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Rainwater: Reduced government means more individual freedom
With a close gubernatorial race perhaps unfolding between the two major contenders, the Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater may still be making inroads with Hoosier voters.
A recent poll by Indy Politics and Change Research indicated that while Gov. Eric Holcomb was edging Democrat candidate Woody Myers, Rainwater’s campaign had picked up 24 percent of voters.
As it stands, this can be significant in comparison. In the last four gubernatorial elections, the highest electorate for a Libertarian was attained by “Survivor” star Rupert Boneham, who garnered almost four percent of the vote in 2012.
Rainwater and his campaign team made a stop in Greencastle Sunday afternoon to drum up support from local voters during a meet-and-greet at Robe-Ann Park. The event drew a moderate crowd to the bandshell, where the third-party candidate offered some remarks.
Rainwater provided that two million voters did not turn out in the 2016 gubernatorial election, in which Holcomb defeated Democrat John Gregg. He suggested that this is because they were not motivated enough to get out to vote.
Rainwater illustrated that voters did not have to eat a left or right Twix if they did not want a Twix in the first place.
“I think in the broadest sense as a Libertarian, I am seeking to reduce the size and scope of government here in the state of Indiana,” Rainwater began a sit-down conversation with the Banner Graphic. “Libertarians believe in minimal government and maximum individual freedom.”
Rainwater provided that taxes are at the top of the list of issues he would want to tackle. As a Libertarian, he said he believes citizens know how to take care of themselves, their families and their businesses better than government in general.
“Therefore, I believe that we need to keep more of citizens’ money in their own pockets and let them spend it as they see fit,” he said, “instead of government deciding how to spend that money for them.”
Rainwater highlighted his opposition to asset forfeiture, using property taxes as an example where “the government” will take someone’s house of they are not paid.
“I believe that we need to eliminate asset forfeiture,” he said. “Especially considering the fact that in the world we live in today, there are senior citizens who want to retire and they want to live in their forever home, where they’ve raised their children; (where) they made memories together.”
Rainwater connected asset forfeiture with property taxes, saying the latter increases every year due to them being one percent of a reassessed value. Eventually, he suggested, those on a fixed income will not be able to pay them and forced to sell their home.
Saying there are “lots of different flavors” of Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians, Rainwater describes himself as a “practical” Libertarian. Essentially, he believes that change in government has to be gradual, not immediate.
“Whereas I would love to say we don’t need taxes anymore -- at all -- that’s not practical,” he said. “As a practical Libertarian, I’m looking for ways to reduce the size and scope of government and secure people’s individual freedoms, in ways that I’m not expecting everything to happen overnight.
“I’m looking for what can we do tomorrow, so that I have more freedom tomorrow than I had yesterday,” Rainwater added. “When I have more individual secured freedom tomorrow than I did yesterday.”
At the state level, Rainwater said management of government vendor contracts needs improvement to save taxpayer money. He also believes unemployment insurance -- especially in the context of COVID-19 -- as well as software systems used by government entities also need looked at.
As a software engineer himself, Rainwater wants to encourage innovation within state government as well as the private sector. As such, he believes that reducing regulation in general would further promote this in the free market.
“You and I would’ve gotten here by horse and buggy today if it weren’t for the innovations of the automobile,” he said. “With free market economics, you don’t have government constantly putting up roadblocks.
“So here again, I’m not advocating for no regulations; I’m advocating for just the regulations that are necessary to protect citizens from fraud and aggression, and allowing industries to innovate and flourish for the benefit of all.”
As to the heightened partisanship between Democrats and Republicans on the verge of a contentious general election, Rainwater suggested that he will not be beholden to any party loyalty.
“As a Libertarian, I don’t have a party behind me going, ‘You can’t cross the aisle,’” he said. “I can find like-minded people within the General Assembly and say, ‘Let’s come together and let’s show the citizens of the state of Indiana and the American people the difference between “bipartisan” and “non-partisan.”’
“That’s what we really need both in Indiana and across the United States of America,” Rainwater added. “We need non-partisan solutions to our problems; and those non-partisan solutions are usually going to come from the private sector, not from government.”
As to the leading up to Nov. 3, Rainwater humorously said that “one more vote than the other guys get” is what it will take to win. But the third-party candidate had a more serious note.
“The reality is that for us to be successful, the voters have to make the decision,” he said finally. “Do I want bigger government? ‘Cause that’s what I’ve been getting; that’s the status quo. Am I happy with the status quo or do I want better government?”