Pubdate: Fri, 21 Sep 2012 Source: New Hampshire, The (U of NH Edu) Copyright: 2012 The New Hamphire Contact: http://www.tnhonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2817 Author: Olivia Morley LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE GARY JOHNSON VISITS UNH Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson spoke on campus Sept. 19 and drew many like-minded supporters in to hear his speech. Johnson, who served as the Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, will be listed on the 2012 ballot in 47 states as a third-party candidate. Johnson is known for vetoing more bills than all other governors combined, and also for vetoing a whopping 750 bills during his two terms in office. He has been coined "Governor Veto" as a result of his tendency to veto most bills that are presented to him. Johnson said he prides himself on having worked as a handyman in order to pay his way through college. He said he classifies himself as a businessman. "I have been an entrepreneur my entire life," Johnson said. "I grew a one-person operation into almost 1,000 employees." This "one-person operation" that Johnson references is his trucking company, which he sold in 1999. Aside from his entrepreneurial background, Johnson said he believes that he can successfully address many of the difficult social and economic issues that the country now faces. Johnson's policy is libertarian, as he is fiscally conservative and socially tolerant. The governor is a strong supporter of the legalization of marijuana - -- especially for medicinal purposes. Johnson himself used medical marijuana as a means to recover from injuries sustained in a parasailing accident, and stated in his speech on Wednesday that we, as a nation, need to "legalize marijuana now." While Johnson supports a total end to the drug war, he wishes to concentrate on the legalization of marijuana for the time being. "If we legalized all drugs tomorrow, the world would be in a much better place," Johnson said. "I think we go from where we are at to legalizing marijuana, and when everyone realizes that the world is a better place, why don't we then turn our attention to other drugs?" Johnson advocates for ending the drug war, and said that our country's law enforcement officers should spend less time working against drug users and more time on other issues. He believes that less of a concentration on incarcerating drug users would also result in prison space opening up, and taxpayers ultimately paying less money. Johnson's stance on drug policy is decidedly tolerant, as are his policies concerning same-sex marriage and immigration. He said these issues go hand-in-hand with his fiscal beliefs and asserts that the answers to many of the debates concerning immigration and marriage equality can be found in fiscally conservative policy. "Over half the issues with marriage equality have to do with the income tax system," Johnson said. He said implementing a fair tax system in lieu of federal taxes and abolishing programs such as Medicaid and Medicare "arguably takes away half of the marriage issues." Johnson also asserts that "implementing the fair tax means nobody avoids paying tax," which many claim is a large problem in immigration policy. While the elimination of the federal tax system may seem radical to some, Johnson said it is the most practical approach to solving the country's budget crisis. The only welfare program that Johnson said he does not want to cut, however, is veteran's benefits. "I do not want to involve our military anywhere. I think that our interventions do us harm," Johnson said. He is a serious advocate for bringing the troops home and closing down foreign embassies around the world. "I think we need to have a strong national defense. The key word is 'defense,' not 'offense,'" Johnson said. Limiting the amount of military funding needed for the troops goes hand in hand with his implementation of the fair tax system and balancing the national budget, he said. Johnson spoke wearing a T-shirt with a peace logo on it. Ultimately, Johnson holds his fiscally conservative views, and practices social tolerance, but said he worries that, as a third-party candidate, nobody will know his name. When asked if voting for him would be a waste of a vote, he replied, "What if you all waste your vote and vote for Gary Jonson as president? I'll be the next president." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom