Gareth Gilsdorf

Gareth Gilsdorf was born in Flagstaff, Arizona.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Gareth Gilsdorf. I am 30 years old. I was born in Flagstaff, Arizona. I have lived in this state for most of my life, all over northern Arizona. Flagstaff, Tempe, Salome, Kingman, Kayenta, Chilchinbeto, Page, and Bagdad. Arizona is my home.

May 27th, 2021, my town was evacuated due to the Spur Fire. It destroyed 30 structures, and 13 homes. That day changed my life. I watched the fire threaten everything we knew, and when we fled that day, we didn’t know if we would be starting over. It shook my very soul. In the aftermath, the Firefighters used so much water fighting the fire, that we had water restrictions for days. The power lines and the phone lines also burned, so we were without power for days, and internet for weeks.

As I watched the community come together, and take care of each other during and after the fire, I was utterly inspired. Political differences meant nothing when peoples homes were burning and their lives destroyed. From that day forward, I decided I would do everything in my power to bring that same community spirit to every aspect of my life. I am determined to solve every problem I face.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am a anti corruption, 100% grassroots campaign. Our government needs to kick its addiction to dirty money. I plan on overturning citizens united, legislating current lobbying practices as bribery and racketeering and banning stock trading by government officials.Inflation is demand outpacing supply. We have been supplementing our supplies of essential resources with imports from other countries. The way for us to fight inflation is to invest in the production and manufacture of essential resources we have been importing from other countries. Until we do this, every time there is a trade disruption, inflation will spike and people will suffer. By investing in Solar Energy and Water Treatment, we can save our state, secure our food supply and reduce the cost of living and doing business for every American.Working full-time needs to earn a living income, whether by conventional payroll practices or by profit-sharing. I favor profit-sharing. Workers who are also shareholders care about a company's success, and are represented on the company board of directors.We can have a smaller government, and no additional taxes as long as people are provided for. I am proposing a large tax cut for profit-sharing corporations to encourage more companies to adopt the practice.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have a passion for solving problems of every variety and making things work. I think science, technology and innovation will allow us to fix many of the scarcity problems facing us today. My passions are government reform, voter representation, worker representation and public investments that maximize our ROI.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham would be a great start.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honor, Compassion, a willingness to listen and invent solutions to problems.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honor, Compassion, A creative mind, a willingness to learn, being willing to improve a problem even if the steps taken are not a complete solution. A partial solution is better than NO solution.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent their voters, not business interests.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a government that truly represents the people again. To remove the legalized bribery from our political system. To be a role model, as someone standing against the tide. Elections where we are no longer picking the lesser of two evils, by offering something genuinely good for everyone. To be willing to respectfully disagree, and find ways to achieve a common good.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first one I remember is the attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11. I was 10 years old, in 5th grade.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Don't you forget about me" by Simple Minds

"Don't stop thinking about tomorrow" by Fleetwood Mac

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Trying to find my calling.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Since the number of representatives is based on population, it's the most responsive our institutions to popular demands.

I think we should triple the number of house representatives per capita. Uncap the number of representatives, returning it to the per capita levels from before the Taft Administration. This would create more local and responsive representatives.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Experience can be beneficial, but it depends on the person. If the experienced person in question is part of the problem, because they've adapted to the lobbying and bribery, that failure outweighs any previous expertise. I think it's more important that people are honorable, and are capable of learning. Government is a skill that can be learned. Honor is a quality that once lost can't be recovered.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The corruption of our government and the global slide towards authoritarianism. Economic Disruptions caused by Technology advances, disrupted industries and Climate Change. We live in historic times. More change has happened in the last 100 years than in the last 2000 years. The next 10 years will result in even more significant changes. With the rise of automation, new materials science and the collapsing fossil fuel industry, so many of things we have grown up with and relied on are about to change or be replaced entirely. If we plan for these events and embrace bold solutions, we can lead the next industrial revolution, raise standards of living, make money and a more equitable world that everyone can enjoy.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I believe my knowledge and interests would be valuable in any of these committees:

Education and Labor

Energy and Commerce

Ethics

Oversight and Reform

Science, Space, and Technology

Small Business

Transportation and Infrastructure

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Energy and Natural Resources

Environment and Public Works

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Veterans' Affairs

Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress

Congressional Oversight Commission

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Not so much in our current system. Currently, representatives get into office, and then spend the next 2 years raising funds and campaigning to stay in office instead of genuinely solving problems and doing their job.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Term limits are good, but what the limit is depends on the length of the terms in question. I think 12 years of service is a good place to start a discussion.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Barry Goldwater, John McCain, Joe Walsh, Adam Kinzinger, Bernie Sanders, Dwight Eisenhower, John F Kennedy. These are public figures I look up to.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

In many cases compromise should be used, in order to at least improve the situation. In some cases when it comes to attacks on civil liberties or fighting corruption, politicians need to keep their oaths and hold the line.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I plan on offering conditional tax breaks for businesses in exchange for equivalent benefits and representation for workers. I plan to cut taxes for profit sharing companies to encourage the practice. While losing the company tax revenue may hurt, we can lift workers out of poverty to the point where they no longer need government benefits. This would save the government billions of dollars on Medicare, food stamps and other social programs, reducing the deficit. Bringing workers out of poverty also increases individual tax revenue.

I also plan on making Apollo program style investments in next generation infrastructure, such as solar energy, Water treatment and Desalination, Lithium extraction from Seawater, and Silica Industry technologies. Taken together, investing in these industries will lower the cost of living and doing business, add millions of jobs and increase our standard of living.

These all fall under budget priorities and raising revenue.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0"); });