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‘You Cut Spending’

Former New Mexico governor and possible presidential candidate Gary Johnson talks about Obamanomics, ending the drug war, and climbing the highest mountains.

& from the April 2010 issue

(Page 3 of 5)

reason: You have a tab on your site called “The Environment.”

Johnson: Well, we all care about the environment. When it comes to clean air and clean water, I don’t think there’s any compromise. I have accepted for the sake of argument Bjorn Lomborg’s argument that global warming is happening, that it’s caused by humans. But now what should we do? What we’re currently doing is way overblown. The effects of global warming are way overblown. And the amount of money that we’re looking to spend on the problem is really, really misdirected. Look at the cap-and-trade legislation—that now appears to be going nowhere, thank goodness. A 25 percent tax is really wrongheaded. I think that would just kick the economy’s rear end.

reason: So what’s your idea for producing the results you want to see?

Johnson: We want to see lower carbon emissions. I think that’s probably a good idea. So looking forward, technologically, this is going to happen. The government certainly could provide incentive for technologies moving forward. But the government shouldn’t be involved in actual development of those technologies.

reason: What about taxes?

Johnson: My own personal interaction with taxes is, you raise taxes and legislators spend those taxes. I know there’s talk about taxes to reduce the deficit. Well, I don’t believe it. It doesn’t happen. Legislators spend every bit of money that they have. And when it comes to our federal government, they’re spending money that we don’t have. The debt is $12 trillion, due to double in the next 10 years, $55 trillion in unfunded federal mandated liability.

reason: So do you keep taxes where they are, and then you just cut spending?

Johnson: You cut spending. You cut spending. 

reason: What would you cut first?

Johnson: My experience was never about targeting any area of government to reduce. It was looking at every single line item in the state budget and making a determination of whether or not it was really making a difference. And again, I want to say I was wildly successful in looking at that and, from a common-sense standpoint, reducing it wherever possible.

reason: In New Mexico, you privatized or competitively contracted for a lot of services.

Johnson: New Mexico had over 600 prisoners housed out of state. We were under a federal consent decree regarding our prisons and how they should be run. I ended up, as a result of a legislature that was not wanting to address this issue, privatizing over half of the state’s prisons. Comparing apples to apples, the private side produced the same goods and services for two-thirds the price. And they’re still in place.

I always say that if we could rationally approach and reform our drug laws, it’ll be a lot easier to shut down the private prisons than the public prisons. There’s more interest in keeping prisons alive and functioning and full by the public side, not the private side.

reason: The current political moment seems pretty fluid, dynamic, interesting. What do you think about the Tea Party movement?

Johnson: I think it’s interesting. I think if I weren’t doing OurAmericaInitiative.com that I’d just be one of the masses in the Tea Party movement with the signs “Stop the Spending” and “No Taxes.” 

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Cliché Bandit|3.16.10 @ 3:19PM|

He looks like Liam Neeson in that photo.

Is it Just me?

|3.16.10 @ 3:23PM|

I'm in.

Retarded Ejaculation Treatment|2.15.11 @ 1:39PM|

can you tell me when this will be here again

Steve|3.16.10 @ 4:19PM|

I vote David O'hara, the #3 bad guy in Nicholson's gang in The Departed.

Girth|3.16.10 @ 5:05PM|

Just saw Neeson in "Taken" on Sunday. I rarely watch action films but the pace of this film was so fast. Wow!

|9.6.10 @ 4:14AM|

I think he should use the Liam Neeson photo as a campaign image and credit himself for saving all of those Jews when he was a manufacturer in the Reich during WWII. download the last exorcism | download the american

|3.16.10 @ 3:26PM|

You don't hear that much about his vetoes. That's great.

