Ben Loyola Answers Sean Hannity’s
Call for Conservative Victory
April 8, 2010
With over 13 million listeners nationwide, top-rated television shows on Fox News, best-selling books and live events that draw huge audiences, Sean Hannity is one of the strongest voices of Conservatism today.
He has asked all candidates a “Top 10 Questions for Conservative Victory” and I wanted to share my answers with you.
Q1. What is your position on National Security, the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act, our military and the dignity of our veterans?
The security of our nation is at a crossroads similar to the period prior to the Reagan years. Our armed forces are stretched too thin for their global commitments which leave our nation and our men and women in uniform at risk. I’ve proposed the building of additional Carrier Strike Groups to revitalize our military effectiveness and realign that effectiveness with the missions at hand. The war in Iraq was a necessary step in the war on terror. Mistakes made through intelligence and communication left us vulnerable to attack. The Patriot Act gave us the tools to prevent another large scale attack; however, it is not being used as intended which places our nation at risk. As for the dignity of our veterans, we must do everything possible to protect the war fighter abroad and when they return home.
Q2. Do you support or oppose efforts to negotiate with dictators in places like Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela, and if we negotiate, what would be the pre-conditions?
I’m not interested in negotiating with dictators. I know about the evil of dictators, having fled Communist Cuba as a young child when Fidel Castro took over. I’m more interested in building up America’s strength. I do feel that Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” policies benefited America and freedom.
Q3. Do you feel the current national government is fiscally responsible, and what is your philosophy on government spending and taxation in order to balance the budget?
Our 12 trillion dollar debt is obscene. My daughter who was born in February joined us with a $41,000 tax bill as her share of the national debt. Deficits are bigger and bigger and Washington has shown no inclination to trim its spending. Taxes are too high and spending is too high. We must cut both. We can’t be the nation our Founders gave us and have a government that provides what people can and should provide for themselves.
Q4. Do you feel this country should be energy independent and if so, what are some action steps that we can take to attain independence?
I favor an “all-of-the-above” strategy to become independent for our own energy, rather than relying on countries who hate us. From nuclear to biomass to recycling to offshore drilling, I support using our nation’s resources for our nation’s benefit and the aggressive research and development necessary to invent tomorrow’s solutions. Our move towards energy independence needs to be driven by free market principles and private enterprise not at the control of the bloated Department of Energy which should be abolished as Ronald Reagan proposed.
Q5. Within the next 12 months, do you see the government taking action to secure our borders and what is your stance on how our borders should be secured?
I do not believe the current administration and Congressional leadership will take the necessary actions to truly secure our borders. I am a proponent of legal immigration and Reagan’s shining city on a hill that is a beacon of freedom for all. Legal immigration’s inefficiencies should be corrected. I support borders with a high fence for illegals but a wide door for legal immigrants. I also favor reform of visa programs that will curb overstaying beyond the terms of the visa. We must ensure the appropriate resources are provided to local and state law enforcement officials to enforce our immigration laws.
Q6. Describe your thoughts on why you support or oppose a national health care plan and if you support any free-market alternative solutions to the plan.
I oppose nationalized, socialized health insurance. The Federal Government has no power to impose requirements for Americans to purchase a product. I favor market-based health reforms that provide and encourage more choices including competition across state lines. I also support tort reform and a crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse within existing government health programs. Private market solutions will result in higher quality care at a lower cost for all Americans.
Q7. Do you think that our education system is currently effective and what is your position on teachers’ unions and teacher accountability?
Education is in serious need of reform. An education system that lacks choice results in higher costs and lower quality. Parents deserve more options which would result in better educational opportunities and results. Too often, teachers’ unions fight reforms that would give power to parents and make it difficult, if not impossible, to remove poor teachers from classrooms. Our primary goal should be learning and not unionized careerism. Teachers should be ultimately held accountable for students’ performance through parental choice.
Q8. Are you concerned about the future of Social Security and Medicare, and if so, what are your ideas on how to save these programs from bankruptcy?
Medicare and Social Security are suffering from actuarial imbalances that aren’t easily corrected. Programs designed to be supplemental are being relied upon by more and more seniors and as people live longer and health care becomes more expensive, these facts multiply into very high costs. While we should leave the current system for those who truly rely on it, we need to encourage younger people to invest in long term retirement solutions so that they have a better future and a better return than government can promise them.
Q9. What is your take on the role of judges? Should they be allowed to legislate from the bench?
Judges have a duty to decide cases based on the Constitution, not derive from thin air what they think the Founders may have thought had they been alive today. If the Constitution’s meaning is seen to change from time to time as circumstances dictate, no state would have ratified it. The Constitution’s meaning should be limited to its text, and if people think it should mean more or less, let them go through the process of amending it, rather than relying on judges to impose their politics on the nation.
Q10. Is the American Dream attainable? If so, will individual responsibility help Americans attain it and/or what aspects of the American Dream should be assisted by the government?
I’ve lived the American Dream, fleeing Communist Cuba to serve America in the United States Navy, start a small business, and build a life for me and my family. The lesson clearly learned from Cuba, Russia and all of the other Communist/Socialist countries, is that government cannot lift up the poor by holding down the wealthy. You cannot help the wage earner by hurting the wage provider. What Americans need is opportunity to succeed, not dependence inducing handouts.
Ben Loyola is a candidate for the Republican nomination in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. He’s a 25-year resident of Virginia Beach, US Naval Academy graduate, 30-year Navy veteran with combat experience, successful award winning businessman, and a true Conservative Reagan Republican.
