Randi McCallian Is Running For Missouri Rep

Randi McCallian is running for U.S. Missouri representative on the Democratic platform. She recently returned our survey questions, and this is how she answered.

Randi McCallian Survey Answers

Are you aware that many schoolchildren cannot read or write cursive? What would you do to solve this problem?

While it may be true our nation’s children are falling behind, it certainly isn’t surprising. For nearly 30 years, there has been a movement by a few disgustingly wealthy and anti-government men (e.g. Koch brothers) to cut funding to public schools and to direct our tax dollars into their own pockets. These funding cuts, and purposeful attacks aimed at our once world-class public education system, meant less and less resources for our children, less individualized education, larger and larger classroom sizes, and smaller paychecks to attract and retain high-quality educators. We all value our children and we value our teachers, we must act together to invest sufficient resources so that both can thrive.

Do you believe that self-defense is a right? Why? Should there be any limitations?

It’s only natural for us to defend ourselves when we face an attack. Far too often, however, someone dangerous is allowed to remain a threat. Many politicians blame tragic and violent events on ‘mental health issues’ and then do nothing to find solutions.
I support regulations that will temporarily remove weapons from an individual that is at risk of harming themselves or those in their families or communities (Red Flag Laws). I think we can all agree that sane, law-abiding Americans should be able to defend themselves, and individuals who pose a threat to others should not be able to carry weapons until their issues are addressed and resolved.

In light of the Bill of Rights, how do you propose supporting our enumerated freedoms and rights?

I deeply respect our rights and will legislate in a manner that strives for “Liberty and Justice for All”. Our system of ‘checks and balances’ allows for us to challenge legislation that we feel violates our enumerated rights via the judicial system. I will protect this system of checks and balances.

As illegal persons come to Missouri, do you see their presence as a help or a hindrance? What will they do to our economy?

I haven’t experienced illegal immigration as a problem in our district, and I haven’t heard anyone talk about it being a problem in my two years of campaigning throughout 28 counties of Southeast Missouri. The issues I hear people express frustration and concern about in our area include: wanting better jobs in their area, needing better access to healthcare, crumbling infrastructure and a lack of places to live or start a business.

Undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers are not the problem, it’s the failure of American leadership over DECADES that is the problem. Not a single immigrant has anything to do with our broken immigration system – that’s on US. I find it shameful and disturbing that some Americans are referring to other human beings as “illegal”; such language is dehumanizing; and the “othering” of a group of people such as this is a dangerous authoritarian & fascist tradition. Considering that quite a few GOP members are talking about “rounding up”, “detaining”, and “deporting” immigrants should be raising alarm bells in every single one of us. Any action like this will inject fear throughout our communities and lead to a sharp decline in our economy. Immigrants fill an extremely vital role in the workings or our economy, and the sudden ‘removal’ of their labor will lead to terrible repercussions that hurt our families and local communities the most.

What is the biggest problem facing Missourians/Americans?

I believe the biggest problem facing Americans is the corrupting influence of money in our elections. Our elections are being bought by super-PACs and the ultra-wealthy through their financing of campaigns that puts politicians ‘in their pockets’. Over 90% of the time, the candidate who has raised the most money will win the election (typically an incumbent). The vast sums of money spent in our political system has made it very difficult to remove Congresspeople who are not serving their constituents and are instead serving their financiers. This is also leading us into an authoritarian style of governance as the large corporations and ultra-wealthy are fine with taking away our rights as Americans as long as they pay less money in taxes. Currently, corporations and the ultra-wealthy effectively have more of a voice in our democracy than the average citizen, and that is anti-democratic.

The traditional family consists of a father, mother, and children. Is this type of family good for our culture?

We need to expand our perception of a ‘traditional family’ to include so many more important people; grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, close family friends … each situation and family is unique, and that’s something we all have in common. A narrow definition of family doesn’t actually represent what most families look like, and instead, leaves many true family members with inadequate support or respect for the critical role they play in their family’s life.

What are the most pressing needs for infrastructure or capital projects in the state?

One of my biggest takeaways from talking to voters in the 8th District is that they feel left behind. This is directly a cause of Missouri’s poor leadership at the state and federal level. Those of us that live in rural areas of the country need representatives that will fight for us so that more investment, jobs, and housing can go into our rural areas instead of the cities. Our rural communities feed and power our cities. It’s time that rural America is appreciated for what we provide to our economy.

How would you protect Oregon County from big government interference? Tax manipulation?

I am a firm believer in local governmental control. I know that no one better understand the needs of our small communities than our friends and neighbors. On the other hand, many of our local governments are not adequately governing, for example, both the Newburg and Edgar Springs emergency sirens are not working — in this case concerned local citizens have had to go “up the chain of command” to demand that their elected representatives do their jobs. We have an excellent system of checks and balances and I intend to defend that from anti-government extremists who don’t believe in safe communities or building for a stronger future.

What laws would you like to see passed or repealed in your term?

I want to protect our community from corporate greed and I want to see Citizen’s United overturned–because corporations are not people and their greed should not have so much power in our government.

What is your greatest accomplishment that you want voters to know about?

It has been the challenge of my life raising healthy and happy children in a struggling world. My greatest accomplishments are seeing them grow up, surrounded by love, and getting to celebrate every milestone by their side.

Can you give a short bio on why you chose to run for office?

After nearly 20 years working in the field of Family and Child Health, I felt deeply frustrated that our government wasn’t doing more to remove barriers children and families face, and to open doors for the future success of our nation’s children. I began lobbying my representatives, volunteering on campaigns, and then started my own journey to run for office. I believe we need more people in government that have spent a decade or two working in the field, at the bottom of the ladder, to be the ones writing our laws and representing families and workers at the top. I am committed to fighting back against corporate greed and putting our children and families first when we write policy. I am raising two daughters with my husband, as well as a Homestead and eventually a small business — I want a government that works for folks like me and my neighbors, and not one that prioritizes Big Pharma, Big Oil, and the minority of folks who own a yacht and a private jet.