Bob R. Titley

[{"question": "Video for Ballotpedia", "answer_html": "<div style=\"float:left\">\n<table cellpadding=\"5\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"wikitable\" width=\"205\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td><div class=\"thumb embedvideo autoResize\" style=\"width: 258px;\"><!--\n--><div class=\"embedvideo autoResize\" style=\"\"><!--\n--><div class=\"embedvideowrap youtube\" style=\"width: 250px\"><iframe allow=\"accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"141\" loading=\"lazy\" modestbranding=\"1\" src=\"//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9nmz0n0BLn4\" width=\"250\"></iframe></div><!--\n--></div><!--\n--></div><span style=\"font-size:80%\">Video submitted to Ballotpedia<br/>September 4, 2024</span>\n</td></tr></tbody></table></div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>", "answer_text": "Video submitted to Ballotpedia September 4, 2024"}, {"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Bob Titley completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Titley's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading-bio-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tOur Government is broken. The Democratic and Republican parties have both become addicted to money, power and partisan gridlock. The system will never change itself, change has to come from the outside, and that can only happen by electing independents to the House of Representatives, who are committed to political reform. \r\n<p>I have had a successful career as an entrepreneur, in the entertainment business, commercial real estate, oil &amp; gas, and the non-profit sector. I care about my country and the well being of my fellow citizens. I have watched for 40 years the gradual takeover of Washington by financial and corporate interests and caused our government to neglect its on citizens. \r\n</p>\nThere is a widespread belief in this country that we need profound change in Washington. But that change can only come from a movement of people working together with a common vision for that change. I believe the vehicle for that change is the U.S. House of Representatives. That is why I am running as an independent. Currently there are no independents in Congress. If an independent can get elected, it creates a model and a playbook to carry to other districts around the country and begin building a movement for reform.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading-key-message-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Cheap reliable energy is key to our economic well being. Energy policy is informed by both an economic concern and an environmental concern. Our two party system has reduced the debate to soundbites of \"Electrify the economy\" and \"Drill baby drill\". Neither is an adequate answer to energy policy. Electrification will run against the headwall of raw materials needed like copper and rare earth minerals as well as speed and cost of deployment of new production. Drill baby drill will run against the headwall of depleting oil resources. \r\nI am advocating for a Manhattan Project/Apollo Program level of commitment to scientific research and development and review of new energy and materials technologies.</li><li>A fair and balanced economy. For 40 years we have seen American Workers shoved into a corner by the corporate sector and Wall Street. It affects almost every area of policy from tax policy to Healthcare policy. \r\n\r\nOur economy is burdened by $35 trillion of debt that prevents us from investing in programs we need for a secure and prosperous future. \r\n\r\nThe economy has been radically altered by technology. Yet nothing has changed in how we tax that economy.\r\n\r\nThe wealthy, corporations and Wall Street have used their influence in Washington for the last 40 years. to reduce their tax burden and shift it on the back of American Workers. We need to reverse that trend. \r\n\r\nA strong middle class is the backbone of Democracy and the American economy.</li><li>Border security is important to Americans. Most politicians address the symptoms rather than the disease.\r\n\r\nThe disease is the fact that the criminal cartels in Mexico make well over $1 billion a year for the illegal immigrant trade into the U.S. while trafficking Fentanyl that kills over 80,000 Americans a year. \r\n\r\nWe need to declare the criminal cartels terrorist organizations and go after them aggressively, including putting significant foreign policy pressure on the Mexican government. \r\n\r\nWe need a safe legal guest worker visa program that WE control. Migrants pay cartels $3,000 to $25,000 for illegal entry. Let them pay the U.S. for a legal work permit after a background check and pay an extra 3% guest worker payroll tax.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading1-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tEnergy policy is THE most important policy we face. We are not prepared for our energy future. Whatever policy area you care about, it will require a strong economy to deliver policy promises, and a strong economy requires cheap abundant energy. <br/><br/>\n<p>We also have the issue of global warming. Our 2 party system has turned that into a divisive issue. It doesn't have to be. A commitment to scientific research on the level of the Manhattan Project or Apollo program can provide us sustainable energy solutions to insure our future prosperity, and address concerns about global warming. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nMy particular passions are safe modern nuclear, carbon neutral synthetic liquid fuels and materials to replace plastics and new battery chemical technologies.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading2-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI was deeply impacted by time spent in my younger years with the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne Indians. So it is not an individual I look up to, but an entire nation or culture. Their values dictate that the strong carry the weak on their backs. Basic virtues include: Courage, Fortitude, Generosity and Wisdom.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading3-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIntegrity is the most important characteristic. A Representative's job is to represent their district. there is no higher calling in a Representative Democracy. Too many Representatives see the office as a stepping stone in a career and they lose sight of their duty to their constituents. <br/><br/>\n<p>A Representative is also a translator between their constituents and the government. Governments and corporations like to hide behind shrouds of complex language. It is the Representatives job to insure that the government understands the needs and desires of its People, and that the People understand the functioning of government. The Representative should serve as a translator and educator between the public and the government. <br/><br/>\r\nA Representative is one of 435 in the U.S. House. So their power as an individual is limited regardless of party affiliation. In fact, a Congressman aligned with one of the 2 major parties will be bound by the demands of the party leadership. Whereas an independent is not bound by any leadership and can remain more loyal to the desires of their district and can resist extreme moves by either party. A body of independents can be a powerful moderating force in a legislative body. <br/><br/>\r\nLastly, I like to compare a good Representative to Toto, the little terrier in the Wizard of Oz that pulled back the curtain to reveal who the Wizard really was. That is also the roll of the Representative: to keep asking questions and pulling back curtains to reveal the forces that shape policy in Washington. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nBut personal integrity is the most important quality. Any Representative is thrown into a sea of money and power, and it takes a great deal of personal integrity to resist the temptation and seduction that is constantly there.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading4-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tPersonal integrity and a belief in caring for others.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading5-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat legacy would you like to leave?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIf I could make a small contribution to repairing our broken political system and preparing our country for a difficult future, that would be a satisfying legacy.