Republican small business owner Stan Caplan is challenging Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs, who is seeking a second two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives, in the redrawn 51st Congressional District that represents central San Diego and parts of East County. Election Day is Nov. 8 and voting will begin a month earlier. Here are Caplan’s complete answers from both candidates to all 16 questions from The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board.
Q: What will be your top domestic and international priority in Congress?
A: My top domestic policy will be to get inflation and high prices under control. We are forced to cut back on how much gas we buy, what items are on our grocery list and how much electricity we use. In other words, under the current administration and Democrat-controlled Congress, we are experiencing a reduced standard of living. This was completely avoidable. Less domestic energy production and more regulation mean higher prices for all the goods and services we buy. The recent increase in government spending of trillions of dollars causes inflation and higher prices. Yet my opponent, Rep. Sara Jacobs, calls for more spending, and at the same time, eliminating fossil fuels. This is the opposite of what we need to do.
My top international policy will be to demonstrate strength and courage to repair the respect we have lost under the current administration. Afghanistan was a total failure and embarrassment. The war in Ukraine could have been avoided if we had stood up to Russia and sent the support needed before Russia invaded. Our weakness in confronting China will probably lead to the invasion of Taiwan. North Korea currently has nuclear weapons and it is very likely that Iran will also end up with nuclear weapons. And, to rub salt in the wound, President Joe Biden is begging Saudi Arabia and Venezuela for more oil. How absurd. Again, the opposite of what I will fight for in Washington.
Q: How do you view the events of Jan. 6, 2021, in our nation’s Capitol and what led up to them? Do those events have implications about the future of the United States?
A: I am not privy to all the details surrounding Jan. 6, 2021. I condemn all violence and believe all criminals should be prosecuted. I was not an elected official and I have nothing to do with Donald Trump or any of the protesters. I don’t know if all the perpetrators were Trump supporters, if anyone with the FBI was in the crowd, and if any Black Lives Matter or antifa members were participating. Were the people jailed given due process? Were they quickly charged? Were they allowed access to attorneys and family members? Were they given a bail opportunity? These are legitimate questions. We just want to be sure that everyone, regardless of race, color, creed, gender and political preference is treated equally in the United States with the protections provided under our Constitution. We should respect and fully fund law enforcement to provide safe communities for all of us.
Q: Inflation is at 40-year highs in the U.S., causing economic hardship for many Americans. What can the federal government do about this? What will you do?
A: The federal government must cut spending. Every effort must be made to eliminate the substantial waste, fraud and abuse within the system. Instead of hiring 87,000 IRS agents to harass little taxpayers and small businesses, I will move to hire 87,000 auditors to uncover the rampant corruption. Who is receiving the money? How much makes it to the place intended? Who is taking money and favors? Anyone found stealing your hard-earned money needs to be prosecuted.
Congress should view the energy industry as a positive and integral part of the U.S. economy and move toward energy independence. It’s acceptable to bring in renewable energy sources, but it must be done in reasonable phases so it doesn’t create price shocks like we are currently experiencing.
All unnecessary regulations that add costs and delays to the system must be eliminated. Prescription drug prices must be reduced. Americans should not pay more for the same drugs than citizens of other countries. I want legislation that prohibits this. Our citizens come first.
Q: Confidence in the Supreme Court is steadily declining. Should justices have term limits? Should the court be expanded? What, if anything, should change about the high court?
A: The Supreme Court, as it currently exists, has worked successfully for a long time. The court should not be expanded. Term limits and age limits should be open to healthy debate and constructive discussion.
Q: What do you see as the implications of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade?
A: I grew up in Alabama and lived in Texas before moving to San Diego in 1986. There is a big cultural and political difference between California and Alabama. I agree that each state should have the authority to represent its residents. Let’s cool it down. Whatever your opinion about abortion, services are available regardless of whatever my extreme opponent, Sara Jacobs, gets arrested over. No one looks forward to having an abortion, and most of this can be avoided. We should make contraceptives free and easily accessible, along with appropriate sex education in schools, clinics and doctor’s offices.
Q: What will you do in Congress to combat climate change?
A: How can Sara Jacobs preach the Green New Deal and climate change while her grandfather has a private jet? Oh, what a hypocrite! I want to know what China and India are currently doing to combat climate change. Do they have a Green New Deal? What if we discover that they are contributing to the most significant part of the world’s pollution? It’s time to stop making the United States the bad guy and deal appropriately with those countries doing the real damage.
