John
Brantley
John
Brantley believes we should "dare to dream", and gives us this
touching description of his entry into the presidential race:
"I
begin this endeavor as both an educational process of our political
system and to find a small way of personally contributing to the
future and well being of our nation. In the wise words of my son,
"If you don't win, you just have to go on with life." How could
I ever lose? So my road toward the White House begins!
My
soul is stirred by the "I Have a Dream" speech of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. no matter how often I hear it. I hope that it continues
to rattle and resound in you. I am thankful to live in a country
and with a people where an ordinary citizens are expected to contribute
in extraordinary ways. My dream is for our nation to be a strong
and healthy member of the global community, for us to teach non-violence,
joyful ways of living, and build a productive citizenship together.
I invite your support and participation as we begin a new millennium
of leadership and whole living."
Brantly
has one of the most delightful platforms of any Independent candidate,
and some of his ideas, while unorthodox, border on the absolutely
brilliant. F'rinstance, he proposes a solution to the homeless
problem by granting a tax credit to those who are willing to share
their homes with a homeless person. He also suggests a four-day
work week with the fifth day devoted to community service; a minimum
wage tied to congressional wages; a presidential campaign spending
limit of $5000 and "equal time and access to web space, 24 hour
candidate's cable channel, radio stations, and a section in major
news papers, to help keep candidates total spending below the
$5000 limit".
He
is also in favor of eliminating the penny, or in lieu of its elimination,
making them out of plastic with the image of Ronald Reagan instead
of Lincoln.. We're not sure how much of John Brantly's platform
is serious and how much is tongue-in-cheek, but we sure like what
he has to say.
Brantly
hails from a small rural community in Georgia, and if you visit
his website, be sure to check out his News
section for down-home tidbits like, "April 29th: Brantley
visits with voters at the Waffle House in Athens, Georgia. Voter
response positive: "I'll give you a dollar" and "We need a local
man in Washington."
