Thomas Lessman
Campaign Issues

Other Issues in District 53:

  1) Eminent Domain

  2) Unilateral Annexation
  3) Eliminate State Income Taxes
  4) Education

 Candidates for KS House Dist. 53

Putting it all on the table...

1) Immigration & Illegal Aliens 

  "A nation without borders is no longer a nation."

   My View:  LAWFUL immigration has helped America become a great nation.  ILLEGAL aliens are NOT immigrants. They’re criminal trespassers who don’t even respect America enough to become Citizens.  Over 30 MILLION illegals are already here, crippling medical and social service systems. Their street gangs are terrorizing cities across the nation, and some factions advocate the overthrow of several US States.  This issue is critical to America’s survival and giving them cheap tuition won’t make the problem go away.

  Solution:  First we must enforce existing immigration laws and guard our borders to stop more illegal entry. All Illegal aliens already here must be deported ASAP.  There is a process everyone has to follow to become a citizen, and the reason it’s not very easy is because national security is too critical to risk.

Citizens For Immigration Reform

www.CFIR.org

2) Equal Parenting Rights vs. Parental Segregation 

  My View:  Family Law segregates parents into unequal classes (Custodial and Non-Custodial). This segregation only encourages parents to fight for power instead of cooperating to raise their children.  Professionals & officials of the “Divorce Industry” profit on the backs of broken families.

  Solution:  It's time to repeal laws that provide incentives to destroy families.  Courts must be stopped from forcibly segregate parents into "custodial" and "non-custodial" status.  Both parents must be recognize EQUALLY as parents and allowed 50/50 EQUAL placement of children with both parents.  Child support laws must also be changed so that both parents equally support the children when they are with them.

For more information see

www.ACFC.org and Million Dads March Network

3) Judicial Reform and Accountability 

  My View:  The Legal System is out of order.  Courts have overstepped their power in many ways and routinely abuse the rights of citizens through extortion schemes and unconstitutional rulings. Legal professionals have built a thriving bureaucracy.  Justice is no longer a priority, money is.

  Solution:  The best legal reform proposal I've seen is the Judicial Accountability Initiative Law.  J.A.I.L. will make Judges and other legal professionals accountable to citizens.

* See www.jail4judges.org

1) Eminent Domain

     I absolutely do NOT support the use of eminent domain for anything other than "Public use" - and even then only on rare occasions.  In January 2006 I organized two rallies in support of Jerry's Bike Shop against developers who threatened Jerry with eminent domain if he wouldn't sell out at their price.  They had Jerry backed into a corner until we rallied outside city hall to make sure the City Council knew we do NOT support eminent domain abuse.  Jerry's Bike Shop stands in the middle of the College Hill Project, where it will proudly serve Topeka for at least another 30 years.

2)  Unilateral Annexation

     Many residents have also expressed concern to me over the threat of Unilateral Annexation.  I do NOT support a city that annexes lands of people who do not want to be part of that city.  Perhaps if the Topeka City Council cleaned up its act and ran the city in a respectable way, people wouldn't feel that way about the city.  Until then, if they don't want to be part of the city, they should be able to live without fear of the city forcing itself on them.

3) Eliminate State Income Taxes 

     Income taxes are the government's way of punishing people for hard work.  We need to eliminate this socialist tax.  A limited state government that honors the Constitution can easily function on revenue from modest sales taxes. 

4)   Education:
 

     I believe families - not the government - should control the education of children.   The Public Education System has spawned a massive bureaucracy that consumes 66% of the state budget - over $11 BILLION per year according to Ann Mah.  The private sector can do a better job for half that amount.   Our children's education is too important to leave to the government, and parents should have more in the process.