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading6-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe Cuban Missile Crisis. A crossing guard at my school told me that the Russians would drop a bomb on me that night. I was 7 years old. A the time my father was in the military and in charge of missile defense in the Dallas area.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading7-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAs a teenager I worked a summer job in Dallas, Texas in an un-air-conditioned lighting fixture warehouse. I worked that job for several summers.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading8-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is your favorite book? Why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tToo many to list. I like the quote of the character Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones: \"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone\".\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading9-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse9-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIf you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading9-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse9-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tTo reference Game of Thrones again, I like to think of myself as Tyrion Lannister, but I am afraid I am actually Ned Stark.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading10-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse10-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was the last song that got stuck in your head?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading10-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse10-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI happen to have 2 young children, so the last song stuck in my head was one called \"Halloween\".\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading11-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse11-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is something that has been a struggle in your life?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading11-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse11-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tTechnology. Too much screen time.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading12-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse12-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading12-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse12-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt is a large body, 435 Representatives, and every seat is up for elections every 2 years. It is the place of most intimate contact between the public and it's government, and it is the place where change can happen the most rapidly in periods of crisis. It is The People's House. <br/><br/>\n<p>The U.S. House, in my opinion, is the most powerful branch of government and is the primary instrument for change in this country. But because that power is distributed among 435 individuals it is not perceived by the public to be powerful. Instead, the public instinctively looks for a hero in the form of a Presidential candidate to bring the change they seek. I believe this is a mistake. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nThere was no individual hero that founded our Democracy. It was a movement of people working together, bound by shared values and a durable set of ideas. To reform our country's political system will take the same thing, a movement of people bound by shared values and a durable set of ideas.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading13-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse13-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading13-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse13-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tNo. <br/><br/>\n<p>I think that is a necessary requirement for the Presidency and even for the Senate. But not the House of Representatives. It is the People's House. It should be the tool to mine the collective genius of the American People and so should be accessible to anyone. It is by nature a bit chaotic and unruly, but I see that as a strength rather than a weakness. <br/><br/>\r\nThere is benefit to having influence that is not shaped by political institutions and prior political experience. It is true that legislative experience is valuable to navigate the existing system, but at least in the House, the system should be reformed to make it more accessible to new and innovative ideas. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nWe live in a world of very fast moving technologies and changes. We must reform our political culture so that it can respond adequately to the rate of change, otherwise private corporations or other private actors will make decisions unilaterally to fill the void left by governmental paralysis.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading14-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse14-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading14-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse14-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI am not certain 2000 characters is enough to answer this question. I think my first answer would be to heed the multiple warnings Dwight Eisenhower gave in his farewell speech:<br/><br/>\n<p>1) We all know his famous warning about the military industrial complex. Yet today our war budget is equal to the next 7 or 8 nations combined. We have been in endless wars, and yet the last war declared by Congress was WWII. To paraphrase Eisenhower, every dollar spent on weapons of war is not just a dollar wasted, it is the future of our children, the sweat of our workers and the skill of our scientists wasted. Today we can extend that warning to include the Security Industrial Complex: the privatization of the spy business. <br/>\r\n2) He also warned us about the unwarranted influence of a scientific and technological elite. Today we live in world dominated by large tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Meta. Their money and influence in Washington inhibits any effective legislation to moderate, manage or limit their influence over our economy, our culture and the minds of our children. <br/>\r\n3) He warned us about the dangers of Federal debt, a theft from the future of our children and grand children. Today we have a Federal debt of $35 trillion, 120% of our GDP. <br/><br/>\r\nThese are the major challenges:<br/><br/>\r\n1) Reform election laws and the political system to maintain Representative Democracy. <br/>\r\n2) Insure cheap reliable sources of energy and raw materials. <br/>\r\n3) Radically adjust our foreign policy philosophy. The idea of the U.S. being the single solitary super power is naive, impossible to achieve, very expensive and very dangerous. We do, in fact, live in a multi-polar world. <br/>\r\n4) Reduce the debt. <br/>\n</p>\n5) Enact a policy revolution in Healthcare.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading15-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse15-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading15-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse15-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tYes. It was designed to be the most responsive branch of government, and frequent elections make it responsive to public opinion. <br/><br/>\r\nWe do need a different set of rules and standards to govern elections to the U.S. House. The average House campaign costs well over $1 million. This makes the House inaccessible and violates its very purpose. I believe campaign reform specific to U.S. House races is needed, including limits on the allowed duration of campaigns, limits to allowed spending, and changes in FEC rules governing House elections.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading16-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse16-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your thoughts on term limits?