Ben Toews
Name: Benjamin Toews
Position Running For: State Senate - District 4
Phone: (208) 755-3213
Address: 911 N 5th St, Coeur d' Alene, ID 83814
Website: http://Ben4Idaho.com
Twitter:
Email: ben4idaho@gmail.com
Tell us a little about yourself and your family, how long you have lived in the area and your occupation.: My wife Elisha and I have been married for 23 years and have 5 wonderful children. We live in midtown Coeur d’Alene which we consider to be the best place in the world to raise our children. I feel blessed to live in a city that holds conservative values which make it an extraordinary community to build a life for anyone who is willing to work hard and contribute.
I’m an Idaho native who was born and raised in the area graduating from Lake City High School and North Idaho College before finishing my studies in Business Administration, with a concentration in International Business, at Gonzaga University. I am an entrepreneur who has a passion for starting and growing businesses. For about 17 years I co-owned and operated a developer and manufacturer of specialty contractor’s tools where I held the position of Vice Presiden/CFO from 2002-2012 and then President/CEO from 2012-2019. Currently, I am working on a couple of new business endeavors while helping others grow and expand their businesses.
1. Do you have experience as an elected official and if so, what was your position, and how would you describe your voting record?:
I'm currently serving in my first term as District 4 State Senator and serve as Vice Chair of Senate Education, as well as, a member of the State Affairs and Transportation committees. I have a solid conservative voting record in my committees and on the Senate floor. I'm not afraid to use role call votes for accountability and make motions for conservative legislation even when it isn't popular with leadership or moderate Republicans. I debated and voted against one of the worst pieces of legislation in the 2023 session by quoting Bernie Sanders website and drawing a parallel between his tax funded college education for all and the SB1167 Launch bill. I also successfully sponsored 7 pieces of conservative legislation in my first session including one that codified parents God-given rights in their children's education (HB163), an Open Enrollment bill that expanded school choice within our public education system (SB1125), a bill prohibiting Sanctuary Cities in Idaho (H22a) and a bill that clarifies that Bureacrats Policies do not have the full force and effect of law (H174a). These changes have already had a positive impact on the people of Idaho and I'd be happy to share the stories of the positive change I have been able to further with your support of my candidacy. I have ten pieces of legislation that I'm planning to sponsor in the coming session specifically to protect our children and support families. See TradFam.org for details on a resolution for a Family Values Month that I will sponsor in the coming session.
2. Please tell us about your activity as a Republican. Have you previously voted for candidates of other parties? If yes, explain.:
I’ve been a Republican since I started voting and, as a committeeman and a volunteer, I have stuffed many door hanger packets and canvassed my precinct promoting Republican candidates. I participated in the Republican Caucus that turned into an all-night process in 2012. I attended the Republican State Convention in 2018 & 2022 as a delegate where I voted for conservative platforms and resolutions. At the 2018 convention a resolution that recommended increasing penalties for employing illegal immigrants failed to pass at a Republican convention. At that point I realized we had a problem in our state because delegates were willing to put their personal interest above the rule of law.
I was encouraged when, at the 2022 convention, we were able to put conservative Republican leadership in place.
I don’t believe that I have ever voted for a candidate of another party although, at times, I haven't been happy with the moderate Republican options.
3. What is the purpose of government?:
The legitimate role of government is to protect the rights of everyone and to do so especially by stopping both "illegal plunder" (theft etc.) and "legal plunder" (socialism). Mine is a liberty-minded view of government's role in society, in both the economic and social realms, with clear limits since the government's duties are really just an organized combination of the individual’s negative rights along with the limited areas where citizens delegate duties that are not realistically handled by alternative means (ie roads/bridges, defense etc.) and ought not go beyond those bounds.
4. Describe why you are running for this particular office. What are your qualifications? What are your goals?:
I believe that a representative government should have leaders in office that truly represent the values of those they represent. A Constitional Republic is created to operate of, by and for the people. Conservative representation in the Idaho Senate improved in the 2023/24 term but we still have work to do if we want to have a majority who will rein in government spending and enact much needed tax relief for our citizens.
I've followed through on my commitments when I ran for office in 2022 and now have a clearer picture of the change needed to make Idaho the conservative bastion that it ought to be. My experience as a Senator and Vice Chair of Education can be leveraged to make me even more effective in my second term.
As outlined in my answer to question #2, I aim to promote conservative policy that will protect our children, lower taxes and limit government to it's proper role. I see the traditional family as the foundation for a healthy society that is currently under attack by the left and is hurting financially from taxes and inflation. I pledge to continue to fight for our families and our freedom.
