Libertarian Robert Sarvis sees himself as viable alternative for governor

Libertarian nominee Robert C. Sarvis has cast himself as a viable alternative for voters frustrated with the two major party candidates for governor.

Sarvis, 36, who is campaigning full time, is a former software engineer, teacher, lawyer and new media entrepreneur from Northern Virginia. He is the first gubernatorial candidate for the Libertarian Party of Virginia since 2001, when William Redpath received just 14,500 votes, or 0.8 percent of the electorate.

Independent or third-party candidates traditionally stand little chance of winning statewide elections in Virginia. But Sarvis hopes this year is different. Sarvis is a former Republican who first threw his hat into the political arena two years ago, as the GOP candidate against Richard L. Saslaw, Democratic leader in the Virginia Senate. Sarvis lost with 37 percent of the vote.

On the issues:

Medicaid expansion

“I’m against it. It’s almost certainly going to be the case that federal funding is going to dry up, which is going to increase the burden on state budgets. Studies show that programs that do comprehensive coverage spend huge amounts of money without benefiting health outcomes much. I would like to get a waiver from the federal government to construct a much better system that focuses on catastrophic insurance, mental health and care subsidies. Those are the things that generate high returns and give the people more freedom.”

Education

“Politicians shouldn’t be determining how resources for education are expended. My preference is to put parents in charge of the money that is being spent on their kids. They are in a much better position to find educational resources. I would want to see a voucher program.”

Gun control

“The empirical evidence on gun control affecting gun violence is not very impressive. But what is impressive are the beneficial effects of ending the drug war. By criminalizing drugs we have created this very well-funded, armed and violent criminal enterprise, which is a huge source of gun violence. Before we even talk about regulating law-abiding gun owners, we should talk about ending the drug war, legalize marijuana and focus on rehabilitating people who are addicts.”

Voting rights restoration for nonviolent felons

“I’m definitely in favor of an automated process.”

Tax reform

“My main focus would be a more uniform and rule of law-based tax system. There are a lot of industries that get special treatment and special deductions, and there are a lot of taxes that create a huge drag on economic activity and employment. I would focus on getting rid of a lot of business taxes and reduce the income tax as much as possible. When you broaden the base, you get lower rates.”

Capital punishment

“I’m not against it morally, but in practical terms it is very problematic. Often times the prosecutors, who are seeking the death penalty, have career interests, and sometimes it involves witnesses who have been induced to testify by giving them deals.”

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