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 2008 News Sentinel Survey 

Name: William R LarsenWilliam R Larsen
E-mail: larsenforcongress@gmail.com
Web URL: www.justsayno.50megs.com
Age:  
Office: United States Representative, District 3
Party: Libertarian
Education: Paul Harding High School - Graduated
Purdue University - BS Degree
Work: Mechanical Engineer
Years lived in NE Ind: 29
Issue #1: ECONOMY: The last surplus was in 1956. Congress has added $9.3 trillion to the national debt with nearly $700 billion in 2008. This devalues the dollar, resulting in $145 barrel oil; ethanol has increased grain prices, resulting in higher beef, pork, poultry and dairy prices; social security/Medicare taxes were a maximum of $30 in 1937 and now are $7,803; 20 million have stopped looking for work; 6.1% are unemployed. There is no energy policy. U.S. savings rate is nearly zero, Americans are overtaxed and have nothing to save while the congress continues spending billions we do not have.
Issue #2: SOCIAL SECURITY: There is no painless solution. Those born after 1985 can expect to receive 29 cents in benefits for each dollar paid plus interest. Raising taxes, retirement age or cutting benefits will not change this! Those born earlier don't fair much better. I propose the 10.6% old-age tax paid by employee/employer be directly deposited into a self-directed IRA-type account; use the current $2.02 trillion trust fund to pay a means-tested benefit based on assets of $1,214 per month to each senior in need. Taking care of those in need is not just a worker's responsibility, but everyone's.
Issue #3: SECURITY: Those who serve our country need to be trained and be provided the equipment necessary to carry out the tasks assigned to them. We need to secure our borders. I support immigration, not illegal immigration. Those who are in this country illegally are breaking our laws and taking jobs from Americans. They need to be found, identified, processed and removed from our country. We need to secure our personal data by eliminating the use of the SSN by all nongovernment entities and put further restrictions on which agencies can use it.
Previous political experience: I have no previous political experience. I am an engineer, not a politician.
Qualifications for this office: I am a mechanical engineer who has solved numerous complex problems. I deal with details every day. I understand economics very well. I have been budgeting and tracking budgets since I was very young. I listen to what people say and use their input to find the root cause of problems. I am not a politician, but a husband and father of five children. I have a dream that my children will do better than I; the same dream my parents had for me and I am sure the same dream every parent has for their children. I am a U.S. Navy veteran and understand military life and duty. I am a disabled veteran who has experienced the VA medical system firsthand.
Hope to accomplish: I want to restore the American Dream, where in a land of opportunity an individual can work hard and prosper. Every worker has within their grasp the ability for a secure retirement. A secure retirement leads to a secure economy that creates and supports jobs. To accomplish my goal, the worker must be given the opportunity and ability to save. We must face the fact social security has failed economically. We must reform the federal tax code and make it fair. We must face the fact that the U.S. is not the wealthiest country in the world and that politicians have squandered the wealth of generations. We must balance the budget not in five years, but now! We need to cut out every earmark, all pork and some programs. It isn’t painless, but the longer we delay, the more pain our children and grandchildren will have to endure because of our failure to act now.
Effect of property tax reform: This is a state issue with some impact at the federal level. Local property-tax reduction will reduce the Schedule "A" itemized deduction, resulting potentially in a higher federal income tax liability. To balance the budget, we need to first cut spending to the bone and, if necessary, raise general revenue taxes to pay for those programs we want. I will not vote to increase social security or Medicare taxes -- period!
How to increase public's confidence: Make government open and transparent by being honest with the taxpayers. Be honest about the size of the deficit and not mask its size using social security and/or Medicare, as is now done using the Unified Budget. Identify all bills on a Web site, their purpose and their cost so that the constituents of the 3rd District are kept abreast of what is happening. I know how to say no, unlike many others. I will be as frugal with your money as I am with my own.

 

 

Questionnaires submited to Media for 2006 Primary

The Goshen News
The News Sentinel
The Elkhart Truth

2002 Primary Results


Allen

Noble

DeKalb

Steuben

Elkhart

Whitley

Kosciusko

Lagrange

total

Helmke

16,859

1,675

2,309

2,424

3,482

1,777

3,289

1,223

33,038

Larsen

926

194

237

167

674

270

464

147

3,079

Souder

23,848

3,349

3,889

2,801

7,325

2,990

6,708

2,276

53,186











total

41,633

5,218

6,435

5,392

11,481

5,037

10,461

3,646

89,303











Helmke

40%

32%

36%

45%

30%

35%

31%

34%

37%

Larsen

2%

4%

4%

3%

6%

5%

4%

4%

3%

Souder

57%

64%

60%

52%

64%

59%

64%

62%

60%

registered voters










2002

211,230

27,018

26,579

20,896

86,185

20,577

43,961

14,222

450,668

2003

216,077

29,078

27,383

22,222

91,384

21,703

47,541

14,217

469,605











primary turn out

19%

18%

23%

24%

13%

23%

22%

26%

19%


2004 Primary Results for Indiana's Third District

County

Larsen

Souder

Total

Percent of votes for Larsen

Allen

4,939

17,657

22,596

22%

Noble

939

3,121

4,060

23%

DeKalb

678

2,708

3,386

20%

Steuben

983

3,205

4,188

23%

Elkhart

1,754

8,056

9,810

18%

Whitley

850

2,508

3,358

25%

Kosciusko

1,424

6,645

8,069

18%

Lagrange

636

2,668

3,304

19%






Totals

12,203

46,568

58,771

21%

2006 primary results (Preliminary)

County

Kevin Boyd

Thomas Hayhurst

Thomas Allen Schrader

Edward W. Smith

William Larsen

Mark Edward Souder

Total Democrats

Total Republicans

Larsen Support


(Democratic)

(Democratic)

(Democratic)

(Democratic)

(Republican)

(Republican)

Allen

924

8,424

120

897

6,565

15,570

10,365

22,135

30%

DeKalb

179

722

120

103

1,334

2,945

1,124

4,279

31%

Elkhart

609

709

395

274

1,983

5,484

1,987

7,467

27%

Kosciusko

198

407

229

158

1,808

6,242

992

8,050

22%

LaGrange

134

278

82

49

1,051

2,369

543

3,420

31%

Noble

182

793

162

171

913

2,319

1,308

3,232

28%

Steuben

137

388

102

95

1,092

2,267

722

3,359

33%

Whitley

131

824

304

132

1,085

2,220

1,391

3,305

33%


2,494

12,545

1,514

1,879

15,831

39,416

18,432

55,247

29%

 Support for Larsen Grew in 2006

County

2006

2004

Larsen support change

Allen

30%

16%

85%

DeKalb

31%

18%

73%

Elkhart

27%

22%

21%

Kosciusko

22%

21%

7%

LaGrange

31%

28%

10%

Noble

28%

24%

18%

Steuben

33%

23%

41%

Whitley

33%

19%

73%