Candidate Q&A: U.S. Senate — Karla Gottschalk
“I would have interested committees formed on each island to inform of constituent concerns,” says the semi-retired civil rights attorney.
Editor’s note:ÌýFor Hawaii’s Aug. 13 primary election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions.
The following came from Karla GottschalkÌýa RepublicanÌýcandidate for the U.S. Senate. There are 11 other candidates, including Gottschalk’s RepublicanÌýprimary opponents,ÌýJohn Carroll,ÌýEddie Pirkowski and John Roco.
Go to Civil Beat’sÌýElections GuideÌýfor general information, and check out other candidates on theÌýPrimary Election Ballot.
Name:ÌýKarla “Bart” Gottschalk
Office seeking: U.S. Senate
Occupation: Semi-retired constitutional civil rights lawyer and corruption buster
Community organizations/prior offices held:ÌýSF Tesla Society; Middle Temple Bar of England and Wales; Fellow American Academy of Integrative Medicine; American Naturopathic Medical Association/certified traditional naturopath; California Bar; Federal Bar (Ninth Circuit); University of California Berkeley Lifetime Alumni Association
Age as of Aug. 13, 2016: 66
Place of residence: Ocean View, Big Island
Campaign website: See Facebook
1. This year has seen an outsized influence from people who want big changes in how government is run. What would you do to change how the U.S. Senate is run?
I would struggle for reason and wisdom to stop privatization of affirmative constitutional duties and restore legitimacy to election processes while forbidding the influx of foreign and lobbyist money and influences.
I will be in my office during the entire time that the Senate is in session so as to make all votes, especially those designed to be taken at inopportune times taking advantage of the absence of any opposition or those ignorant of secret machinations, and unconstitutional moves to overturn the Bill of Rights and personal privileges and immunities through war powers in undeclared wars and authoritarian rule by elite and their monopolies in parties and commerce.
2. Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizen’s initiative process. Do you support such a process?
Yes (and I was disappointed we were unable to pass initiative, referendum and recall franchises to suffrage a few years ago).
3. Hawaii has long been dominated by the Democratic Party establishment. Should this change, and if so, how?
The Democratic Party has been implicated in corruption since at least statehood, according to the old Advertiser investigative journalists and a change is mandatory.
4. Voters complain their elected officials don’t listen to them. What would you do to improve communication?
I would have interested committees formed on each island to inform of constituent concerns, have a 24-hour line open for emergency communications, a website for medium importance and, because of time to receive and read documents, a mail department.
5. What do you see as the most pressing issue facing your state? What will you do about it?
Corruption is the most pressing issue coupled with arrogance that the incumbent refuses to accept decades of scientific evidence regarding medical marijuana and veterans having it recommended for PTSD by their health providers and the commercial hemp industry to fill the gap in our agricultural exports.
6. What should America’s role in the world be? What would you do to move us in that direction?
America should be the light of liberty we once were with the courage to defend the rights of people in the face of tyranny.
The kindness of our troops used to be legendary as well as our can-do attitude and our industry in all fields.
We must be leaders and willing to be humble enough to accept the best each nation has to offer to address the pressing disasters from Fukushima, the dying oceans and the failure of genetic modifications, and use wisdom of all good people of all nations to move from aggressive warfare to aggressive disaster response giving all our hope in meaningful work and protection of our families.
7. The country is torn apart. What would you do to rebuild bridges?
Education and the formation of states’ constitutional conventions to foster the protection of liberties and opportunities as we move into an unknown future instead of falling prey to special interests, foreign influence in our elections and communities and privilege of minorities, which become tyranny of pluralism.
We cannot let same sex marriage and transgenderism destroy reason. No one and no minority should be able to force the conscience of another into being cowering slaves to tyranny. No majority can be allowed to oppress and deny the minority the rights given in the Bill of Rights.
