Logan Fleckenstein says running for political office has been a dream since he was 13 years old. The 25 year old Western Michigan University graduate is the Libertarian candidate for state House in the 60th district which includes the city of Kalamazoo.
Fleckenstein says he cares deeply about society, and wants to make the system better. He spoke with WMUK’s Gordon Evans.
Criminal Justice
Fleckenstein says the criminal justice system is one the main reasons he’s running. He says the system is broken and needs a complete overhaul. Fleckenstein says jail should be the absolute last resort for offenders. He says all alternatives to jail should be explored.
Flint
Asked about preventing the next crisis like the contaminated drinking water in Flint, Fleckenstein says listening to people and letting people come to elected leaders will help bring attention to problems. Fleckenstein says Emergency Managers almost become a miniature dictator. He says a financially troubled city still needs to be accountable to the people.
Anti-discrimination Laws
Fleckenstein says he doesn’t think anyone should be discriminated against. But he says anti-discrimination laws try to cover too many things. Fleckenstein says he would like to keep anti-discrimination laws focused on government, rather than private interactions. He says that should include LGBTQ people. Fleckenstein says if a private entity gets help from the government, then they have to follow the same rules as government, including discrimination. Asked about if a landlord should be able to deny accommodations to same-sex or mixed race couple, Fleckenstein says if they’re not getting any money from the government, then they should be able to do what they want legally. But he says “I would definitely be one of the first people out there protesting” in front of their house. Fleckenstein says he personally thinks it’s wrong to discriminate, but he says the force of government shouldn’t be used on bigotry.
Money in Politics
On the subject of money in politics, Fleckenstein says there’s too much “pay to play” and “crony capitalism.” He says the best to address that is make the government smaller and less powerful. Fleckenstein doesn’t favor contribution limits on campaign spending. But he says all contributions should be transparent and known to the public.
Campaign
Democrat Jon Hoadley won 70% of the vote to win his first term two years ago. Fleckenstein acknowledges that it is a very blue, left-leaning district. But Fleckenstein describes himself as more of a left-leaning libertarian. He says he wants to make the case for why libertarian agenda is better for pushing progressive platform points. Fleckenstein says he agrees with progressives on a number of issues, but doesn’t want to use the government to accomplish those goals.
Discussion of other issues can be heard in the extended version of the interview.
Regulation
Fleckenstein says there are too many burdens on small business, and he would want to cut regulation, and also eliminate corporate welfare, which he says favors one business over another.
Marijuana
Among the businesses that Fleckenstein says are over-regulated are so-called “head shops” which sell marijuana paraphernalia. Fleckenstein says he would favor legalizing marijuana, which he says is a “victimless crime.”
College Affordability
Fleckenstein says free markets will make people better off, and help them afford college. He says students should be educated about the scholarships that are available. Asked about more state money for universities, Fleckenstein says it would be good in short-term, but down the road it will just cause more spending. He says if more money is gong to be spend on higher education that should mean less money for something else.
Guns
While saying he’s open to seeing new evidence, Fleckenstein says he has yet to see the effectiveness of gun regulations. He says someone should not denied the right to carry a gun based on an act from many years ago. Fleckenstein says the overwhelming majority of people who own a gun never do anything wrong.
Straight-Ticket Voting
Fleckenstein sees straight ticket voting as a disadvantage to third parties like his. He says it’s part of the Republican-Democrat duopoly. But Fleckenstein says he can understand wanting to keep election lines moving, and he says voters should have the chance to vote on the issue.
