Wednesday, October 25, 2000
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Wednesday, October 25, 2000 |
| Write-in candidate
says Constitution is key
By DAVE
HAMRICK
The United States has drifted away from using the Constitution to shape its laws, says Chris Borcik. So Borcik, 40, decided to run for Congress. "I started reading the Constitution and studying it, and I discovered that everything in it was very carefully thought out and everything had consequences that were intended," says the Fayetteville resident. "We have come to far from that and people don't even realize it." Borcik is running as an independent write-in candidate for the 3rd District seat currently held by Mac Collins. The district includes Fayette and nine other counties. It's a long shot, he admits, to run without party backing. "But I felt it was important to stand on my own," he says. Voters have become apathetic, Borcik says, because of the government's increasing departure from constitutional principles. And the major political parties also tend to insulate the voter from the candidate, he says. With an independent, "you're kind of committed to exploring the candidate a little more as opposed to just voting Republican or Democrat," he adds. He is running a word-of-mouth, grass roots campaign, Borcik says, though he has done some advertising as well. If he doesn't win this time around, he hopes to gain enough name recognition to make a stronger run for the office next time around. The federal government ignores the Constitution and takes on powers that are clearly reserved to the states, Borcik says, using education as an example. "The federal government is not authorized to be involved in education, and money should never even be taken on a federal level for education. It's unconstitutional," he says. Article 1, Section 8 of the nation's founding document clearly spells out the powers and duties of the federal government, but mentions nothing about education, Borcik says. And, he adds, the 10th Amendment clearly states that any powers not expressly granted to the federal government are reserved for the states. As a congressman, he says, he would work to educate the public and the government on the need to return to the Constitution. If there is a weakness in the Constitution, then it should be changed through the proper legal process, not ignored, he says. Borcik says he won't promise ahead of time how he'll vote on specific bills or issues, adding that he will ask the following questions before voting: "Is the proposed legislation a vested power of Congress? "Do we have a model of the proposed legislation to help determine its intended effect? "What do my constituents think? "What does my conscience tell me?" It would be unwise to speculate or promise how I would vote on a given issue," he says. "The purpose of congressional debate is to enlighten the members so they might make a more informed decision when voting on proposed legislation." An airline pilot, Borcik is married and has four children. A native of Jacksonville, Fla., he is a former aviator in the U.S. Navy, and the son of a career military officer. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
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