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading16-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse16-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI have mixed views on term limits. I believe in the principle of term limits, but I fear if they are too severe it would only empower unelected professional staff and lobbyists. Additionally, it can take a great deal of time for a Representative to become proficient in a policy area and have a chance of enacting effective legislation before they are termed out. <br/><br/>\n<p>I think to fully embrace term limits, it would require fully reforming our elections and system of government. <br/><br/>\r\nI would like to see a system where teams of people circulate through a Representative's chair but continue as acting or advising staff. If I am electing it is my intention to limit myself to 1 or 2 terms. I will commit to hiring the majority of my staff from my district, and attempt to identify a suitable replacement from that staff that I can endorse to replace me at the end of my term. If they are elected, I would agree to continue working on their staff or as an advisor to maintain continuity in advancing key legislative issues. IF a district could ever execute a plan like that (which requires a high level of personal integrity by all participants) , 3 terms (6 years) in the House of Representatives would be a reasonable term limit. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nOn another front, I absolutely endorse the idea of term limits on the Supreme Court. It is the most deeply politicized, yet unaccountable branch of government, that has unfortunately strayed even beyond legislating into the arena of altering the very architecture of government enshrined in our Constitution.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading17-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse17-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIs there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading17-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse17-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt's hard not to admire former speaker Tip O'neill. I think he embodied the principles of Representation and loyalty to constituents and principles over party.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading18-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse18-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tBoth sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading18-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse18-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI don't think it is just one story, it is the same story repeated over and over again. <br/><br/>\n<p>The story of struggles to find affordable housing, the struggle to find affordable childcare, the struggle with inflation and the cost of living. The chronic anxiety over healthcare costs. The idea that The American Dream has slowly slipped away. America's health is in decline, our children suffer more depression and anxiety than any generation before. We spend more per capita on pharmaceuticals than any other nation, and yet we have worse health outcomes. We are losing large numbers of our young people to the Opioid crisis. Young people don't see the value of education just to be burdened by a life of college debt, and they don't see a future in work because we have had 40 years of government policy failing to reward work and shipping American jobs overseas to benefit corporations with lower labor costs and less environmental regulations. <br/><br/>\r\nThis is all a result of 40 years of serving Corporate boardrooms and Wall Street rather than serving the American People. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nTHAT is the story of America today. We must take steps to reform our political system and make it more responsive to the needs and the future of the American People. If we don't our nation will become even more divided, and we will experience even more political instability than we already have.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading19-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse19-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading19-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse19-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tYes, in a Representatives Democracy it is critical. The extremes caused by our 2 party system in today's world make compromise virtually impossible, thus the partisan gridlock and paralysis we have been experiencing in government. <br/><br/>\r\nPeople don't appreciate the risks gridlock introduces. When government is paralyzed, critical decision that MUST be made about policy will find new paths that are hidden from view, and gradually what people call \"The Shadow Government\" grows in its influence and ability to enact policy without accountability to the American People.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse20-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading20-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse20-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse20-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tThe Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading20-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse20-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAs a single Representative my power will be very limited to affect revenue policy. But to the extent that I can, and recognizing that our national debt is one of the greatest threats to our future well being, I would advocate for:<br/><br/>\n<p>1)Raising corporate tax rates to the level they were at from 1955-1975<br/>\r\n2) Discovering innovative new forms of taxation that do not impact working Americans:<br/>\n</p>\n<pre> - giant tech companies make fortunes mining your <br/>\r\n personal data...we should institute a micro-tax to tax <br/>\r\n data.<br/>\r\n - The majority of stock market transactions occur by <br/>\r\n computer algorithm often to support high speed<br/>\r\n trading. A micro-tax should be instituted on these<br/>\r\n types of financial transactions. <br/>\r\n - Even though we still import a significant amount of <br/>\r\n oil, because of coal and natural gas, we are a net <br/>\r\n energy exporter. When we export energy we are <br/>\r\n exporting our economic future. We should place a <br/>\r\n tariff on energy exports to help fund research in <br/>\r\n new energy technologies. <br/>\r\n - We are not prepared for the electricity demands <br/>\r\n placed on us by the growth of data centers and AI as <br/>\r\n well as electrification of the vehicle fleet. This will <br/>\r\n require significant investments in new generation <br/>\r\n facilities and grid buildout. We should tax electricity <br/>\r\n consumption of data centers to help fund those <br/>\r\n</pre>\n investments.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse21-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading21-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse21-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse21-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tHow should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading21-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse21-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt's critical primary focus at this moment in history is to investigate systemic corruption of all of our regulatory agencies including the impact of the \"revolving door\" syndrome of individuals moving back and forth between the private sector and regulatory agencies.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse22-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading22-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse22-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse22-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat committees interest you?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading22-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse22-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tEnergy and Commerce, Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse23-235622-2024-09-05\" id=\"heading23-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse23-235622-2024-09-05\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse23-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading23-235622-2024-09-05\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse23-235622-2024-09-05\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI had a long career managing some of the top Country Music Artists in Nashville. These are people that would, in a very short period of time go from near to functional poverty to enormous wealth. at least in their early career years, they were usually entirely dependent on others to manage their business and wealth. I saw too many advisors try to prevent a culture of transparency and accountability to protect their own positions. Inevitably when you heard about a successful artist that had run into financial or career trouble of some kind, you could trace it back to a lack of transparency and accountability in the advisors that surrounded them. That always angered me, and I always took steps to insure that my clients would never have a night of laying in bed wondering if my actions were in their best interest or not. <br/><br/>\n<p>The same is true of government. A lack of transparency and accountability creates a culture of corruption. The Pentagon budget and our incredibly wasteful military spending is the prime example of the results of a deficit of transparency and accountability. