On August 22, 2000, I received a call from someone at the Reno-Gazette Journal about my candidacy in the Nevada senate race. The reporter wasted almost no time questioning me about a statement I made that was reported almost three years ago - as if it was the most important issue in this year's election. It's what most northern Nevadans will be reading about by the end of this week. Since I'm really sick of hearing about it, and tired of it being brought up, I believe it can be used as a way to allow the voters of Nevada to get to know me better.

I made a comment at a meeting about a New Hampshire man who killed four people including two police officers. The quote was, "This guy should have a street named after him." Even though I have repeatedly apologized for that comment from almost the moment it was made (including that I did not advocate his criminal activity), it seems to be the primary topic of discussion in media interviews I do in Nevada. As the Reno Gazette reporter stated, "It may say a lot about your attitude toward government."

So, to the Nevada media, and more importantly, the voters: Here's my real attitude toward government, and probably why I won't be elected to the United States Senate.

I have the unfortunate habit of saying things that many other people think, but won't dare say publicly for fear of media scrutiny, or worse. For instance, earlier this year, I wrote an editorial about the State-Sponsored Thugs who kidnapped Elian Gonzalez in Miami. My exact quote was, "...those officers should have been shot."

I've never apologized for that remark.

And I've noticed that no one in the media bothers to question me about that one.

Any takers?

I am J.J. Johnson - a 38 year-old businessman from Pahrump Nevada. I am Editor & Chief of a news web site called SierraTimes.com (which by the way, gets more visitors that the Reno-Gazette Journal's web site daily.) I believe in small, and limited government. This is a sin to most in the Nevada media, or so it seems. Yes, I am that third candidate you've heard little about because rather than telling you how I'm going to spend your tax dollars, I've been out there trying to making a living so I can keep paying all those taxes (against my will) to support a government bureaucracy that most of us never voted for. This is another reason why I won't get elected.

I will only receive a few votes because unlike my opponents, I believe the most fair and effective tax cut would be a complete overhaul or dismantling of the Internal Revenue Service. The tax system can be replaced by the federal government raising revenue from imposts, duties, and excise taxes - just like the founders of this country planned. This would allow all middle-class people to keep their own money. This will of course be labeled a "radical idea," even though this country operated just fine with this tax system until the IRS came along.

I have this "extreme" conviction that Nevadans (and the local and state people we elect) are not stupid, and in fact, are smart enough to take care of themselves without the federal government overstepping the bounds of their authority. This will scare some people, as they are led to believe that the federal government has no limit to federal authority. To those who believe such a notion, rather than coming up with some "political wonk-speak" way of saying it, I'll just say, "you're wrong."

I believe that rural ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts should sue this federal government for the policies that have led to so much devastation in the Western States. Their onslaught against the time-honored practices of Westerners (i.e., grazing, logging, fire control, etc.) and their environmentalist henchmen have created a literal "tinderbox" of flammable materials that would have been non-existent if the free-market was allowed to flourish. I believe counties and states should re-claim the land for its own uses under the 9th and 10th amendments.

This will of course, earn me some other negative label by the pundits.

I believe that the bull trout tastes like salmon and spotted owl tastes like chicken.

I believe that if the federal government has a "surplus" and Social Security is on the verge of going bankrupt, then we have no "surplus." (More on this subject later.)

I believe that few people really care about campaign finance as long as they don't have to pay for it.

Ditto on abortion.

I believe that the NAFTA, GATT and Panama Canal treaties should all be rescinded, since none of them are in the United States' best interests. As a U.S. Senator, I would not ratify any nuclear arms treaty with Russia. We want missile reduction on their end - they want hard cash. Offering them a price for each nuclear missile they own, and paying their nuclear scientists to defect is a much simpler and cheaper way of solving the problem.

I am against our military becoming a police force, and police forces becoming para-military. I feel that many veterans and former police officers are insulted by fighting against fascism and communism (as we were taught) and then watching this nation drift toward it.

I believe that my two opponents will either say, "we should enforce the gun laws that are on the books" or they'll look forward to voting for any and all gun legislation that crosses their desks. I believe that those who support gun control should not own firearms. The fact that in the last three years, at least eight oxygen thieves (a.k.a. criminals) have been offed by citizens defending their homes in Las Vegas alone justifies the people's right to keep and bear arms, period.

I believe people should be able to keep any money they are taxed for education and use the funds to send their children to the school of their choice. I believe people should be able to hire the best person for the job, and have the right to fire them if they can't cut it.

I believe in the use of Medical Marijuana. In fact, it seems that in every modern war that is fought, suing for peace is always an option - except for the war on drugs. This "war" threatens the privacy and property rights of each American, which is more of a danger than any illegal narcotic. If this nation cannot eliminate its addiction to illegal narcotics, then decriminalization of non-lethal narcotics should be considered.

These are just some of the issues that will ensure that I will not be elected in Nevada.

Here's one more: I believe Nevadans are fed up with most of what the federal government has to offer: the paperwork, the un-funded mandates, the corrupt judicial system, their endless regulations, and worse, their arrogance.

But who really cares in Nevada since my opponents have decided that the only issues worth buying air-time for are Social Security and prescription medicine? In short, they believe that if you are under 55 and do not live in Las Vegas or Reno, then your vote really doesn't amount to much. Both parties claimed at their conventions that they want to leave no American behind.

Well, I represent those that are left behind.

It's not money that will prevent me from winning this election. It's the basic principles in which this nation was founded; the Western Spirit of Freedom to which I confess, that will send the media on a mission to silence this message.

Since there hasn't been a "lockbox" invented that a politician couldn't break into, Social Security is broke. Here's the Johnson policy on Social Security:

1) All persons now receiving Social Security should continue to receive payments until they are deceased. 2) All persons who reach the age of 55 should be given a cash payment of whatever they have paid into the SS system with interest. They can retire whenever they and their employer agree. 3) All persons under the age of 25 who enter the workforce should not have to pay any F.I.C.A. taxes and be allowed tax-free retirement accounts to start on their own. 4) Banks and other private financial institutions should be allowed to setup retirement accounts for all persons under 55 years of age with penalties for early withdrawal, and no deposit limits. 5) Any shortfalls in this program can be paid for by the bureaucracy reduction that will occur as a result of this program.

This plan represents a 30-years phase out of Social Security, and a retirement package increase for future retirees.

Deregulating the industry can reduce prescription drug costs. Each New Drug Application costs a drug company between $300 and $500 million, payable to the federal government. This cost is passed on to the consumer. Likewise with the airline industry, deregulation will reduce the cost. The free market (and the doctor's reputation) will insure quality.

If you dare vote for J.J. Johnson for U.S. Senate, what you just read is the message you'll be sending to Washington D.C. Even if you do care, the media won't let you care for long - all because of what you read first. So we better touch on that subject as well.

J. J. Johnson
Part 2 - "My Core Beliefs"