If I were governor of my home state, I'd veto so many bills that the legislature would consider going to biannual sessions.

dennis|3.16.10 @ 3:34PM|

He's less bad than other politicians and would be a big improvement on what we've had as President in a long time, but I don't like that approach to drug legalization. Legalization as an avenue to more control is nearly as bad as prohibition. Drugs should not be prohibited because no one has the right to use violence to prevent anyone from putting anything into their own body, not because of some utilitarian calculation. Further, order arises organically, it is not imposed.

|3.16.10 @ 3:36PM|

Beats the alternatives, though.

I think he should use the Liam Neeson photo as a campaign image and credit himself for saving all of those Jews when he was a manufacturer in the Reich during WWII.

Ice|3.16.10 @ 4:07PM|

I agree, except saying "let's just completely legalize without any regulation" is going to win over many people.

Chris|4.6.10 @ 1:38AM|

It's all about baby steps. You start with simple legalization, then cut back on the restrictions/regulations. Libertopia won't be achieved in a day. We're looking at decades worth of over-governing. It will take a long time to get rid of all of the layers of regulation.

|3.16.10 @ 5:08PM|

The guy punts on tough questions.

"We want to see lower carbon emissions. I think that’s probably a good idea. So looking forward, technologically, this is going to happen. (How? Magic?)

The government certainly could provide incentive for technologies moving forward. (WTF? Who's going to pay for this?)

And then on cutting spending he punts: "My experience was never about targeting any area of government to reduce." Jesus, even liberals have the guts to cut something, anything, like farm subsidies or defense!! What a wimp!

|5.27.11 @ 4:10PM|

The government certainly could provide incentive for technologies moving forward. (WTF? Who's going to pay for this?)

|3.16.10 @ 5:15PM|

Johnson has too many liberal positions. The GOP will boo him off the stage like they did Ron Paul.

His only route to president will be as a Libertarian (holds off laughter).

The Libertarian Guy|3.16.10 @ 9:20PM|

Johnson beats the hell out of the 2012 contenders, whomever they may be.

If he isn't on the ballot that November, it'll be another "which shit sandwich do you want, America?" election.

Pingback| 3.16.10 @ 6:13PM

Evening Reading | Dueling Barstools links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Ridley on the causes of poverty and prosperity. (Reason) My Inflation Nightmare. (The Atlantic) Supersonic Jump, from 23 miles in the air. (Old Gray Mare) And because I can’t get enough Gary Johnson, You cut spending . . . (Reason) Gary Johnson, Socio-Political No Comments to “Evening Reading” Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. Name (required) E-mail (required) URI Your Comment Nominee for Rhetorical…

|3.16.10 @ 8:37PM|

Our "Retard-in-Chief" sure knows how to BS. Trouble is.........no one is listening anymore. He has lied to us just to many times.

http://therealrevo.com/blog/?p=22908

Chris|3.17.10 @ 1:36AM|

Tell 'em A-Bot! Not relevant but hey, I like your gusto kid!!

The Libertarian Guy|3.16.10 @ 9:06PM|

Johnson pisses off both sides - he's not Gung-Ho Drug War Mack Daddy material, and he's a fiscal conservative.

Almanian|3.16.10 @ 10:56PM|

Could we have one more Gary Johnson in the world? Our just-departed-for-Asia/Pac Ops Director is Gary Johnson, and Gary Johnson was among the frontrunners in last year's Isle of Man TT races.

And now running for Le Gouverneur de NM.

Gary Johnson is the new black.

Almanian|3.16.10 @ 10:57PM|

Of course, "was Le Gouv", not "running for"...time for bed.

|3.17.10 @ 12:49AM|

I regarded Johnson as some sort of "miracle man" during his last term as governor, because if Social Security is/was the "third rail" of American politics, advocating full drug legalization seemed to me to be to be a third-rail with increased voltage. And even though he converted in his lame-duck term, still... But the "new" Gary Johnson is certainly less interesting, certainly more vague and compromised, and I agree that even the political "pragmatism" that seems to now accompany his views will just piss off ALL sides, and especially the side that thought he was principled.

