Published: July 27, 2006 06:39 pm      

Crashing the party?

Libertarian Schansberg speaks on ninth district issues

The battle has been billed throughout the ninth district and beyond.

It’s incumbent Republican congressman Mike Sodrel vs. former Democratic congressman Baron Hill. The same race has been seen twice before in Southern Indiana. In 2002 it was Hill, two years later it was Sodrel.

But is America’s Republican-Democrat duopoly doing us well or putting the country through … ?

Libertarian candidate Eric Schansberg, who’s vying for the same seat as Sodrel and Hill, thinks it’s probably closer to the latter than the former. Schansberg, professor of economics at IUS, has been hitting the campaign hard lately — putting together a Web site and speaking at county fairs across the district. He recently sat down with The Evening News and The Tribune to discuss a few of the big issues facing the district.

Agriculture

Federal agriculture policy has long been an issue in the rural farmland of southern Indiana. That fact became even clearer earlier this week when members of the U.S. House’s committee on agriculture held a field hearing in Scottsburg Monday morning. The committee is working on an update of the 2002 farm bill.

“We have the most productive farmers in the world,” Schansberg said. With that in mind — and being true to the Libertarian creed of smaller government — Schansberg says it’s time the federal government put an end to farm subsidies. “Why should taxpayer money go to generally wealthy corporate farmers,” he asked.

The image that the farm industry shows us is that of the old family farmer in overalls. Yet the family farms are no longer the country’s primary producers, he said. These are corporations receiving our tax money.

Immigration

Whether it’s a non-issue created by the GOP to fuel election year heat or a genuine problem that’s way overdue for address, illegal immigration has been among hot topics this year in the ninth district and elsewhere.

Schansberg said before we can even begin to ponder what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants already in the country, we have to stop more from crossing the border.

There are two ways to do that, in Schansberg’s opinion. Illegal immigrants are coming into the country for work, he points out, and therefore something has to be done to clamp down on the companies that employ them. Further, he said, America has to secure its borders.

Despite the fact that it has been largely brought up by the GOP, Sodrel is actually the weakest of the three candidates on this issue, Schansberg said. “I think it’s because Sodrel is so pro-business,” he said.

Gas prices

They’re soaring at never before seen heights, at times above $3 per gallon. Sodrel considers it a major issue. Hill’s been calling it a crisis.

Schansberg, on the other hand, says it’s something to which he’s devoted his career: just economics.

The Democrats are trying to make it seem like more, he said, but it truly is just a supply and demand issue, he said. OPEC has accomplished their goal of decreasing supply while economies in India and China have exploded, thus increasing demand.

Ultimately, the Democratic strategy of making gas prices a larger issue is going to shoot them in the foot, he said. “They’re on the wrong side of the issue.”

The Democrats have tried to suppress the supply end by adding environmental regulations and restricting drilling, he said. That’s going to make gas more expensive.

Schansberg said he supports the push for alternative fuels but only in a free market sense. Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be given to the automakers to convert to bio-diesel or hybrid cars, when high gas prices are already forcing them to do so.

Politics                    

So who’s more afraid of Schansberg’s candidacy?

Both third parties and Democrats tend to attract more young voters, so the Libertarian might steal a few votes there. But conventional wisdom, he said, often dictates that Libertarians tend to steal more thunder from Republicans, because they’re fiscally conservative.

So is he going to win? “Unlikely,” he admits. “But it’s certainly possible.” A third party candidacy can accomplish a few goals, however. At minimum, he said, it’s a chance to get the party’s platform out there for consideration. Also, this year could be a preamble to 2008 and so on. At best it’s a chance for America to look at its two-party system and what its lawmakers are out there doing now.

“The Republicans are spending money like drunken sailors,” he said. “The Democrats are talking about silly stuff.”

For more information on the candidate, check out: schansbergforcongress.com.

WHAT THEY SAID:

Would you vote for a third party candidate if you liked what that person had to say?

• “I don’t think I would. I don’t think they’d have enough strength. They need a party behind them to have any clout.” – Mary Elaine Shean

• “If I liked what they had to say? I would.” — Cheri Clark

• “You mean other than Sodrel or Hill? Probably, I would.” — Cheryl Bennett

• “No. I think I’d stick with the Republican Party. I’m pretty happy with them.” — Buster Neely