Name on ballot:

TOMAN, Aaron

Running for:

U.S. House – District II

Political party:

Libertarian

Campaign website:

LimitThePower.com

Current occupation:

Homesteader

Age:

31

Previous job history:

Marketing Manager

Previous elected office, if any:

No answer submitted

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii.

My competitors and I can list all the accomplishments in our personal and professional lives, but that would answer a different question of “qualifications to be a member of congress”. However, the question before us is our “qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii”. Different accomplishments and positions held doesn’t automatically make a candidate more qualified to represent the people of Hawaii.

I am most qualified to represent the people of Hawaii because I consider running for office to be my kuleana; to stand up when no one else will, to be a voice for the voiceless, and to fix our broken political system into something that works for everyone, not just the “elites”. The person most qualified is the one that will put the people of Hawaii before themselves, selflessly doing what is best for Hawaii without second thought about personal sacrifice.

We have long lost what Hawaii once was, and we are continuing to lose the Hawaii we once knew. I see what our federal and state governments are doing to our people; their policies harshly impact our islands, kama’aina, and kanaka maoli. It’s not the tourists, the military personnel, or the “transplants” that are removing the aloha from our lives or stealing the opportunities and prosperity from local families; it’s the politicians who create policies and pass laws that force our loved ones to either struggle to survive or move to the mainland. The government overreach must end and the 2 major parties don’t represent the people of Hawaii, they best represent corporations, foreign governments, and other special interest groups.

You can learn how to be a congressional representative, but you can’t learn integrity, selflessness, and commitment to the people, which is why I am most qualified to represent the people of Hawaii!

What will be your top priority if elected?

My top priority as a congressional member will be to uphold states rights against infringement from the federal government. Most legislation passed at the federal level should be debated and decided upon at the state and county levels of government.

We as a country have strayed so far from our origins that we believe that it is the role of the federal government to determine the laws of the entire country, yet their role is to simply protect the ability for individual states to determine their own laws. We have strayed, but with representatives that respect the constitution, we can return to a system free from federal overreach!

I have an 11-point platform that lays out the first pieces of legislation that I will introduce to the House of Representatives. These platform points address the top issues I see affecting congress, the nation, and Hawaii.

I encourage everyone to visit my website to see all 11 points and the details regarding each one, but I see Congressional Term Limits, Territorial Voting Rights, Amending the Jones Act, and Removing “Qualified Immunity” as the most crucial items to address as soon as possible. When elected, the very first thing I will introduce will be the Jones Act amendments to bring financial relief to the people of Hawaii without delay.

What can Congress do to help Americans cope with the high cost of living?

There are only 3 things that congress can do: Stop printing money, set a balanced budget, and return to constitutional sound money principles. All other actions will simply mask the problem till it arises again later.

If these actions are not taken, not only will the cost of living remain high, but it will continue to grow exponentially. Our “high cost of living” is not inflation, it’s an effect of inflation. Prior to 2020, the definition of “inflation” was “an increase in the money supply” (printing more money), but after 2020, the definition was changed to “a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.” A deliberate move to push the blame away from government spending towards unrelated issues like trade wars with China, foreign wars in Europe, and “corporate greed”.

Items in the store don’t cost more, the money you are using to buy those items is becoming worth less, as 80% of all money ever printed since our founding in 1776, was printed within the last 4 years. When the government says the “rate of inflation is lower”, that doesn’t mean that our money will have more value, it simply means that it is losing value at a slower speed than before.

A balanced budget is one of the most basic financial principles. Simply put: “don’t spend more money than you make”. This forces the government to be financially responsible by deciding where the best and most efficient use of taxpayer funds are. We could easily have a balanced budget at any time if congress members weren’t personally being paid by special interests groups to ensure money continues flowing unrestricted.

Lastly, the reason that the government is able to recklessly print money and keep an unbalanced budget is because our government violated the constitution by removing gold and silver backing from our money. “Sound money” would mean returning the US to the “gold standard”. In the past, for every paper dollar in circulation, there was a gold or silver coin to back its value; meaning that if the US government wanted to print another $1 bill, they would need to obtain another $1 worth of silver. Without sound money principles, the government can print as many bills as they want as they don’t have to obtain precious metals to back the value of each bill. We can return to sound money and stop our government from inflating our money supply further!

What actions, if any, should Congress take in regard to regulating access to abortion?

This will never be completely agreed upon at the federal level. If it is banned or guaranteed by one political party, it’ll be reversed as soon as the other party gains the majority control needed to do so. Therefore, this must be a states rights issue with each state being able to make their own laws that best reflect the values of its citizens.

When decided at the state level, it gives citizens 3 realistic options if they oppose their state’s decisions: fight the laws in the courts, campaign and vote for new politicians who will change the laws, or move states. But if decided at the federal level: it’s harder to fight in the courts, the few representatives you can elect will have less power, and there is nowhere to move to. While you may currently wish that the federal level will pass laws, you’ll be wishing for states rights when their decision doesn’t align with your values.

What can Congress do to help reduce gun violence and mass shootings in America?

