Jon Meade Huntsman Jr., March 26, 1960 (Redwood City, Calif.) -
VP candidate for Independent (aka Independent Democrat) (2016)
Running mate with nominee: Lester Ralph Maul Jr. (b. 1954)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Lester Ralph "Skip" Maul Jr. of Page, Ariz. filed with the FEC for President on Apr. 21, 2015 both as an Independent and as a Democrat.
Maul introduced himself to voters on his campaign website--
Born in Denver, raised in Evergreen, educated in Public School, the Catholic Church and my fathers construction business in Lakewood. After graduating high school it was off to a career in the oil and gas well drilling industry. My domestic experience includes living / working in ND WY CO UT TX OK NE KA, CA, NM & AZ. My foreign experience includes, two years in the Amazon Basin, two years Offshore Brazil, also one year in the Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan.
When not employed in the drilling industry my work experience included small business owner, full certified ski & snowboard instructor, aerial tram mechanic, golf course superintendent, bartender, waiter, cook and cab driver, in a pinch my language ability includes English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and Russian.
Since surviving three heart attacks/stents I've continued studying foreign affairs and become a freelance writer/author/self-publisher of ROUGHNECK. Lately most of my time is spent living the dream at Lake Powell writing my manuscripts. While having Ben & Pugsley help keep me healthy and working on my old houseboat has been great fun and productive it's time to go to work for you. My goal for America is to share the possibility of world peace....
Maul's website included his platform--
Basic Outline Of Issues / Policy & SOLUTIONS
by Skip Maul Copyright @2015 all rights reserved
Domestic Policy
1) Strictly follow the classical understanding of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, at the same time encourage the possibility of a “Civil Constitutional Convention” to address the needs of an intelligent evolving society. For example repeal of the Electoral College and Citizens United.
2) End the war on drugs. See Health Care Reform and Criminal Justice Reform.
3) Reform of ATF, improvement of IT and implementation of Universal Background Checks for guns. Encourage State and local ordinance enforcement, safety training, education and certification. Close all “gun show loopholes”. Prohibit any advertising or internet sales of arms and ammunition. Require training certification and license for semi-automatic military assault weapons.
4) Examine and reform of ICC, Department Of Education, DEA…
5) Examine and reform mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders.
6) My stance on the Death Penalty is it should be considered mandatory for a capital offence regardless it should be left to option of convicted.
7) My stance on Federal Minimum Wage is it remain consistent with entry level pay, in my opinion it is extremely important for youth employment. If local City or State want to increase minimum wage that is their option.
8) Job creation from implementation of Electro-Magnetic Levitation High Speed Rail and Northern Trans-Continental Fresh Water Pipeline Projects and Infrastructure repair funded by carbon / fuel tax. See Tax Reform.
9) Separation of Church and State in all aspects of individual freedom of choice concerning healthcare regardless of sex.
10) Continued R&D for alternative energy and space exploration.
Foreign Policy:
1) Discontinue military intervention in foreign countries affairs.
2) Discontinue supplying arms/munitions or equipment to any entity if there is a possibility of using them against us.
3) Only negotiate when there is something worth negotiating for.
4) Seek peace through strength, diplomacy and negotiation not recognition of fear.
5) Question major construction, for issues such as the new transoceanic, “Grand Canal”, being constructed by China in Nicaragua.
6) Acknowledge / address, climate change, global warming, overpopulation and the killing of our oceans.
7) Any trade agreement must be disclosed and offered for congressional debate, so far no “Trade Deal” has ever benefitted the labor class.
8) All countries using nuclear power not already part of the NPT or IAEA to join / conform to international reason through disclosure and inspections. This includes both weapons, reactors and production facilities.
9) Start construction of more camps and utilize wasted or unused military facilities for humanitarian refuge.
House Reform:
1) Start by following the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
2) Require a balanced budget, fiscal responsibility and full disclosure of that budget proposal, from the senate and congress.
3) Accountability and disclosure of all monies spent on staff and office supplies.
4) Transparency of lobby connections and contributions from those lobbies to be disclosed on a monthly basis directly to your constituents electronically.
5) Limits of campaigning during election years to time off with constituents.
Social Security & SSDI Reform
1) Improvement and accountability of record keeping, eliminate fraud based on Social Security ID manipulation. One SS number one person.
2) Reform SSDI, get the lawyers out of health care, allow the doctors to do their job by assessing the needs of each individual, then conforming to basic required provisions.
3) Increase cap on Social Security contributions to annual income.
4) Means test for social security retirement income benefits.
