Michael Donihe For Congress

Michael A. Donihe, 44, of Kingsport, is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Donihe is employed by the city of Kingsport in its Building Maintenance Department.

He has never held elected office.

His wife, Debra Donihe, is employed as a residential assistant at Elm Croft of Kingsport. His daughter, Rachel, 19, was graduated from Sullivan North High School in 2006, and his son, Nathan, 13, will be attending Sullivan North High in the fall.

Asked to provide additional background, Donihe wrote: "I have received several educational memberships and awards: The Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society, Dean's List awards, The President's List Awards and the Cum Laude ward.

"Moreover, I'm affiliated with the Conservative Caucus, Ludwig Von Mises Society, Ron Paul Local Meetup Groups, Ron Paul's Campaign For Liberty, was a Paul Congress candidate; in addition, a proud member of Freedom Force International."

Donihe provided the following responses to a Greeneville Sun questionnaire.

Q. Why are you running for Congress? When did you first think about a run?

"I'm running because no one is addressing the real problems concerning the economy, inflation, and the devaluation of the dollar. The economic downturn we are facing today is a direct result of government interventionism, factional reserve banking, and fiat paper money. Were a true free-market capitalist system to exist, there would be no unemployment or economic downturn.

"Because of our socialistic form of government regulations, subsidies, and prohibition in the marketplace, economic downturns are the direct result. Government always acts at the behest of special interests or groups; therefore other groups, and ultimately all groups, will suffer as a direct consequence of government interventionism.

"The only area in which I believe government needs to intervene, is [to] protect competition in the marketplace. Otherwise, the federal government should adopt a laissez-faire approach to the free markets. Remember what Ronald Reagan said, 'Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem."

Q. What in your background would you most like voters to consider when making their choice in this election?

"The only condition the Constitution stipulates is for a man or woman running for Congress is to reside in their respective state for seven years and be 25 years of age. However, to add to that, I have an in-depth understanding of Austrian theory and Keynesian economics, and banking practices in general.

"Approximately for the last two years I have self-educated myself in the studies of the great masters of economics, such as Murray N. Rothbard, Ludwig Von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, and Frederic Bastiat to name a few.

"I believe with this knowledge and understanding of true capitalist economics, I can best serve to bring about real change in the economy, by introducing or supporting legislation in the restoring of sound money and sound banking. In doing so, it will restore our economic freedom and promote liberty."

Q. Gasoline prices and food prices have risen to levels that concern most Americans. What kinds of congressional actions, if any, would you support on these two apparently related fronts?

"We have no real energy crisis, as we have been led to believe. Not only have oil discoveries been found off the Gulf of Mexico and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), but also in Montana, the Dakotas, Colorado and Kansas. These are not pre-existing oil reserves, but untapped oil reserves yet to be drilled.

"Secondly, I believe in order to really improve our energy independence and to reduce the strain of high prices [requires] the return of competition in the oil industry. We have approximately five oil companies that have dominated the market and are working in unison, setting the price for petroleum.

"We must remove government regulations and restrictions, which restrict competitiveness in the oil industry, and in addition to other industries, so as to breakup this oil cartel monopoly. Economics 101: 'with competition comes competitive pricing.'

"Moreover, most importantly, we must abolish the Federal Reserve (the central bank for profit), which does not act in the interests of the average American citizen. If we cannot abolish the Fed, then we must pass legislation to have the U.S. Treasury issue a competing monetary unit backed by gold and silver, so as to compete with the Federal Reserve note.

"This will significantly drive down the cost of gasoline, food, and inflation in general."

Q. Illegal immigration concerns many Americans. Please explain what guides your thinking on this subject. With an estimated 12 million illegals already in this country, what approach to the illegal immigration issue will you take if elected to Congress?

"My approach would be simply not to subsidize them. If you subsidize something, you get more of it. If we quit, they will leave on their own accord. Secondly, I would put strict penalties on businesses that are in the practices of hiring illegal aliens."

Q. Do you believe that English should be the official language of the United States? Why or why not?

"I believe that English should be the official language of the United States. If I were to reside in France taking up residence, I would be expected to speak the official language of France. The same should apply here in the United States."

Q. American troops are widely deployed around the world, and engaged in armed conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Please explain your viewpoint on the "War on Terror" in general. Has the apparent success of the "surge" in Iraq affected your thinking on that front? Do you think U.S. policy on this subject is substantially correct at this time? If you think the U.S. should be doing something different from what we are doing, please explain what you think should be done at this time.

