PAUL JONES – 5th DISTRICT
Libertarian Party
Paul Jones was born and raised in western New York. He moved to Charlottesville while he was in high school and has since lived there for almost 50 years.
After high school, Jones passed the College Level Examination Program, which gave him the equivalent of two years of college. He also took classes at the University of Virginia, Madison College (now James Madison University), and the American International Academy. He attended law school at John Marshall University in Atlanta and received his LL.B. in 1971.
He began his business career in Charlottesville at the Anderson Brothers Bookstore. From there, he went on to own or manage many other businesses in Charlottesville, including a grocery store, an office supply store, a shipping store and a printing company. His political views gradually evolved through the years as he watched how the government treated small business. Jones is now a member of the Libertarian Party. He believes that the Democratic and Republican parties are part of the problem with government today and that it is time for someone else to take charge.
Over the last 20 years, Jones has been a docent for the Albermarle Charlottesville Historical Society. Several of his articles have been published in local magazines and newspapers. He has also worked for many years with youth baseball, serving as a manager, a coach, an umpire and a sponsor.
Jones currently lives in Charlottesville with his wife, Judy. They have five children, seven grandchildren and two dogs and cats.
Q: Why should a college student vote for you?
A: College students will be the ones inheriting our national debt unless something is done about it now. It can be done without raising taxes on people who didn’t get the benefit of the overspending. Our government is so swollen with duplicative, counterproductive and out-of-date programs that cutting more than 100 of them as selected by the Cato Institute would enable us to pay the debt without raising taxes. In addition, we could cut defense spending by 50 percent without endangering our safety.
Q: What, if any, legislation could be considered to give religious institutions, such as Liberty University, the right to be exempt from federal mandates that violate their conscience?
A: I don’t know that legislation is needed. The Supreme Court has clearly ruled, in the Hobby Lobby case, that federal regulations do not trump religious freedom.
Q: What plans do you have or support to help alleviate student loan debt while simultaneously ensuring quality higher education?
A: Federal government intervention in the education market has raised the cost of a college education. Federal subsidies to colleges and universities must stop. College budget constraints diminish as the government absorbs tuition increases. Schools have no incentive to keep costs down.
Q: What is your position on abortion?
A: I take no position on abortion except to leave it to the states.
Q: With the recent spread of terrorism, particularly ISIS, how do you think the U.S. should respond?
A: The U.S. should withdraw all combat troops from the Middle East and let the Arab countries solve their own problems.
Q: What are your thoughts on the use of executive action?
A: Executive action should be used only in cases of public safety.
Q: What are your top three priorities concerning congressional legislation?
A: My top three priorities are to cut the size of government to pay off our debt and reduce taxes, stop all National Security Agency eavesdropping of citizens and the collection of emails, and make the president, Congress and the courts follow the Constitution.
Q: What separates you from other candidates?
A: No one else has the intention or the desire to deal with our national debt or to reverse the growth of government.