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6/25/2003 In a message dated 6/12/2003 purepolitics.com writes:
1. In your campaign, you have criticized the government's failure to represent your views and called for a return to direct democracy, a system wherein the general voting population votes to enact laws. In order to avoid a 'tyranny of the majority,' or a government where only the majority of the population's views are held, you suggest that any law involving issues of personal choice require only a 10% threshold of popularity to be passed into law.
Does this system have a role for state and national legislatures, and if not, how as President, would you convince the American people to give up such a political hegemony?

First off I believe that it's not just my views that are being ignored, in fact the views of most of the population are being ignored. We don't even have 'tyranny of the majority,' we have a tyranny of Congress, who is so self serving, that one can predict how most representatives will vote on any issue by checking who fills their campaign coffers. We also have a "tyranny of the dead" as we are living under rules and laws passed before most of us were born. This can be seen in the Marijuana and Hemp issues most clearly. I think that now the people of seven states have endorsed medical Marijuana and another seven have endorsed growing hemp. Yet the federal government is ignoring States rights and the right of the people to write their own laws.

In order for such changes to happen, there would have to be great changes in the thinking of the electorate. I think that if I were to be elected, that alone would show the people's willingness to be more accepting of those who are or think differently than they do.

To the best of my knowledge no such system exists anywhere, that does not preclude it happening. As president I wouldn't have to convince the people, I would have to convince Congress, and that would be hard considering the state of affairs we are in... Realistically I think it would take a continental Congress and a whole new view of government to put these ideas into a working environment.

2. The name "John Galt Jr," is an alias. Could you explain why you felt the need to use a different name in your campaign and where that name came from?

Well, in order to answer this question, we will have to go back quite a few years to the beginnings of the John Galt jr for President Campaign. Most of what is written at the John Galt jr web site was written in 1995.
In 1989 I wrote a novel, set in the late nineties, in which there was a character named John Galt jr, by story line the grandson of the John Galt of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Someone had asked me, what qualities a candidate, would need to get my support. So in 1995 I created a web site for the character of John Galt jr for President in 1996. John Galt jr caught some spotlights and I as author stepped in to play the Real world John Galt jr for speeches and public appearances.

To the other half of the question (this question does seem to be two...)
I really don't feel the need to use an alias, and if any party will have me I will gladly run as myself.
I was outed by a Philly newspaper in 2000 election. But if you really want an answer I'll paraphrase what Perot said "I just want to protect my family and friends from the special treatment of the press and police.
If you want to know who I am just ask.
I have done dozens perhaps hundreds of interviews in the past decade, the question usually comes up and seldom makes it into print. What you have to consider is that if the people who wanted Jesse Ventura to be governor were able to figure out which button to push, those supporting me should be able to figure it out as well.
What I do know is that in the past twelve years, in each passing year I have become more and more John and less of that guy nobody knows. The words I wrote back then make even more sense to more people today...

3. As part of education reform, you have suggested scaling minimum wage to education level. How does this work and would this system not continue to impoverish America's uneducated poor?

Well, here is where I'll start picking up labels. Our "system" tells us as kids that anyone can do anything and that rates right up there with the tooth fairy and Easter bunny. The truth is and always has been, that half the jobs out there don't pay a real living wage. These jobs usually don't require a college education and are usually filled by people who are working their way through college. Half these people work those same types of jobs the rest of their lives. The country is currently boasting 90% of kids going to college. Why? so half of them can work minimum wage and spend their lives paying for an education that gave them nothing in return. I do say nothing. I have spent all of my life in and around college towns and the level of education has dropped to a pitiful low. "The people" had fits when kids were leaving grade school without being able to read or do simple math and then "the people" had fits when kids were graduating from High school without being able to read or do simple math. Now we have people are graduating from college who can't read, make change for a dollar or even calculate taxes in their head. We have College grads who don't have the education that I had when I finished sixth grade. Is this what we deserve for $40,000 education? Those same grads are expecting $50,000 a year jobs for their worthless piece of paper... People are going $40,000 in debt before they start their adult life and end up having to work 2 or 3 jobs just to get by... Now instead of two income families we have four income families who still can't get by, and have no time to teach their children basic math and reading skills, the cycle continues and there is no end in sight.
We have thrown enough money at trying to get people to be something they are not, I believe the earlier someone takes their station in life the happier they will be. Poverty is the natural downside, to the rich getting richer. Socialism is the answer to poverty, because if everybody is poor then we are all equal...

A current example of wage scaling would be (written in 1995 needs an inflation adjustment)
For those without a high school education $5.00 per hour minimum
For those with a high School education $6.00 per hour minimum
For those with community college (2 years) or vocational education
training $7.00 per hour min
For those with a full four year College education $8.00 per hour minimum
Masters $9.00
Doctorate $10.00
This would make those doing the hiring more likely to hire to match the training needed for a specific job. As far as opportunity and getting rich, there are two kinds of money, old money that comes from your parents and new money that comes from hard work and fresh ideas. There is no direct correlation of education to financial status.

4. Could you please briefly explain how, as President, you would enact the principles of Peace, Freedom, Common sense, and Compromise that you have established as the foundations to your platform?

I have to say that there is no enacting these principles, that these changes would have to come about through an enlightenment of the masses. Peace can only be achieved by not waging war. End the War on Drugs, end the War on Terrorism. I would bring all our troops home to protect the people of the United states instead of being abroad protecting the interests of the United States.
Freedom can only be achieved by restoring those principles laid out by the founding fathers in the Constitution and the Bill of rights.
Common Sense and Compromise come hand in hand. I believe it was Thomas Paine that said Common sense is not so common. Common sense tells us that in any compromise both sides must give, therefore the best compromise is the one which no-one triumphs.
So to answer your question, that if the people become enlightened to accept Peace Freedom, common sense and compromise, that I will be elected and will have to do little more as the people will have already taken the first steps towards understanding and accepting others not for their differences but for their uniqueness...

5. Of the following international issues, which do you think is the most important and how would the United States, under your leadership, attempt to address the issue: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, HIV/AIDS in Africa, SARS, International Terrorism?

A deep read into my website would uncover that I am essentially an isolationist, so none of these issues are very important to me. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is an ongoing war that has persisted for hundreds of years, it will not end and there is nothing we the people of the United States can do or that our government should do. The only peace plan that would work would be to kill everyone living in the Mideast...
SARS, HIV/AIDS in Africa are health issues and should be handled by WHO. As a government or president we can support the WHO other than that I would say "it's not my job"
Which leaves international terrorism.

I don't believe that international terrorism, is as big of a problem that the current
administration does. I believe that it is just another label for the various power struggles around the world and that the United States both directly and indirectly is responsible for most of it because of our meddling policies and now under King George the second, we in fact have become the terrorists...

6. In order to give the readers of PurePolitics.com a more intimate view of the candidates for the 2004 Presidential Election, we like to ask one question whose subject matter is irrelevant of platform issues. Mr. Galt Jr., what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

One might think that this would be the easiest of questions to answer. If you flipped the question and asked which flavor I don't like, the answer would be coffee flavored ice cream. To me I would say that ice cream is a lot like music. I like Rock, folk blues, reggae, pop, swing, jazz, metal, latin, classical, all fusions... So it becomes a matter of mood, with ice cream some days are Chunky Monkey, some are pecan swirl, some are peaches and cream. What becomes important is not so much the flavor, but whether you can afford ice cream...