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nThe government administers the public's tax dollars. Just basic principles of ethical behavior requires complete transparency and accountability. We live in a highly complex world. The idea of less government and less bureaucracy is appealing, but some level of bureaucracy is inevitable in managing such a complex world. It is the Legislatures responsibility that the systems and rules managing those bureaucracies incorporate accountability and transparency and prevent the worst abuses associated with bureaucracies.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nBob Titley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Titley's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. Our Government is broken. The Democratic and Republican parties have both become addicted to money, power and partisan gridlock. The system will never change itself, change has to come from the outside, and that can only happen by electing independents to the House of Representatives, who are committed to political reform. I have had a successful career as an entrepreneur, in the entertainment business, commercial real estate, oil & gas, and the non-profit sector. I care about my country and the well being of my fellow citizens. I have watched for 40 years the gradual takeover of Washington by financial and corporate interests and caused our government to neglect its on citizens. There is a widespread belief in this country that we need profound change in Washington. But that change can only come from a movement of people working together with a common vision for that change. I believe the vehicle for that change is the U.S. House of Representatives. That is why I am running as an independent. Currently there are no independents in Congress. If an independent can get elected, it creates a model and a playbook to carry to other districts around the country and begin building a movement for reform. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Cheap reliable energy is key to our economic well being. Energy policy is informed by both an economic concern and an environmental concern. Our two party system has reduced the debate to soundbites of \"Electrify the economy\" and \"Drill baby drill\". Neither is an adequate answer to energy policy. Electrification will run against the headwall of raw materials needed like copper and rare earth minerals as well as speed and cost of deployment of new production. Drill baby drill will run against the headwall of depleting oil resources. \r\nI am advocating for a Manhattan Project/Apollo Program level of commitment to scientific research and development and review of new energy and materials technologies. A fair and balanced economy. For 40 years we have seen American Workers shoved into a corner by the corporate sector and Wall Street. It affects almost every area of policy from tax policy to Healthcare policy. \r\n\r\nOur economy is burdened by $35 trillion of debt that prevents us from investing in programs we need for a secure and prosperous future. \r\n\r\nThe economy has been radically altered by technology. Yet nothing has changed in how we tax that economy.\r\n\r\nThe wealthy, corporations and Wall Street have used their influence in Washington for the last 40 years. to reduce their tax burden and shift it on the back of American Workers. We need to reverse that trend. \r\n\r\nA strong middle class is the backbone of Democracy and the American economy. Border security is important to Americans. Most politicians address the symptoms rather than the disease.\r\n\r\nThe disease is the fact that the criminal cartels in Mexico make well over $1 billion a year for the illegal immigrant trade into the U.S. while trafficking Fentanyl that kills over 80,000 Americans a year. \r\n\r\nWe need to declare the criminal cartels terrorist organizations and go after them aggressively, including putting significant foreign policy pressure on the Mexican government. \r\n\r\nWe need a safe legal guest worker visa program that WE control. Migrants pay cartels $3,000 to $25,000 for illegal entry. Let them pay the U.S. for a legal work permit after a background check and pay an extra 3% guest worker payroll tax. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Energy policy is THE most important policy we face. We are not prepared for our energy future. Whatever policy area you care about, it will require a strong economy to deliver policy promises, and a strong economy requires cheap abundant energy. We also have the issue of global warming. Our 2 party system has turned that into a divisive issue. It doesn't have to be. A commitment to scientific research on the level of the Manhattan Project or Apollo program can provide us sustainable energy solutions to insure our future prosperity, and address concerns about global warming. My particular passions are safe modern nuclear, carbon neutral synthetic liquid fuels and materials to replace plastics and new battery chemical technologies. Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why? I was deeply impacted by time spent in my younger years with the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne Indians. So it is not an individual I look up to, but an entire nation or culture. Their values dictate that the strong carry the weak on their backs. Basic virtues include: Courage, Fortitude, Generosity and Wisdom. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? Integrity is the most important characteristic. A Representative's job is to represent their district. there is no higher calling in a Representative Democracy. Too many Representatives see the office as a stepping stone in a career and they lose sight of their duty to their constituents. A Representative is also a translator between their constituents and the government. Governments and corporations like to hide behind shrouds of complex language. It is the Representatives job to insure that the government understands the needs and desires of its People, and that the People understand the functioning of government. The Representative should serve as a translator and educator between the public and the government. A Representative is one of 435 in the U.S. House. So their power as an individual is limited regardless of party affiliation. In fact, a Congressman aligned with one of the 2 major parties will be bound by the demands of the party leadership. Whereas an independent is not bound by any leadership and can remain more loyal to the desires of their district and can resist extreme moves by either party. A body of independents can be a powerful moderating force in a legislative body. Lastly, I like to compare a good Representative to Toto, the little terrier in the Wizard of Oz that pulled back the curtain to reveal who the Wizard really was. That is also the roll of the Representative: to keep asking questions and pulling back curtains to reveal the forces that shape policy in Washington. But personal integrity is the most important quality. Any Representative is thrown into a sea of money and power, and it takes a great deal of personal integrity to resist the temptation and seduction that is constantly there. What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? Personal integrity and a belief in caring for others. What legacy would you like to leave? If I could make a small contribution to repairing our broken political system and preparing our country for a difficult future, that would be a satisfying legacy. What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time? The Cuban Missile Crisis. A crossing guard at my school told me that the Russians would drop a bomb on me that night. I was 7 years old. A the time my father was in the military and in charge of missile defense in the Dallas area. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? As a teenager I worked a summer job in Dallas, Texas in an un-air-conditioned lighting fixture warehouse. I worked that job for several summers. What is your favorite book? Why? Too many to list. I like the quote of the character Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones: \"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone\". If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be? To reference Game of Thrones again, I like to think of myself as Tyrion Lannister, but I am afraid I am actually Ned Stark. What was the last song that got stuck in your head? I happen to have 2 young children, so the last song stuck in my head was one called \"Halloween\". What is something that has been a struggle in your life? Technology. Too much screen time. What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution? It is a large body, 435 Representatives, and every seat is up for elections every 2 years. It is the place of most intimate contact between the public and it's government, and it is the place where change can happen the most rapidly in periods of crisis. It is The People's House. The U.S. House, in my opinion, is the most powerful branch of government and is the primary instrument for change in this country. But because that power is distributed among 435 individuals it is not perceived by the public to be powerful. Instead, the public instinctively looks for a hero in the form of a Presidential candidate to bring the change they seek. I believe this is a mistake. There was no individual hero that founded our Democracy. It was a movement of people working together, bound by shared values and a durable set of ideas. To reform our country's political system will take the same thing, a movement of people bound by shared values and a durable set of ideas. Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics? No. I think that is a necessary requirement for the Presidency and even for the Senate. But not the House of Representatives. It is the People's House. It should be the tool to mine the collective genius of the American People and so should be accessible to anyone. It is by nature a bit chaotic and unruly, but I see that as a strength rather than a weakness. There is benefit to having influence that is not shaped by political institutions and prior political experience. It is true that legislative experience is valuable to navigate the existing system, but at least in the House, the system should be reformed to make it more accessible to new and innovative ideas. We live in a world of very fast moving technologies and changes. We must reform our political culture so that it can respond adequately to the rate of change, otherwise private corporations or other private actors will make decisions unilaterally to fill the void left by governmental paralysis. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? I am not certain 2000 characters is enough to answer this question. I think my first answer would be to heed the multiple warnings Dwight Eisenhower gave in his farewell speech: 1) We all know his famous warning about the military industrial complex. Yet today our war budget is equal to the next 7 or 8 nations combined. We have been in endless wars, and yet the last war declared by Congress was WWII. To paraphrase Eisenhower, every dollar spent on weapons of war is not just a dollar wasted, it is the future of our children, the sweat of our workers and the skill of our scientists wasted. Today we can extend that warning to include the Security Industrial Complex: the privatization of the spy business. 2) He also warned us about the unwarranted influence of a scientific and technological elite. Today we live in world dominated by large tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Meta. Their money and influence in Washington inhibits any effective legislation to moderate, manage or limit their influence over our economy, our culture and the minds of our children. 3) He warned us about the dangers of Federal debt, a theft from the future of our children and grand children. Today we have a Federal debt of $35 trillion, 120% of our GDP. These are the major challenges: 1) Reform election laws and the political system to maintain Representative Democracy. 2) Insure cheap reliable sources of energy and raw materials. 3) Radically adjust our foreign policy philosophy. The idea of the U.S. being the single solitary super power is naive, impossible to achieve, very expensive and very dangerous. We do, in fact, live in a multi-polar world. 4) Reduce the debt. 5) Enact a policy revolution in Healthcare. Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives? Yes. It was designed to be the most responsive branch of government, and frequent elections make it responsive to public opinion. We do need a different set of rules and standards to govern elections to the U.S. House. The average House campaign costs well over $1 million. This makes the House inaccessible and violates its very purpose. I believe campaign reform specific to U.S. House races is needed, including limits on the allowed duration of campaigns, limits to allowed spending, and changes in FEC rules governing House elections. What are your thoughts on term limits? I have mixed views on term limits. I believe in the principle of term limits, but I fear if they are too severe it would only empower unelected professional staff and lobbyists. Additionally, it can take a great deal of time for a Representative to become proficient in a policy area and have a chance of enacting effective legislation before they are termed out. I think to fully embrace term limits, it would require fully reforming our elections and system of government. I would like to see a system where teams of people circulate through a Representative's chair but continue as acting or advising staff. If I am electing it is my intention to limit myself to 1 or 2 terms. I will commit to hiring the majority of my staff from my district, and attempt to identify a suitable replacement from that staff that I can endorse to replace me at the end of my term. If they are elected, I would agree to continue working on their staff or as an advisor to maintain continuity in advancing key legislative issues. IF a district could ever execute a plan like that (which requires a high level of personal integrity by all participants) , 3 terms (6 years) in the House of Representatives would be a reasonable term limit. On another front, I absolutely endorse the idea of term limits on the Supreme Court. It is the most deeply politicized, yet unaccountable branch of government, that has unfortunately strayed even beyond legislating into the arena of altering the very architecture of government enshrined in our Constitution. Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after? It's hard not to admire former speaker Tip O'neill. I think he embodied the principles of Representation and loyalty to constituents and principles over party. Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful? I don't think it is just one story, it is the same story repeated over and over again. The story of struggles to find affordable housing, the struggle to find affordable childcare, the struggle with inflation and the cost of living. The chronic anxiety over healthcare costs. The idea that The American Dream has slowly slipped away. America's health is in decline, our children suffer more depression and anxiety than any generation before. We spend more per capita on pharmaceuticals than any other nation, and yet we have worse health outcomes. We are losing large numbers of our young people to the Opioid crisis. Young people don't see the value of education just to be burdened by a life of college debt, and they don't see a future in work because we have had 40 years of government policy failing to reward work and shipping American jobs overseas to benefit corporations with lower labor costs and less environmental regulations. This is all a result of 40 years of serving Corporate boardrooms and Wall Street rather than serving the American People. THAT is the story of America today. We must take steps to reform our political system and make it more responsive to the needs and the future of the American People. If we don't our nation will become even more divided, and we will experience even more political instability than we already have. Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking? Yes, in a Representatives Democracy it is critical. The extremes caused by our 2 party system in today's world make compromise virtually impossible, thus the partisan gridlock and paralysis we have been experiencing in government. People don't appreciate the risks gridlock introduces. When government is paralyzed, critical decision that MUST be made about policy will find new paths that are hidden from view, and gradually what people call \"The Shadow Government\" grows in its influence and ability to enact policy without accountability to the American People. The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected? As a single Representative my power will be very limited to affect revenue policy. But to the extent that I can, and recognizing that our national debt is one of the greatest threats to our future well being, I would advocate for: 1)Raising corporate tax rates to the level they were at from 1955-1975 2) Discovering innovative new forms of taxation that do not impact working Americans: - giant tech companies make fortunes mining your personal data...we should institute a micro-tax to tax data. - The majority of stock market transactions occur by computer algorithm often to support high speed trading. A micro-tax should be instituted on these types of financial transactions. - Even though we still import a significant amount of oil, because of coal and natural gas, we are a net energy exporter. When we export energy we are exporting our economic future. We should place a tariff on energy exports to help fund research in new energy technologies. - We are not prepared for the electricity demands placed on us by the growth of data centers and AI as well as electrification of the vehicle fleet. This will require significant investments in new generation facilities and grid buildout. We should tax electricity consumption of data centers to help fund those investments. How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers? It's critical primary focus at this moment in history is to investigate systemic corruption of all of our regulatory agencies including the impact of the \"revolving door\" syndrome of individuals moving back and forth between the private sector and regulatory agencies. What committees interest you? Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability? I had a long career managing some of the top Country Music Artists in Nashville. These are people that would, in a very short period of time go from near to functional poverty to enormous wealth. at least in their early career years, they were usually entirely dependent on others to manage their business and wealth. I saw too many advisors try to prevent a culture of transparency and accountability to protect their own positions. Inevitably when you heard about a successful artist that had run into financial or career trouble of some kind, you could trace it back to a lack of transparency and accountability in the advisors that surrounded them. That always angered me, and I always took steps to insure that my clients would never have a night of laying in bed wondering if my actions were in their best interest or not. The same is true of government. A lack of transparency and accountability creates a culture of corruption. The Pentagon budget and our incredibly wasteful military spending is the prime example of the results of a deficit of transparency and accountability. The government administers the public's tax dollars. Just basic principles of ethical behavior requires complete transparency and accountability. We live in a highly complex world. The idea of less government and less bureaucracy is appealing, but some level of bureaucracy is inevitable in managing such a complex world. It is the Legislatures responsibility that the systems and rules managing those bureaucracies incorporate accountability and transparency and prevent the worst abuses associated with bureaucracies.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}, {"question": "Campaign website", "answer_html": "<p>Titley’s campaign website stated the following:\n</p>\n<div style=\"height:400px;overflow:scroll;border:1px solid gray;margin:20px;padding:10px;\">\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">\n<p><b><big><big><big>ECONOMIC REFORM</big></big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big><big>WE NEED TO RETURN TO A FAIR AND BALANCED ECONOMY</big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p>The economy is not working for the average American worker. Wall Street is thriving.\n</p><p>Corporate Executives are thriving. The wealthy are thriving. Everyone else is is struggling.\n</p><p>For 40 years American workers have been shoved in a corner as corporate lobbyists have taken over control of Washington.\n</p><p>This is a systemic problem and only a movement of elected officials that are willing to step away from the two party system can change it.\n</p><p>Inflation has reared its ugly head. Even though many Americans are working, the cost of living has increased more than their wages. The basic American Dream is no longer affordable for most people.\n</p><p>We need every policy in Washington evaluated for its impact on working Americans.\n</p><p>Cheap reliable energy and essential raw materials are at the heart of the economy. We need to have focused efforts to secure those resources for our future prosperity.\n</p><p>We have $35 trillion in national debt. We have to address that so we can invest in our future.\n</p><p>It impacts inflation, our trade deficit, interest rates and it’s a mortgage on your children’s future.\n</p><p>It is immoral for a nation to accumulate so much debt.\n</p><p>There are only two ways to reduce debt: cut spending or raise taxes. Neither are very popular with the American people because American workers are already stretched too thin financially.\n</p><p>We have to look at sectors that have been prospering. That means we have to look to Corporations, the technology industry, billionaires, and the Military Industrial Complex.\n</p><p>We need to develop new innovative ways of raising revenue that don’t impact working people.\n</p><p>Some ideas to consider:\n</p>\n<dl><dd>1. <b>Tax digital data:</b> Giant technology companies are reaping huge windfall profits invading your privacy and mining your data. We should apply a micro-tax on the use and digital transfer of that data.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>2. <b>Tax data center energy consumption:</b> Huge data centers required for cloud computing, digital currencies and artificial intelligence are going to put a huge strain on electricity demand. We should tax data center electricity consumption to help finance grid infrastructure expansion.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>3. <b>Tax financial transactions:</b> Large hedge funds and other financial institutions are engaging in high speed algorithmic trading. It does nothing to create healthier financial markets. We need to develop a micro-tax those financial transactions.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>4. <b>Re-introduce progressive taxes on corporations.</b> Individuals have progressive income tax: the higher your income, the higher your tax rate. We need to apply the same principles to corporate taxes. A giant global corporation like Apple or Visa or Walmart should be taxed differently than a small regional corporation.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>5. <b>Tax corporate options</b> received by executives as income when they are exercised or when they are used as collateral for other financial instruments.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>6. <b>Tax energy exports:</b> Even though we still rely on imported oil to meet our demand, we are a net energy exporter when you include coal and natural gas. When we export our energy assets, we export our economic security in the future. We need to put a tariff on those energy exports.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>7. <b>Cut wasteful military spending</b> that does not produce wealth for the future and redirect that money to energy and materials Research &amp; Development.</dd></dl>\n<p><i>“This world in arms is not spending money alone it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.”</i>\n</p><p><i>-President Dwight Eisenhower</i><br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big><big><big>GOVERNMENT REFORM</big></big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big><big>THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM IS BROKEN</big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p>We all know there is too much money in government - and that it’s corrupting our political system.\n</p><p>A Congress dominated by the two parties will never pass laws restricting money in politics.\n</p><p>They don't want to make it easy for someone to get elected and threaten their jobs.\n</p><p>There is no hero that will save us. No individual, no President will be able to change the system.