Jerry Kerner is a candidate in the Democratic Party primary for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District, a seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, on June 7, 2022. The Mississippi Free Press sent the following questionnaire to all Mississippi congressional candidates prior to the June 7 primaries. We are are presenting the answers as we received them with only light edits.
What are your policy proposals for education?
Education is primarily a State and Local function, with some Federal funding. I would like to see the policies that have made Charter schools more successful than public schools migrated into the public schools. Classroom discipline should be inviolate, with disruptive behavior problem children being removed, so the other children will no longer have their education stolen by a few.
What are your policy views when it comes to guns, gun violence and mass shootings? What specific gun regulations do you support, if any?
We have law enforcement, there is no possible means to have crime prevention. Criminals do not follow laws, so more laws will not be effective. Because crime cannot be prevented, the public should protect themselves with guns if so desired; armed guards in the schools will stop those shootings.
What are your criminal justice policies and your ideas regarding police violence and brutality?
Criminals should be punished appropriately, including prison. There is no police violence or police brutality problem; criminals who violently resist arrest should expect a bad outcome; this is common sense.
What will you do to improve health-care quality and access in Mississippi, including for mental health?
Health care is an issue for many. I will look at trading partial student loan forgiveness in exchange for doctors serving for some years in communities who need more doctors.
What is your position on abortion access and what sort of federal legislation, if any, would you support related to abortion? Please describe any penalties you would support for those who obtain abortions.
Abortion is not a Federal issue, it is not covered by the Constitution so according to the 10th Amendment it is left to the States or the People; these laws will vary by the States who will enforce them.
Please list any forms of contraception that you believe should be banned, including birth control pills, Plan B/the morning-after pill, IUDs or others.
None
What are your ideas for improving our voting and election systems?
The Hinds County voting system I am familiar with is fine. Vote in person on election day, voter ID required, paper ballot for auditing/recounts if necessary, absentee ballots by request only.
What is your view on systemic racism and taking its impacts into consideration when crafting policy?
There is no systemic racism in this Country; this is a lie told by racists to make themselves feel better about being a racist. Systemic would mean all people are racist, which is absurd by logic and observation. The term is meant to mean that only all white people are racist, which is once again absurd by logic and observation.
What proposals do you support regarding the environment and climate change?
We all want and need clean air and clean water. We also need transportation and heat in our homes. Moving toward less efficient and less reliable energy sources like wind and solar are good ideas, but we still need to survive while doing so. Climate change may be nothing more that the coming of the next Ice Age, which of course we could not avoid.
What are your policy views on our nation’s immigration system?
Build the wall, enforce immigration laws, limit the number of legal immigrants, deport illegal immigrants, stop the flow of slaves and drugs into our Country.
What are your views and policy ideas related to LGBTQ rights?
I believe the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, covers that.
What are your views and policy ideas related to the rights of people with disabilities?
I believe the Americans with Disabilities Act covers that.
What changes, if any, do you support making to federal marijuana laws?
If the States are allowed to legalize it, then the Federal government should not make it illegal.
What are your economic policy ideas?
ReOpen our energy sector to bring the price of gasoline down, which will start to bring down inflation. Stop Federal spending on social programs that the voters do not want or need.
What is your vision for addressing our infrastructure needs?
We need to Federally fund actual infrastructure, not the social programs in the last infrastructure bill which comprise 91% of the total spending.
What other policy proposals, if any, do you have that we did not ask about?
Let’s look at stopping all new Federal student loans; the colleges and universities should fund student loans as an incentive to keeping education costs down and providing an education that is financially sound.
Tell us anything else about yourself that you think voters ought to know.
We need to return to using the Constitution as our guide and return to the Principles this Country was founded upon.
Jerry Kerner Bio
Congressional District: 2nd (Incumbent is Democrat Bennie Thompson)
Party: Democratic Party
Age: 69
Profession: Self-employed
Location: Clinton
Website: Kerner4Congress.com