Pingback| 3.18.10 @ 5:51AM

Survey: Small businesses more upbeat (San Diego Union-Tribune) links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Small Business Advertising Dollar … Network Solutions/UMD study on Small Business and Social Media … The Big Picture » Blog Archive » Counter-Cyclical Spending (during … 'You Cut Spending' - Reason Magazine Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Then Why Are We Spending So Much … Blog Survey :Chris and Eddie in London NW1 New Hubble Project Will Survey Beginnings of Cosmic Time … Filed under…

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Wahl Hair Clipper links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Ooh Chihuahua! (Homemade Enchilada Sauce.) « Cooking The Ultimate Chihuahua Care Handbook. | Woman's WebSite This Is Grim » I Regret the Way the Editor of Chihuahua Connection … 'You Cut Spending' – Reason Magazine More trouble for Floyd, J-Lo's former dog | ohmidog! The American Spectator : A Fine Texas Wind Jim Hill : Tune Thursday: Caroline Sheen is fine with flying. But … Falling for…

bob|3.19.10 @ 10:04AM|

So if you only let gov't grow by 5% a year you are doing a great job? Our country is going to hell faster than I thought.

Pingback| 3.24.10 @ 11:51PM

Turmoil Over War, Immigration Threatens The Alternative Right « Locust blog links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Consequently, under Paul’s would-be successors things could get rather worse. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is talked about as a possible Paulite candidate in the 2012 primaries. His frugal record as governor and his constitutionalist platform today are remarkable. But his position on immigration is dreadful. Johnson’s “OUR America Initiative” includes expanding legal immigration on its…

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You don't hear that much about his vetoes. That's great.
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|4.5.10 @ 3:11PM|

truth,,,,obama people have no idea of the extent to which they have to be gulled in order to be led."
"The size of the lie is a definite factor in causing it to be believed, for the vast masses of the nation are in the depths of their hearts more easily deceived than they are consciously and intentionally bad. The primitive simplicity of their minds renders them a more easy prey to a big lie than a small one, for they themselves often tell little lies but would be ashamed to tell a big one."
"All propaganda must be so popular and on such an intellectual level, that even the most stupid of those towards whom it is directed will understand it. Therefore, the intellectual level of the propaganda must be lower the larger the number of people who are to be influenced by it."
"Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way around, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise."pelosi don't see much future for the Americans ... it's a decayed country. And they have their racial problem, and the problem of social inequalities ...obama feelings against Americanism are feelings of hatred and deep repugnance ... everything about the behaviour of American society reveals that it's half Judaised, and the other half negrified. How can one expect a State like that to hold TOGTHER.They include the angry left wing bloggers who spread vicious lies and half-truths about their political adversaries... Those lies are then repeated by the duplicitous left wing media outlets who “discuss” the nonsense on air as if it has merit… The media's justification is apparently “because it's out there”, truth be damned. STOP THIS COMMUNIST OBAMA ,GOD HELP US ALL .THE COMMANDER ((GOD OPEN YOUR EYES)) stop the communist obama & pelosi.((open you eyes)) ,the commander

Chris|4.6.10 @ 1:47AM|

Dude. You need to go back to school or something. When grammar/spelling/punctuation is so bad that basic meaning is lost, you need help.

What I could understand, however, sounds like a sound bet from "The Conservatarded Manual of Propaganda". Your precious conservative "leraders" engage inm the exact same form of viciousness as the libertards you vilify.

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Beth Medemar|2.15.11 @ 1:43PM|

is there a better time to do this than now

ปลวก|2.24.11 @ 9:43PM|

It's all about baby steps. You start with simple legalization, then cut back on the restrictions/regulations.

Eric Medemar|2.27.11 @ 12:42AM|

Is there going to be a better time to try an figure this out amongst us.

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ran|4.5.11 @ 3:12AM|

I agree that even the political "pragmatism" that seems to now accompany his views will just piss off ALL sides, and especially the side that thought he was principled.

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I agree, except saying "let's just completely legalize without any regulation" is going to win over many people.

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