\n</p><p>It has to be a movement of people. \n</p><p>Our nation was not founded by one individual - it was a movement of people working together. \n</p><p>It took a long time and a lot of effort.\n</p><p>The House of Representatives is called The People's House. It is the tool given us by the Constitution to change government. \n</p><p>The only hope to change the system is to have a movement of people electing independents to the House of Representatives that can resist the pressures of the two party system.\n</p><p>With 30 like minded independents in the House, we will be a powerful voting block.\n</p><p>We can control which party gets to elect a speaker, and we can use that leverage to change House rules. \n</p><p>For instance, right now committee seats are assigned not on merit but on how much money a member can raise for their party.\n</p><p>We can change this. That is systemic corruption and it needs to change. A committed group of independents can do it. Will you join us?\n</p><p>We are creating a simple way to run a short cost effective campaign to gain an independent seat in the U.S. House. \n</p><p>We may succeed or we may fail. But if we fail, hopefully someone else will pick up the torch and try again and keep trying until we break through the corrupt system that is controlling our government.<br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big><big><big>ENERGY POLICY</big></big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big>WE NEED A FOCUSED NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGY</big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p>Our economy requires cheap and reliable energy. Energy policy is held hostage by a politicized debate about global warming. \n</p><p>Democratic plans to de-carbonization the economy require electrification of the economy. \n</p><p>At the same time, Artificial Intelligence data centers are projected to increase their electricity demand by 26% to 36% annually. \n</p><p>Our electric grid today can't handle a bad weather day.\n</p><p>Copper availability alone will prevent those growth projections. \n</p><p>We are projected to have a 20% shortfall per year of copper production globally by 2030. \n</p><p>Other critical minerals like cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese and nickel are also becoming more scarce, and their supply chain is controlled by China, which is a foreign policy issue.\n</p><p>Republican plans depend on continued successful development of domestic oil and gas. \n</p><p>But we are running out of cheap, easy to get oil. \n</p><p>There are 7 major shale plays in the U.S. and 6 of them have peaked in production and are in decline. \n</p><p>The 7th is the Permian Basin in Texas and it is projected to peak and begin a decline within a few years.\n</p><p>Unfortunately there is no easy solution. \n</p><p>That's why we need a focused national commitment to research and development of new energy and materials technologies by both the federal government and the private sector. \n</p><p>The government has successfully engaged in this kind of commitment to scientific research in the past with the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Program. \n</p><p>But because of our national debt, we don't have the resources for this type of investment, so budgets must be diverted from other uses. \n</p><p>Our defense budget is equal to the next 7 nations combined. \n</p><p>It is wasteful and produces nothing for our future prosperity. \n</p><p>We must find ways to redirect defense spending to energy and materials R&amp;D.<br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big><big><big>HEALTHCARE REFORM</big></big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big>WE NEED A REVOLUTION IN HEALTHCARE POLICY</big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p>Healthcare costs are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the nation. It is also bankrupting our nation through Medicare and Medicaid costs. \n</p><p>The root of the problem is that the market based solutions simply do not work for most healthcare.\n</p><p>The pharmaceutical and insurance industries fight tooth and nail to preserve the existing system and their profits.\n</p><p>We need a revolution in healthcare policy.\n</p><p>We need open competition for pharmaceuticals and end abuse of patent protections that give pharmaceutical companies monopolies over critical medicines.\n</p><p>We need more competition among health insurance providers and end dependence on employer provided insurance.\n</p><p><b><big>IT IS THE DUTY OF A NATION TO INSURE THE BASIC HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF ITS CITIZENS.</big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big><big><big>IMMIGRATION REFORM</big></big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p><b><big><big>CARTELS SHOULD BE DESIGNATED AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS</big></big></b><br/><br/>\n</p><p>Politicians focus on the symptoms rather than the disease. The root cause of our border crisis is the fact that the drug cartels in Mexico make over $1 billion a year from the illegal immigrant trade while they traffic Fentanyl that kills over 80,000 Americans a year. \n</p><p>If you had a $1 billion a year business you would market it, promote it and recruit new customizers. That's what the cartels do.\n</p><p>I support creating a safe legal path for guest workers that we control instead of the cartels. Migrants pay the cartels anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 for illegal entry. \n</p><p>With a paid guest worker visa system, they would pay the U.S. government instead of the cartels - and gain the right to enter legally so that we control the flow of immigrants rather than the cartels.\n</p><p>I Support: \n</p>\n<dl><dd>1. Declaring the cartels terrorist organizations.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>2. Closing security gaps at our border</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>3. Providing the highest level of security monitoring of the cartels.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>4. Putting foreign policy pressure on Mexico to address the cartel problem.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>5. If Mexico fails to act, considering limited military options against the cartels.</dd></dl>\n<dl><dd>6. Create a safe legal paid guest worker visa program that we control.</dd></dl>\n<p>We need to create a safe legal path for guest workers. They pay anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 to cartels for illegal entry. Instead, let them pay the U.S. government for the right to enter legally under a paid guest worker visa program so that we control the flow of immigrants rather than the cartels.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_2-0\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-2\">[2]</a></sup>\n</p>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cquotecite\" colspan=\"3\" style=\"border: none; padding-right: 4%\"><cite style=\"font-style: normal;font-size: smaller; float: right;\">—Bob Titley’s campaign website (2024)<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-3\"><a href=\"#cite_note-3\">[3]</a></sup><sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-4\"><a href=\"#cite_note-4\">[4]</a></sup><sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-5\"><a href=\"#cite_note-5\">[5]</a></sup><sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-6\"><a href=\"#cite_note-6\">[6]</a></sup><sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-7\"><a href=\"#cite_note-7\">[7]</a></sup></cite>\n</td></tr></tbody></table>\n</div>", "answer_text": "Titley’s campaign website stated the following:\n“ ECONOMIC REFORM WE NEED TO RETURN TO A FAIR AND BALANCED ECONOMY The economy is not working for the average American worker. Wall Street is thriving. Corporate Executives are thriving. The wealthy are thriving. Everyone else is is struggling. For 40 years American workers have been shoved in a corner as corporate lobbyists have taken over control of Washington. This is a systemic problem and only a movement of elected officials that are willing to step away from the two party system can change it. Inflation has reared its ugly head. Even though many Americans are working, the cost of living has increased more than their wages. The basic American Dream is no longer affordable for most people. We need every policy in Washington evaluated for its impact on working Americans. Cheap reliable energy and essential raw materials are at the heart of the economy. We need to have focused efforts to secure those resources for our future prosperity. We have $35 trillion in national debt. We have to address that so we can invest in our future. It impacts inflation, our trade deficit, interest rates and it’s a mortgage on your children’s future. It is immoral for a nation to accumulate so much debt. There are only two ways to reduce debt: cut spending or raise taxes. Neither are very popular with the American people because American workers are already stretched too thin financially. We have to look at sectors that have been prospering. That means we have to look to Corporations, the technology industry, billionaires, and the Military Industrial Complex. We need to develop new innovative ways of raising revenue that don’t impact working people. Some ideas to consider: 1. Tax digital data: Giant technology companies are reaping huge windfall profits invading your privacy and mining your data. We should apply a micro-tax on the use and digital transfer of that data. 2. Tax data center energy consumption: Huge data centers required for cloud computing, digital currencies and artificial intelligence are going to put a huge strain on electricity demand. We should tax data center electricity consumption to help finance grid infrastructure expansion. 