"Over many decades, U.S. foreign policies, if anything, have been clearly defined and influenced by the international bankers, and the military-industrial complex that have profited at our expense through the use of government interventionism, and entangling alliances abroad. I would seek to change this policy, by restoring friendly relationships with nations through free trade (not managed trade that favors the elite), through negotiations, and staying out of foreign entanglements abroad.

"How can we say that 'the surge' in Iraq is a success while our young men and women are dying almost on a daily basis? In addition, a war that was supposed to have been a cakewalk, as we were told, is now going on in its sixth year in a stalemate.

"At the cost of over 4,000 of our young men and women, and the death of over 1.2 million Iraqis, how can we justify this un-Christian pre-emptive warfare?

"There were no weapons of mass destruction; Saddam Hussein had no connections with al-Qaida, nor any ties to 9/11. Osama Bin Laden considered Saddam Hussein as an infidel, who had betrayed Islam.

"It was an undeclared war, which makes it unconstitutional, done without the direct declaration of war by Congress.

"Lastly, I would shut off all foreign aid around the globe. This would create a savings of hundreds of billions of dollars annually to the taxpayer."

Q. Please explain your viewpoint on abortion and how you would approach abortion-related issues, should they come before Congress.

"Many have come to believe that all Democrats automatically support the pro-choice position on abortion. And in the general consensus, it is true that many Democrats do support that position, as well as many Republicans have come to support it. However, I do not.

"I am a hardcore pro-life Democratic candidate. Moreover, I will support any and all legislation to abolish abortion. In fact, if I were a congressman in 2007, I would have co-sponsored Republican Ron Paul's bill called: HR 2597-Sanctity of Life Act of 2007. However, the bill never made it out of committee.

"I know I will anger some on my position regarding this issue; however, this is the 21st century, and surely of all the medical advances that have come about over the years, surely our medical researchers can develop safer and more effective means of prevention, so as to discontinue this medieval, barbaric practice, which is not only immoral, but unconstitutional. The Constitution clearly stipulates and defines the protection of life, liberty, and property."

Q. Recent judicial and administrative decisions have made same-sex marriage easier in California, New York and Nevada. What is your view regarding same-sex marriage? Many supporters of traditional marriage fear that the federal courts might overturn the Federal Defense of Marriage Act and similar laws at the state level. Would you support the adoption of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to limit marriage to one man and one woman? Why or why not?

"I would oppose all federal efforts to redefine marriage, whether defined as a union between one man and woman, or defined as including anything else as well. I believe that recognizing or legislating marriages should be left to the states respectively, and not subjected to the federal government or judicial activism. This is clearly a 10th Amendment issue, which should be resolved at the state level, where the individuals reside."

Q. What is your view on proposals to make sexual orientation a protected status under federal law, similar to such categories as gender, race, age, religion, and national origin?

"I would oppose all federal efforts in making sexual orientation a protected status, in addition to any other collectivist protectionist legislation! I believe people should be treated and looked upon as individual, and not by a collectivist approach, meaning, setting individuals in groups.

"When we fail to treat people as an individual, and begin to place individuals in groups, this will only create abuses in society at the expense of other individuals, in addition, creating divisions and animosities in general."

Q. What is your position on the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 (HR 980, SB 2123)? Backers say this act would give firefighters and police officers basic collective bargaining rights and establish federal minimum standards for state collective bargaining laws. Opponents say the bill would force municipalities and counties to negotiate the whole subject of merit-based pay, and force states and localities to recognize public sector unions as their employees' exclusive representatives. Please explain your position.

"I would have opposed the bill on the grounds it is unconstitutional. It is in direct violation to the 10th Amendment. This bill will allow the federal government to supersede states' and municipalities' bargaining power rights regarding wage negotiations with state and municipal employees.

"In addition, if such legislation were to pass, the states and local governments will have to increase tax revenues to cover additional police and first responders' salaries above the states' and municipalities' ability to pay. Moreover, it would lead to further nationalization of the police and first responders.

"In economic terms, this would further [exacerbate] the problem of unemployment in both the private and public sectors."

Q. What would be your view on reinstating the "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to provide equal time for opposing views on controversial issues. Opponents say this would have the practical effect of abolishing nearly all "talk radio." Backers say it would make political commentary more balanced and fair.

"If elected, I will oppose the Fairness Doctrine. In my view, this legislation would practically shut down talk radio, and in addition would interfere with the freedom of the press and free speech, which is unconstitutional.

"In fact, I would work to abolish the Federal Communications Commission and restore this authority back to the states."

Q. Add a brief additional comment on any other subject, if you wish.

No additional comment provided.