Liberty Maven

Today we complete our interview with Amit Singh who is running for Congress in Virginia’s 8th District. To learn more about Singh and to donate to his campaign visit his website: Amit08.com.

In case you missed the earlier interview segments here are parts one and two.

For all Liberty Maven interviews check out the interview page.

LM: What do you feel are the best steps to take to solve the rather complicated illegal immigration problem in the United States?

Singh: There is no silver bullet to solve the illegal immigration problem. I believe we need a multi-faceted approach which starts by punishing companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers. This practice is the major incentive for most illegal immigrants to come to America in the first place. There is no doubt many companies in the US need employment surges during peak seasons and with a non-existent guest worker program they often rely on migrant workers. The US needs to implement a common sense guest worker program which requires immigrants to apply in their native countries and allows them to easily maintain their families abroad while being able to help the US economy with their labor. The guest worker program will also disincentivize immigrants from bringing their families to the US which are an additiona burden on our schools and hospitals.

Securing the borders through physical and technical means will likely slow down illegal immigration but will not end it and will cost an enormous amount. A better engineered solution for the borders is to shift most of the 100,000 troops in Europe and 60,000 troops in Asia into the National Guard and Border Patrol. Currently, the US only has 11,000 border patrol agents for both the Mexican and Canadian borders combined.

LM: Many of those running for office love to preach for a strong national defense. There are several different views on how to go about having a strong national defense. What is your view?

Singh: A strong national defense starts at home. The current military footprint in Europe (100,000 troops) and Asia (60,000 troops) is simply too expensive to maintain. I believe the British, French and Germans are quite capable at current to resolve any threats on their continent. The South Koreans are more than capable of handling a North Korean attack from a crumbling army. By reducing the military operations in areas they are no longer needed, the servicemen in the Middle East will be better supported since they will have more resources.

A more efficient Intelligence Community will also help diffuse conflicts prior to them happening. There are many improvements within the IC that I know personally can be made given my intimate experience with them over the past 10 years.

When our politicians get our servicemen in involved in conflicts which do not concern America we are distracted from our goal to protect the homeland. Conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Darfur, etc. are important items to address but the US must re-evaluate if it truly wants to subsidize the world by being its policeman.

LM: The recent fall from grace of Eliot Spitzer in New York has renewed the debate about so called victim-less crimes like prostitution. The other commonly labeled victim-less crime is drug possession. What are your thoughts on these types of crimes and how they should be prosecuted, if at all?

Singh: Harmful substances like marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol should be regulated at the state level. A one-size-fits-all federal policy does not address the diverse concerns and cultures across the entire nation. Trying to regulate virtue is an honorable undertaking but unfortunately will not work and will have unintended consequences.

During Prohibition, there was an explosion of organized crime which still plagues America today. Now we have developed a gang culture feeding off the War on Drugs which has glamorized bad behavior. Allowing local populations to set rules that are appropriate for their constituents is a much more effective way to handle the drug issue.

LM: George W. Bush has been accused of allowing his religion to interfere too deeply with his politics. Mike Huckabee ran on an almost theocratic platform. Romney was thought to have been adversely affected by the fact that he is a Mormon. What role will faith and/or religion play within your own candidacy, if any?

Singh: I do not think my faith will play an overt role in this election because we strive to focus on the issues more than anything else. Traditional Christian values such as respecting one’s self, helping our neighbors, and protecting the innocent are all values I was raised with and believe in as well. Upholding these values using our guiding principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility and personal freedoms will enable citizens to take more control of their lives and help one another while making sure everyone is safer.

LM: The Fed has been lowering interest rates due to the economic slowdown. They’ve also helped bailout banks by purchasing $200 billion of bad loans. If you could sit down with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and discuss Federal Reserve Policy what are some things you would ask him (or tell him)?

Singh: I would ask him to resign. If he refused, I would ask him to stop providing corporate welfare to rich investors while hurting the middle and lower class in the country by devaluing the dollar by repetitive interest rate cuts. Then I would ask him to resign again.

Amit certainly doesn’t mince words when it comes to Bernanke. This completes the Liberty Maven interview with Amit Singh. For more information about Amit check out his website: Amit08.com. We are happy to enthusiastically endorse him for Congress.