3. Tax financial transactions: Large hedge funds and other financial institutions are engaging in high speed algorithmic trading. It does nothing to create healthier financial markets. We need to develop a micro-tax those financial transactions. 4. Re-introduce progressive taxes on corporations. Individuals have progressive income tax: the higher your income, the higher your tax rate. We need to apply the same principles to corporate taxes. A giant global corporation like Apple or Visa or Walmart should be taxed differently than a small regional corporation. 5. Tax corporate options received by executives as income when they are exercised or when they are used as collateral for other financial instruments. 6. Tax energy exports: Even though we still rely on imported oil to meet our demand, we are a net energy exporter when you include coal and natural gas. When we export our energy assets, we export our economic security in the future. We need to put a tariff on those energy exports. 7. Cut wasteful military spending that does not produce wealth for the future and redirect that money to energy and materials Research & Development. “This world in arms is not spending money alone it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.” -President Dwight Eisenhower GOVERNMENT REFORM THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM IS BROKEN We all know there is too much money in government - and that it’s corrupting our political system. A Congress dominated by the two parties will never pass laws restricting money in politics. They don't want to make it easy for someone to get elected and threaten their jobs. There is no hero that will save us. No individual, no President will be able to change the system. It has to be a movement of people. Our nation was not founded by one individual - it was a movement of people working together. It took a long time and a lot of effort. The House of Representatives is called The People's House. It is the tool given us by the Constitution to change government. The only hope to change the system is to have a movement of people electing independents to the House of Representatives that can resist the pressures of the two party system. With 30 like minded independents in the House, we will be a powerful voting block. We can control which party gets to elect a speaker, and we can use that leverage to change House rules. For instance, right now committee seats are assigned not on merit but on how much money a member can raise for their party. We can change this. That is systemic corruption and it needs to change. A committed group of independents can do it. Will you join us? We are creating a simple way to run a short cost effective campaign to gain an independent seat in the U.S. House. We may succeed or we may fail. But if we fail, hopefully someone else will pick up the torch and try again and keep trying until we break through the corrupt system that is controlling our government. ENERGY POLICY WE NEED A FOCUSED NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGY Our economy requires cheap and reliable energy. Energy policy is held hostage by a politicized debate about global warming. Democratic plans to de-carbonization the economy require electrification of the economy. At the same time, Artificial Intelligence data centers are projected to increase their electricity demand by 26% to 36% annually. Our electric grid today can't handle a bad weather day. Copper availability alone will prevent those growth projections. We are projected to have a 20% shortfall per year of copper production globally by 2030. Other critical minerals like cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese and nickel are also becoming more scarce, and their supply chain is controlled by China, which is a foreign policy issue. Republican plans depend on continued successful development of domestic oil and gas. But we are running out of cheap, easy to get oil. There are 7 major shale plays in the U.S. and 6 of them have peaked in production and are in decline. The 7th is the Permian Basin in Texas and it is projected to peak and begin a decline within a few years. Unfortunately there is no easy solution. That's why we need a focused national commitment to research and development of new energy and materials technologies by both the federal government and the private sector. The government has successfully engaged in this kind of commitment to scientific research in the past with the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Program. But because of our national debt, we don't have the resources for this type of investment, so budgets must be diverted from other uses. Our defense budget is equal to the next 7 nations combined. It is wasteful and produces nothing for our future prosperity. We must find ways to redirect defense spending to energy and materials R&D. HEALTHCARE REFORM WE NEED A REVOLUTION IN HEALTHCARE POLICY Healthcare costs are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the nation. It is also bankrupting our nation through Medicare and Medicaid costs. The root of the problem is that the market based solutions simply do not work for most healthcare. The pharmaceutical and insurance industries fight tooth and nail to preserve the existing system and their profits. We need a revolution in healthcare policy. We need open competition for pharmaceuticals and end abuse of patent protections that give pharmaceutical companies monopolies over critical medicines. We need more competition among health insurance providers and end dependence on employer provided insurance. IT IS THE DUTY OF A NATION TO INSURE THE BASIC HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF ITS CITIZENS. IMMIGRATION REFORM CARTELS SHOULD BE DESIGNATED AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS Politicians focus on the symptoms rather than the disease. The root cause of our border crisis is the fact that the drug cartels in Mexico make over $1 billion a year from the illegal immigrant trade while they traffic Fentanyl that kills over 80,000 Americans a year. If you had a $1 billion a year business you would market it, promote it and recruit new customizers. That's what the cartels do. I support creating a safe legal path for guest workers that we control instead of the cartels. Migrants pay the cartels anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 for illegal entry. With a paid guest worker visa system, they would pay the U.S. government instead of the cartels - and gain the right to enter legally so that we control the flow of immigrants rather than the cartels. I Support: 1. Declaring the cartels terrorist organizations. 2. Closing security gaps at our border 3. Providing the highest level of security monitoring of the cartels. 4. Putting foreign policy pressure on Mexico to address the cartel problem. 5. If Mexico fails to act, considering limited military options against the cartels. 6. Create a safe legal paid guest worker visa program that we control. We need to create a safe legal path for guest workers. They pay anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 to cartels for illegal entry. Instead, let them pay the U.S. government for the right to enter legally under a paid guest worker visa program so that we control the flow of immigrants rather than the cartels. [2] ” —Bob Titley’s campaign website (2024) [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]"}]