Libertarian offers alternative voice among candidates

Indiana Libertarian chairman Mark Rutherford said he thinks his party's gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Horning, will offer an interesting alternative in the elections this fall from Democrats and Republicans -- a difference in opinion.\n"Often times, they have a slight disagreement on things like how much government we should spend, instead of whether we should spend the money.\n"Horning is clearly calling for less government, less government spending and more local control."\nHorning, 42, is an Indianapolis native and father of five. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1999, and is taking a second stab at a political office again this year, with running mate Mark Schreiber, a Noblesville resident. Schreiber, 52, is a business consultant.\nOne of Horning's biggest issues is a campaign to enact a "Sunset Law," which would require legislators to renew laws after they have been on the books for 10 years.\n"Some say that our lawmakers are lazy. This isn't at all true," Horning said on his Web site. "They spit out laws like machine gun bullets. And a funny thing about laws: They never go away, no matter how much trouble and money they cost us."\nHorning said all unconstitutional laws and agencies must have an expiration date -- if they serve a purpose, they will be restored.\nReformation of education is also key to Horning's platform. He said government schools are failing because more administrators are being hired since teachers can't cope with the amount of paperwork and "compromised discipline" they have been dealt.\n "We're promoting kids who, for their own benefit, should fail. We're throwing money at the most expensive schools in the world as though that will solve the problems of bureaucracy, psychobabble and social collapse," he said on his Web site. \n" I will insist upon an immediate, public and intense dialog to come to a consensus about what we must do to improve our schools."\nRutherford said Horning believes in putting control of schools back into the hands of the community, getting rid of bureaucracies and moving into a system of private schools.\n"Andrew is mindful that the Indiana constitution requires government to furnish public schools. But he wants to make sure wherever the kids go, the money follows that child," Rutherford said.\nSchreiber said he wants state-directed funding to encourage continued business growth.\nHe said he believes property tax, especially the inventory tax, is a major problem for Indiana businesses.\nMonroe County Libertarian Chairman and president of IU Libertarians Erin Hollinden said Horning sticks out in her mind as an intelligent, kind individual.\n"He is a very caring family man who home schools his own children," she said. "He has made a decision to make a personal sacrifice for his own children's education"