Philip M. White

Current roles

• Local Libertarian Party: Member

Former roles

• Local State House of Representatives: Texas State House of Reps candidate

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Pegasus News 2008 candidate survey

NAME: Philip M. White

OFFICE.DISTRICT: State Representative 112

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Libertarian

OPPONENT: Angie Chen Button and Sandra Phuong Vule

Education: B.S. in Computer Science in 2007; pursuing M.S. in Computer Science

Background: I was born in Ukraine and came to the U.S. in search of a better life at the age of 11. From 11 to 18 I lived in Houston, then came to Dallas to do my Computer Science degree. I have no background in politics, other than casual interest and a passion for justice.

Hobbies: Computer software design/development; reading and discussing economics; racquetball

Family: Part of my family lives in the Houston area, and part of it remains in Ukraine.

Pegasus: What drew you to run for office?

White: In December of 2007 I received an email from Wes Benedict, the director of the Libertarian Party of Texas, inviting me (among others) to run for office in those districts that do not have a Libertarian presence. Mine did not, so I filled out the paperwork and was accepted by the Libertarian Party. I am thrilled to be a candidate for such an important position.

Pegasus: What are the platforms of your campaign?

White: My platform is basically that of the Libertarian Party. My top three priorities are:

1) to return liberty to our state by reducing or eliminating the number of victimless "crimes";

2) to reduce the size of government as well as government expenses; and

3) to leverage the government to prevent the tragedy of the commons by protecting the environment.

Pegasus: What are the concerns of the people in the community that you represent?

White: Energy sources, concealed handgun laws, toll roads.

Pegasus: What are the sources of conflict in your election contest?

White: It's pretty peaceful in this district. I am not aware of any specific

sources of conflict.

Pegasus: How do you differ from your opponents?

White: Neither of my opponents are for a smaller government, and neither of them even consider (at least publicly) reducing the number of laws Texas has on its books.

Pegasus: Do you have a favorite Presidential candidate?

White: Among the current candidates -- Bob Barr. I am unhappy with many of the views of both the Democratic and the Republican candidates.

Pegasus: How do you feel about the following newsy issues from the area:

* Convention center hotel

White: I am not familiar with this issue, but from what I understand, the hotel is financed at least in part by taxpayers. Since the hotel would be privately-owned, I oppose taxpayer funding on principle. I will educate myself more on this issue.

* Switching freeways from free to toll-based

White: I'm not against it, but tolls should be charged directly by those who maintain the highway, and in proportion to the amount of maintenance it requires. Also I'd strongly encourage interoperability of toll passes -- it would not do to have ten different toll tags in each car.

* HOV lanes

White: For. It's great to encourage ridesharing and mass transit by allowing this type of traffic to bypass vehicles with single drivers.

* DART rail

White: For. Mass transit is a good use of local government.

* Barnett Shale drilling

White: I don't see a significant problem with this.

* Cellphone use in cars

White: We do not need new laws to prevent specific uses of specific technologies -- especially technologies that can easily hide on your ear as a Bluetooth headset. It is already a crime to (Ed. note: text truncated here - have requested clarification and will insert when received)

* Open internet access in public libraries

White: Good idea.

* "Green" buildings

White: What is meant by this? I definitely support energy-efficient methodologies, and I think government should strive to use them whenever possible. Of course, private builders and building owners should reserve the right to build as efficiently or inefficiently as they feel is best.

Pegasus: How do you feel about the following national issues:

* War in Iraq

White: Completely against. The war was started for the wrong reasons and continues for the wrong reasons. We should end it ASAP.

* Immigration

White: The rules for immigration should be significantly relaxed to allow more immigrants legally and to reduce the demand for illegal entry.

* Energy sources (oil vs wind vs solar)

White: The cleaner the better. Caring for the environment is a legitimate use of the government.

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League of Women Voters 2008 candidate survey

LWV: Please describe the training and experience that qualify you for this office.

White: I have no formal training in the art and science of representing the state, nor do I have relevant experience. However, I do have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (working on a M.S.), a strong interest in law and justice, and a desire to represent the people of Texas.

LWV: The Texas Legislature in 2007 overhauled business taxes to provide property tax relief for homeowners, but many small business owners in Texas now claim that their property tax decrease was far less than their business tax increase. What measures should be taken to maintain adequate state tax revenues without unduly burdening individual taxpayers or small business?

White: The main way to solve the problem is to reduce the need for state tax revenues. This'll lift the burden both from individual taxpayers and small business. The way to reduce the need for tax revenues is to reduce the size and scope of the government and to privatize many of the government's services.

LWV: Texas deregulated electricity rates with the promise that competition between suppliers would lower consumers’ electric rates, yet rates in Texas remain well above the national average. What measures should be taken to ensure electric power reliability and affordability in Texas?

White: It would be nice to eventually let the free market solve the problem. We can lower the cost of energy and increase power reliability by increasing supply: allowing the industry to build new and modern power plants, such as the passively-safe, efficient pebble bed reactor design. Additionally, as we know from the sweltering heat, Texas is very well suited for solar energy capture.

LWV: According to the most recent published data of the Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, insurance industry losses in Texas have decreased by 85%, yet homeowners’ rates have fallen by only 4%. What reforms would you support to lower homeowners’ rates in Texas?

White: It is rarely the government's place to meddle in the industry. Why are insurance costs so slow to fall? A lack of competition? Or is it that the current insurance reforms and regulations very costly to adhere to? Or is it that insurance companies are wisely using this time to increase their asset reservoirs? As state rep, I would investigate the root cause for the relatively high insurance costs prior to introducing reforms.

LWV: The Texas legislature has not increased the gas tax since 1991, and also diverts millions of dollars of transportation funds to other areas of the state budget such as education and the Department of Public Safety. The public has voiced much disapproval of toll roads and public/private partnerships to build new roads. How would you fund construction of new roads and maintenance of existing roads and bridges?

White: Return gas tax funds to their original purpose: maintenance and improvement of transportation.

LWV: If diversions from the State’s transportation fund are stopped, how would you pay for those items that are currently funded by gas tax monies?

White: Education and the DPS definitely need funding – at least as long as we support free and public education. I'd get funding the old-fashioned way: ask for it directly, rather than covertly and deceitfully rerouting funds from unrelated projects.

LWV: Currently, sales prices of most residential property are disclosed while those of commercial property are not. Do you support public disclosure of commercial real estate sales prices so as to ensure fair and accurate appraisals?

White: I don't have an opinion on this one way or another. On one hand, public disclosure of real estate sales prices would be nice. On the other hand, we currently have seemingly-adequate ways of appraising commercial property, and mandating public disclosure would be an additional burden on property owners. Does the benefit justify the burden? I do not know and would learn more about why this is an issue before making any decisions.