Congressman Chocola is a good man and he deserves your vote over Mr. Donnelly, who is also a good man. However, I ask this: Do you see either or even both main line candidates addressing the issues that are important to you?
I have tried to engage Congressman Chocola in a debate, but his office has not yet returned my phone call. I do not believe that after having spent 3 million dollars over the last two elections and barely garnering 50% of the vote against a left wing liberal who was endorsed by Emily’s list, that Mr. Chocola has either a party or a district mandate. The Republican party is supposed to be the party of free market capitalism which promotes a free market place of ideas. If “it,” whatever that is, is really “all about you,” then Mr. Chocola would welcome a public debate in order to greater educate the voters on the issues.
I agree with him on many issues and I have many good things to say about him such as his vote to ban partial birth abortion. I do, however disagree or differ with him on the following:
1. He supports further corporate tax breaks even though they are at their 2nd lowest rate for percentage of tax revenues in 69 years. I disagree.
2. He supports making the tax cuts for the top 1-2% of incomes permanent. I would only agree if we can reintroduce the payroll tax for those high incomes in a manner that will lower the medical care costs for all.
3. He is for tax cuts for the wealthy and for ending the estate tax which already has a 1.5 million dollar exemption. I’m for the middle class, for limiting the size of corporations that earn more money per year than all but a few nations, and for limiting personal wealth to one billion dollars.
4. Mr. Chocola has never before been a public servant to my knowledge. I have not only served in the military at the U.S. Naval Academy, but also I have served as a judicial law clerk and as a prosecutor in the three largest offices in North Central and West Indiana.
5. Mr. Chocola has no announced plan to combat 100,000 child porn Web sites or to reduce mass prostitution. I do.
6. Mr. Chocola has no announced health care plan. I do.
7. Mr. Chocola has no announced plan to reduce crime or drug addiction. I do.
8. Mr. Chocola has no announced plans for increasing civil service. I do.
9. He panders to medical professionals to seek votes for him with the sound bite of “tort reform.” I have worked for insurance companies and I understand the real issue is how they invest and what kind of policies they write.
10. He has promised to serve only 8 more years. I believe that a congressman is most effective when he has seniority. If the democrats take over the house, he’ll have almost no power and in 8 years, we’ll have to start over. If I’m elected, I’ll stay as long as I’m reelected unless another position opens up where I can serve in greater capacity of service.
11. Mr. Chocola will spend over a million dollars to get reelected in a congressional race. I won’t. A spend thrift campaign is poor training for someone who should be frugal with your tax dollars.
12. Mr. Chocola speaks in warm and fuzzy sound bites and campaigns on little more than surface issues. I’m campaigning on one of the most substantive platforms in the nation. If you find a better platform, let me know and I’ll improve mine.
13. He has sponsored a bill to give up to ten years for those who burn Hummers under the environmental terrorism lingo. According to our local U.S. Attorney, the federal arson statute already provides up to a 20 year sentence for burning even your own vehicle. Chocola’s bill just gave a sharp defense attorney an argument to cut the potential jail sentence in half under the “rule of lenity” legal decisions which state that criminal statutes are strictly construed against the government and that all vague or conflicts are resolved in favor of the defendant.
14. Mr. Chocola has also sponsored a bill to reform the budget process to limit the growth of spending on just about everything except for military matters. It does not appear that Republican President Eisenhower’s warning about the military-industrial complex has been heeded. I say let us first look at the excessive tax cuts for the top 1-2% of incomes first and then perhaps we can consider a better proposal. Let’s end all pork and limit the federal government to its constitutionally proscribed powers.
The bottom line is this: If you value the status quo and are happy with our nation as it is, then I may not be your best candidate. However, if you want your vote to count for innovation, for positive change and for a candidate that understands your needs and struggles in life, then I ask you to vote for me, Tony Zirkle, on May 4 in the Republican primary. Together, we can change our future.
Indiana Lawyer
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