment gives the person the right to own a gun without infringement from the government.  I ask those people who are for gun control what part of the 2nd Amendment they don’t understand.  What part of “shall not infringe” do they not understand.  As I mentioned previously, there are going to be people who do some very bad things.  Those people are sent to prison where they are kept from society.  The best way to reduce crime and to keep people safe is to allow them to arm and defend themselves.  An armed society is a safe society.

IV) Re. U.S. Sovereignty:
1. Is our involvement in and subjugation to global organizations, such as WHO (World Health Organization), NATO, the UN, etc., a benefit to U.S. citizens?

This doesn’t benefit our people at all – it hurts them.  One of the biggest threats to our security and well-being is all of these alliances with other countries.  It has not only increased the Police State, but it has also expanded our terrible foreign policy that engages in wars all around the world.  It also engages in the Central banking system that has destroyed our monetary system.   We can travel, trade and be friends with other countries but never to form alliances.  The sooner we get out of this the better off we will be.

2. Would you work to repeal international agreements that purport to hold U.S. citizens and/or property under its jurisdiction, or do you think there might be times when benefits outweigh concessions?

There should be no international agreements ever.  This infringes on our safety and the freedoms of our people.  These need to be repealed immediately.

3. Are trade agreements with other nations, i.e., NAFTA, CAFTA, good for U.S. citizens?

Trade agreements never work, ever.  Free trade should be free trade, period.  These “so called” trade agreements only help out the corporations and special interest groups that benefit from these trade agreements.  It has actually hurt trade, reduced production, and has forced the bankruptcies of many companies.  The only thing the Federal government can do in regards to trade is place a tariff on imported products, but even then I would be against such a notion as it will deter trade with other countries, not promote it.

4. Should the U.S. give foreign aid to other countries? If yes, for what purposes would it be justified? If not all countries, which would you continue to support?

No foreign aid should ever be given to any country by our government.  All foreign aid has done is extort money from the middle and lower classes from our country and gives it to the rich and upper class of another country.  It has also formed dictatorships with other countries and has expanded the war and police state around the world – on the backs of our own people.  If people want to help out poor people of another country this can be done with charity and non-profit groups, which of course are private and voluntary.  Our government does not have the authority to give our money away to anyone, under any circumstance.

V) Re. State Sovereignty:
1. When does state law take precedent over federal law?

State law always takes precedent over Federal law.  The 10th Amendment specifically states anything not in the Constitution belongs to the power of the states and the people.  The only time the Federal government can intervene with state law is when states or local government’s pass laws that conflict with the Constitution (i.e. Gun laws, laws restricting free speech, etc.)

2. Would you stand up to the federal government and demand that it stay within the bounds of its enumerated powers and out of state business?

Yes, I am running on a constitutionally based limited Federal government.

3. Do federal officers have the right to arrest non-military citizens within the individual states for any crimes?

The Federal government does not set penal law.  The Federal government protects the freedoms and rights of people; however it is up to the states to prosecute and set punishments for crimes committed.  States have laws already on their books when it comes to infringing on life, liberty, and property.  If they wanted to arrest anyone, they could arrest the Federal Reserve for counterfeiting the “securities and coin of the United States”.  On a serious note, though, there are very few crimes that the Federal government can arrest for and almost everything that the Federal government arrests and prosecutes people doesn’t fit in that category.

VI) Illegal Immigration:
1. What do you see as the #1 problem with illegal immigration?

The biggest problem with immigration is the laws we currently have.  This is an area where I am one of the very few who actually has been thought this process.  My wife is from the Dominican Republic and we had to go through the process.  As a country, we should be embracing immigration.  There are other countries where people want to come here, and be a part of this country and want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Yet all we do is hassle them and give them a hard time.  This is why people come here illegally.  It should never take years for someone to immigrate here.  We need to have a system where people just come and make it easier for people to immigrate here.

2. What actions could we take to stop illegal immigrants from taking advantage of social services?

The whole problem here is the fact that the Federal government has gotten involved in the department of social services, such as Welfare, Food Stamps, HUD, and WIC.  When you have these programs that the Federal government has no business being in, abuses to the system will happen, and this is one of them.  Let’s just face reality here: both sides are involved in this subject for political reasons.  If you really want illegal immigrants to not get welfare, food stamps, etc. just let them come here legally without giving them a hard time and we won’t have this problem.  Most of the illegal immigrants who receive these things really don’t want them.

VII) Misc. Questions:
1. If you could make one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be?

To end fractional reserve banking.

2. Would you vote to end government subsidies to private industry?

Yes.  We should not be subsidizing any private company.

3. What should our government’s action be against Julian Assange, if any?

None.  Julian Assange is exercising free speech.  It has been found that Wikileaks has done nothing to threaten our national security or has harmed us in any way, shape or form.  If anything, it helped expose the corruption and criminal activity of our government and the people who put them there.

4. Do you know what Agenda 21/Sustainable Development and the Communitarian agenda is? Do you support it? Why or why not?

I am concerned with things like Agenda 21.  With that being said, this is a result of us going away from a Constitutional government.  My campaign focuses on things that I can get my hands directly on and things that the average person can easily grasp onto.  All we have to do is go back to a government that follows the Constitution, honors the truth and serves the people.  Once we do that, everything else falls into place.

Your Name:  Robert Witterschein
Office you seek:  U.S. House of Representatives
State:   New Jersey
District:  3
PRIMARY DATE: June 5, 2012
Note: I do not have to participate in the primary.  As an Independent I only
Have to acquire 50 signatures by the primary date to be on the ballot.
Email Address:  robwitterschein@aol.com or rob@robwitterscheinforcongress.com
Website:  RobWitterscheinForCongress.com