5. Describe experiences where you are or have been engaged such as non-profit organizations, clubs, churches, boards, commissions, etc., where you have been of service to others.:
My passion for serving those in the community is evidenced by my volunteer work in church, educational, and business organizations. While attending a local church, I volunteered in a wide variety of areas from the food bank to children's ministry. I held the position of Treasurer and Elder Advisor for over six years. I also helped to start and lead a local home-school co-op where I taught economics, government, and leadership classes, as well as coached a high school debate team. In the public sector, I was on the Advisory Board for the Idaho Small Business Development Center for several years and have helped numerous businesses get started and overcome challenges to grow and thrive. I recently held a position on the Idaho Family Policy Center board where I helped promote conservative legislation and encourage civic involvement.
6. Do you describe yourself as fiscally conservative? Please, elaborate.:
Yes, I consistently vote to decrease government spending and lower taxes. I personally make sure to live below my means and have consistently saved money throughout most of my adult life and been, for the most part, debt free other than a mortgage. Even in my business I prefer, whenever possible, to finance growth and capital expenditures with profits rather than loans.
Our state government continues to grow every year with spending often outpacing both inflation and population growth. Idaho continually accepts more and more federal funds which create dependency and debt that will impact generations to come. I am currently helping draft, and plan to cosponsor, legislation that requires Idaho to have a plan in place to operate without any federal funds in the future. This would protect us if (or when) the federal government's unsustainable spending comes to an end, as well as, chart a path towards reducing our federal dependancy in the future.
7. Do you consider yourself as socially conservative? Please elaborate.:
I am definitely socially conservative holding that traditional values and family structure is healthy for both individuals and society and, as such, ought to be encouraged and protected. While I don’t believe the ultimate solution to most of society's problems is legislation by government, I also hold the belief that government naturally plays a significant role in setting social norms and even establishing what many consider to be morally acceptable. As a result, the government must take an active role in establishing the rule of law that consistently and equally protects all citizens and holds them to the same standards. I believe in equal opportunity, not equal outcome. I believe that life ought to be protected from the womb to the tomb.
8. Describe which party platform best aligns with your positions on public policy (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Constitutional Party) and where do you disagree with that platform.:
I have read the entire Idaho GOP Platform and agree with the vast majority of it. My concerns are as follows:
Article I, Section 2 - C. “We believe Idaho’s tax structure should be predictable, fair, and balanced; and that the combination of our income, sales, and property taxes will continue to provide a stable, dependable source of income for governmental needs.”
I see property taxes as indefinite rental of one's own property and income taxes as a form of slavery when levied on wages. Fortunately, this is addressed later in the platform where it reads:
Article I, Section 5 - C. “We support reduction of Idaho’s income tax rates, and encourage a reduction in property taxes whenever possible”
Another area of concern is in:
Article I, Section 5 - E. “We support the right of every qualified citizen to seek elective office, affirm the right of voters to vote for the candidate of their choice, recognize the need for experience and institutional memory in elective office, and oppose the imposition of term limits in Idaho.”
While I value experience and institutional memory to a certain degree, I am very concerned that we end up with too many career politicians and they are more and more controlled by special interest groups and lobbyists instead of having the rights of their citizens as their main concern. The longer they hold office the more likely they will be out of touch with the realities of their constituents. Some of our founding fathers agreed that it should be a temporary burden rather than a profitable profession:
“In a virtuous government, and more especially in times like these, public offices are what they should be – burdens to those appointed to them which it would be wrong to decline, though foreseen to bring them intense labor and great private loss.”
Thomas Jefferson
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Preamble “We believe Idahoans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to promote peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world.”
I am an anti-interventionist and, in most cases, don’t believe that we should be involved in directly working to intervene in issues around the world. Influencing other countries through diplomatic means is completely acceptable in my view but military intervention should be used rarely, if ever, unless there is an imminent threat. The following seems to address the above concern:
Article XVII -Sec. 6 “Command of Forces We believe American combat troops should not be used as "world policemen." UN combat operations should be supported by a multi-national coalition, and when U. S. forces are committed in UN combat operations, the United States should retain ultimate command of its forces.”
I believe we should be focused on fully protecting our own borders and defending U.S. interests first and foremost.
9. Do you have any history of tax liens, criminal record, bankruptcy or conflict of interest that may affect your future decisions or desirability to be voted into office?:
No, I have an excellent financial history, no criminal record (other than reasonably few traffic violations) and am cognizant and careful about avoiding conflicts of interest including not even utilizing campaign donations that could be viewed as such.
10.Describe how you will make yourself available to your constituents and vote as their representative with FORTITUDE, adhering to the values and answers you have stated above.:
I have and will continue to make myself available via phone/email etc. to hear the voice of my constituents along with town halls, meet & greets and Q&A’s whenever possible. I have and will continue to hold fast to the Republican Platform in the way I vote and maintain integrity by avoiding connection and persuasion from special interest groups and lobbyists that don’t have my constituent’s interest and our party's values at heart.