The problem is that the people in Washington stay too long. There are no fresh approaches to issues like climate change or anything else. That’s why we need term limits and new representatives who love our country. Don’t give career politicians enough time to become corrupt.
Q: How should the U.S. approach the war in Ukraine? What should its involvement be?
A: The war in Ukraine was avoidable. We should have taken a very strong approach toward Russia in the very beginning. In addition, we should have sent the appropriate weapons to the Russia-Ukraine border when Russia started moving its troops. But look what we do instead: We bought oil from Russia. Russia spent that money to produce weapons to destroy Ukraine. We send billions to Ukraine to destroy the Russian weapons. Meanwhile, before it’s over, tens of thousands of people will die, trillions of dollars will have been wasted and Russia will likely end up annexing the eastern part of Ukraine. What an enormous waste and what complete stupidity. In addition, we have drawn down our weapons stockpile, which leaves our country weaker. Don’t send another dollar to Ukraine. Our citizens need help first.
Q: How should the U.S. change its immigration policies? What specific changes would you pursue?
A: Send me to Congress to get this done.
First, seal the border and put immigration on hold until we determine who has come into our country in the last two years. Locate them, vet them and identify them. Remove anyone in this group who should not be here, like criminals, terrorists, gang members or drug pushers. After further vetting, we remove those in this group that would not qualify under all existing legal guidelines. We then deport all undocumented felons who we are housing and feeding in U.S. prisons. Then we round up illegal gang members, no matter how long they have been in our country, and we deport them. We then send our military to the border and we eliminate the drug cartels. This could save the lives of over 100,000 Americans who die each year from drug overdoses, relieve incalculable human trafficking and suffering and reduce crime.
Then we prioritize our current welfare distributions. Too many American citizens cannot make ends meet, and too many disabled veterans are laying around without arms or legs. They deserve help before undocumented immigrants do.
We should base our immigration policy on matching the needs of our country and economy with applicants who want to immigrate here legally. If we employed the strategy above, the United States would be much safer, healthier, prosperous and freer.
Q: What specific issues about border life in San Diego and Tijuana will you prioritize?
A: The most glaring issue is the number of immigrants on both sides of the border. It is a major crisis that both countries must deal with. Recently, I went to Tijuana to get more answers. My conclusion is that Biden and the Democrats, including Rep. Sara Jacobs, are sending an open invitation to the world population. I also concluded that if our country made it clear that the border was closed, Mexico would be motivated to do a better job preventing migration through its southern border. Many people travel between countries to work or have relatives in both countries. For this purpose, the passage between the two countries should be quick and easy.
The Tijuana sewage problem should have been fixed long ago. We need to determine who and what is responsible and demand resolution with a timeline for completion. If Mexico doesn’t cooperate, then there should be severe penalties. This disgusting pollution affects the quality of life, the economy and the health of our citizens; it must be fixed now.
Q: The nation is experiencing more mass shootings with higher death tolls in recent years. How would you address this issue?
A: Anyone who commits a mass shooting has mental issues. There are a lot of people suffering from mental illness today. Some have guns and some do not. All of them could figure out how to kill in mass if that was their objective. One might use guns, knives, automobiles, poison or fire. If he chose a gun, it could be a pistol, shotgun or rifle of any caliber with any size magazine. The point is that maybe we should focus on appropriate and readily available treatment for the mentally ill. I believe it would make a difference if more parents were involved in their children’s education and extracurricular activities. A parent has a right to have a voice in what their children learn and where they go to school.
Q: What did the U.S. government get right and wrong in its approach to the pandemic since its start in early 2020? How would you have responded differently?
A: The first thing the U.S. government should have done was determine the source of the virus and studied every stage in its development. In my opinion, it has not done this to date. Then gather experts with different opinions to determine the severity, treatment and consequences to conclude whether it justifies closing an entire economy. We must consider how many additional suicides, drug deaths and addictions and how much family abuse may result. What about the small business failures, and closing of religious institutions and schools? Children lost two years of education and socialization. President Biden said in a July 2021 CNN town hall that if you get the vaccine you won’t get the virus. That turned out to be a big lie. I don’t blame most people for not trusting the government and politicians. It’s easy to look back, but I disagree with the way this was handled. Meanwhile, let’s find out if this was engineered by humans and set free to kill millions of people and the world economy.
Q: How would you address the rising cost of private health insurance nationwide? Do you support government-subsidized health insurance for all Americans? Why or why not?
A: I am against government involvement in any industry. The government is less efficient and wasteful. Proper auditing and oversight will uncover billions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse. These savings should be passed along to Americans. Lower the prescription drug prices. American manufacturers should not charge more in the United States than it does in other countries for the same drugs.
Money can be saved by easing the billing requirements with providers. Reimbursement levels should be consistent and someone without coverage should not be charged more than someone with full coverage. Everyone should have a right to choose the type of health insurance that best suits their needs without relying on the government. Our citizens appreciate the opportunity to choose their doctors and obtain the quickest and most advanced products and medical services in the world. Those who are currently receiving Medicare should feel confident that it is here to stay.
Q: What can and should the federal government do to address the high cost of housing?
A: If the government is going to spend trillions of dollars in a short period, then inflation will soon follow. As prices rise for all goods and services, so do housing prices. This also forces up interest rates which makes it more difficult to obtain housing. Bottom line — cut government spending. Regulations, permits and other fees add enormous amounts to housing costs. Reduce these and housing will be quicker to build at a lower cost. Restrictions on land use should be responsibly eased to allow more availability The government should not be in the housing business. Let creative developers find ways to bring appropriately priced housing to areas with pent-up buyers.
Q: Reducing homelessness has been a focus for all levels of government in recent years. What would you do differently?
A: No matter how many tens of billions of dollars the government throws at homelessness, it just keeps getting worse. The government just can’t figure it out. Many homeless people are suffering from mental illness and/or addictions. Many of them don’t even understand that they need help. The answer is not to put them in a hotel or a $500,000 condo. Take this money and build first-class mental health facilities and drug recovery centers. No one should be living on the street. Gently pick them up and take them to these facilities until they are ready to change their lives and be productive members of society. This is a more effective and compassionate solution. This will also reduce crime. We must fight the skyrocketing crime by fully funding police, punishing criminals, eliminating no cash bail and getting rid of rogue prosecutors.
Q: The U.S. national debt has exploded in recent decades. Are you concerned about this?
A: What a disaster. Have any of you ever balanced a checkbook? Prepared a monthly budget? Concluded that you probably shouldn’t spend more money than you have? President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Sara Jacobs don’t have to worry about this, but the rest of us do. If you acted like the federal government, the bill collector would be knocking at your door.
I will fight for an immediate government hiring freeze. I will offer early retirement to all workers. I will eliminate all non-essential positions. But I will recommend severance pay, career training and free job placement to all laid-off workers. Let’s fill a large number of openings in the private sector and give opportunities for government workers to start their own businesses. I will move to cut spending so we can balance the budget. I’ll tell you what won’t be cut. I have paid in my entire life for my Social Security and Medicare. I’ll guarantee you that on my watch your Social Security and Medicare are safe.
Q: Why should voters elect you over your opponent?
A: There is a clear distinction between my opponent and myself. I disagree with the direction President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Sara Jacobs are taking our country. I am not running against Democrats, independents or any political party. I welcome all of you who agree that my platform is in the best interest of you and of our country. I am very concerned that the freedoms and standard of living that we take for granted may soon not be available to our children.
I know that many of you are hurting and that high prices have made life more difficult. This would have been avoided had there been a wise and compassionate Congress. The outrageous policies causing your problems today exist because Sara Jacobs voted for them. And it is likely to only get worse unless she is removed. Sara Jacobs is out of touch with the rest of us. She can afford anything money can buy, even a seat in Congress. In the last election, she used $6.9 million of her own money to buy her seat. Sara Jacobs can get in her grandfather’s private jet while she lectures you about climate change and the Green New Deal. She doesn’t understand the struggles in life, sweating to build a business, the anxiety of paying bills or meeting a payroll. She cannot relate to you. This congressional seat is just something else to buy. At first, I was motivated to run because of the disastrous policies of our hypocritical politicians. But I am further motivated by the people who reach out to me in my district. They say “Thank you for running.” I promise to give you fair and honest representation. Thank you for your vote and support.