5) Leave retirement age at 65, increase allowable income for retirees that continue to work after retiring, based on means testing, taxes paid and continuing income.
6) Look into the validity and viability of the SSDI "Ticket to Work" program.
Health Care Reform:
1) Repeal & replace the ACA with Universal or “Medicare for All” based on income, this is simplified also by using Social Security number based process .there by eliminate, combine and streamline all government subsidized health care entities, Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, VA PP ADAP FDA or any other acronym, middleman or affiliate that is associated with providing health care, including all prescription drug programs or allowances regardless of drugs or “tier”.
2) Veterans exempt from any cost or designation of where they receive proper health care, you should not have to live near the VA to get it.
3) Repeal of any health care law attempting to govern the morals, choices or individual rights to privacy of anyone, regardless of sex, religion or lack thereof.
4) Strict enforcement and accountability of any fraud, both individual or provider.
5) Electronic confidential record data base, derived or based on Social Security ID, health care providers need and insurance provider information demands.
6) Reform FDA enforcement and accountability. Streamline inclusion or approval of all drugs based on need. Immediately approve marijuana for health care use including but not limited to PTSD, HIV, AIDS, Chronic Pain……
7) Acknowledgement that mental health care is as important as physical health care and make provisions to improve treatment availability nationwide.
8) Improve access to health care in rural areas by offering incentives to doctors and health care workers.
Immigration reform:
1) Pathway to citizenship, includes immediate registration of all undocumented immigrants, issuance of a Social Security Number, vetting of and amnesty for said individuals based on disclosure of status. This may also include fines and or back taxes based depending on situation.
2) Temporary work permits issued, based on disclosure of migrant worker status, including valid identification from country of origin.
3) Increased enforcement and accountability of corporations employing migrant workers based on E-Verify including criminal background checks.
4) Business tax on corporations, which includes health care insurance, that employ temporary migrant labor, based on disclosure of E-Verify and work permits of the migrant workers.
5) No more physical walls, historically walls have never worked and never will and end up keeping people in better than keeping them out. Border security should not be an immigration issue, it has not made our borders safe nor secure.
6) Citizenship status granted only after the existing through vetting process.
7) Elimination and strict prosecution of “organized corporate birthright citizenship industry”.
8) Refugee status, only to be granted after full disclosure, identification and vetting of the individual as per existing standards.
Tax Reform:
1) IRS reform, simplify tax code, end loopholes, eliminate corporate welfare and offshore banking tax shelters.
2) Modify individual deductions and allowances.
3) Tax individual capital gains the same rate as regular income.
4) Forbid companies from giving stock options to executives as part of their salary package.
5) Give tax breaks to companies that pay executives less.
6) Tax golden parachutes at a higher rate than normal salaries.
7) Stop giving tax deductions for mortgage payments on luxury homes.
8) Consumption tax on all luxury items.
9) Carbon tax 25% increase on gas/fuel from $0.18 to $0.25 per gallon except LNG.
10) Income tax, starting at 15% > $50K base salary graduating to 30% > $250K salary 35% >500K etc... maximum 45% over $1.5 M.
In Nov. 2015, the Lake Powell Life News reported, "When asked who he would select as his running mate, Maul was more than eager to tell us he would choose former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr."
Huntsman, who was considered a conservative centrist and had served Presidents in both political parties as an ambassador, had previously run for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012. Like Mitt Romney, Huntsman had strong Mormon roots and nearly ran for the US Senate in 2018 himself.
In 2016 Huntsman endorsed Trump but walked it back after the infamous Access Hollywood tape revealed the Republican nominee bragged about how his fame and wealth entitled him to physically assault any woman he wanted, "I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the p***y. You can do anything." Huntsman called on Trump to withdraw from the race, "In a campaign cycle that has been nothing but a race to the bottom — at such a critical moment for our nation — and with so many who have tried to be respectful of a record primary vote, the time has come for Governor Pence to lead the ticket."
At some point in 2016, Maul shifted gears and ran instead as an Independent write-in for the US Senate in Arizona ending any possibility of a Maul/Huntsman victory in the Presidential race.
Election history:
2005-2009 - Governor of Utah (Republican)
2012 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
2020 - Governor of Utah (Republican) - primary - defeated
Other occupations: US Ambassador to Russia, US Ambassador to China, United States Deputy Trade Representative, US Ambassador to Singapore, White House staff assistant, board member of Huntsman Corporation, rock musician (keyboards), founding director of the Pacific Council on International Policy
Notes:
Huntsman's father served as the White House Staff Secretary under Nixon.