It’s proven that prohibition does NOT work! Prohibition of alcohol gave rise to organized crime to be the sole manufacturers and distributors of alcohol, who used violence to protect their market share. The prohibition of drugs gave rise to cartels to be the sole growers, manufacturers, and distributors of drugs, who used violence to protect their market share. Prohibition of firearms will only create the same situation with the Government as the sole distributor who will use violence to protect its market share. To reduce gun violence in America, Congress must end ALL forms of prohibition and allow the free market to thrive!

The US government is the main perpetrator of gun violence. By having Congress remove Qualified Immunity from government officials, they will be held liable for the violence and murders they commit on a daily basis. If government employees know that they will be held to the same legal standard as all US citizens, they will be less likely to commit crimes and violence in the first place!

Prohibition of alcohol and drugs did not stop their existence. Laws do NOT stop criminals, laws ONLY stop law-abiding citizens! Criminals will always have firearms, the question is: “will you?”

What laws should Congress pass to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise and climate change?

If asked 10 years ago, I would have provided a long list of laws they should pass. At the time, I could see no greater threat than climate change and believed our government needed to address it directly.

Fortunately for me, I have a love for learning and I never stopped researching on the topic. Through the years, one thing has become clear: government mandated prevention and mitigation is ineffective and oftentimes harmful overall. We must allow the free market to determine how prevention and mitigation is done across the world without government interference!

All the efforts taken by the “Western World” have been voided out by the rest of the world. All the sacrifices forced upon the people of America, have provided zero results for the worldwide issue and this trend will continue, if it doesn’t worsen, with continuing a “top-down” approach from our government. We must educate the people with reliable, unbiased, open source information to let individuals and non-profit collectives determine what are the best options moving forward.

Should the U.S. continue to support Ukraine’s military efforts as it fights the Russian invasion?

Plain and simple: Stay out of foreign affairs. Focus on America, American People, American Needs, and American Safety! We should not be financially supporting ANY country while America is trillions of dollars in debt.

Should the U.S. continue to supply Israel with military aid in its war with Hamas?

Plain and simple: Stay out of foreign affairs. Focus on America, American People, American Needs, and American Safety! We should not be financially supporting ANY country while America is trillions of dollars in debt.

What is your position on the Jones Act, which supporters say protects the U.S. shipping industry, but opponents say inflates shipping prices and therefore costs to Hawaii consumers?

This is one of the major pieces of my campaign’s 11-point platform. It has been tried numerous times to completely repeal the Jones Act and the mainland states unaffected by the higher costs caused by the Jones Act continue to vote for its existence. That is why my platform proposes an amendment to the Jones Act to exclude Hawaii, Alaska, and the US Territories from its regulations.

The unfortunate reality is that we are discussing a law that is over a century old. No one currently in congress was around at its passage or has researched enough into the history of the law and its effects. It’s true that supporters claim that it protects the US shipping industry, but the reality is that the act has actually destroyed a once thriving industry, where we once had options and free market competition, we now see a few companies with monopolies on their markets with no incentives to provide better service or have competitive pricing.

Once Hawaii has immediate financial relief after being released from the stronghold that has hurt our islands for generations, we can begin to collect data comparing the benefits and negative consequences from the Jones Act. With that data we can make a better case to congress and the mainland states for further amendments or an outright repeal.

I have heard from some laborers in the industry that they like certain aspects of the Jones Act for their protection. As I told them, Hawaii needs to be freed from the Jones Act, but I would support our state level government passing their own regulations specifically for worker protection. We don’t need federal overreach to accomplish the same goals.

What role, if any, should Congress have in regulating the artificial intelligence industry?

Pandora’s Box has already been opened, it’s naive for any level of government to think they can actually regulate the AI industry. The same government that lost the “War on Drugs”, the battle against 3D printing, the conflict against intellectual piracy, and every other major attempt to regulate what is clearly beyond the control of politicians.

Congress can make as many laws as they want, but only major AI businesses will comply. The rest of the market will remain free to do as they please, knowing that half the people creating the laws struggle to send an email or operate their smartphone, with no core understanding of Artificial Intelligence. The free market will always win, regardless of any attempts to stop it.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

If voted into office as Hawai’i’s District II Representative to the Federal House of Representatives, Aaron Toman will become the first Libertarian Party Congressman in US history and the only Libertarian serving in the House of Representatives. Representing the Libertarian Party, Aaron would therefore represent the “minority party” in the House of Representatives and would automatically become the “House Minority Leader”, a position that would give Aaron the platform and power to bring key issues to the front of political discussion, not just for Hawai’i, but for the entire United States and its territories.

By having your state representative hold a position of power in Congress, it ensures that your state’s voice is heard above the rest. While you can’t guarantee it will be voted upon in the way that most positively affects your state, it can be guaranteed to be heard by the masses.

As Hawai’i’s current representatives are little known on the national stage, it is very unlikely that any Democrat or Republican voted in to represent Hawai’i will ever obtain a position of power to bring Hawai’i’s voice to the forefront. The Libertarian Party, with Aaron Toman as its representative WILL have that position of power on day one and will ensure that Hawai’i’s voice is heard and considered!