Like Ron Paul, I support eliminating the IRS and the income tax and replacing them with nothing but more freedom for Americans.

America existed for 124 years without a federal income tax, during which time we thrived as a nation. The 95 years since the income tax came into being have seen the value of our dollar decline by 95%: This is not a coincidence.

I do not support replacing the income tax with a national sales tax. In the absence of a constitutional amendment to repeal the 16th amendment and prohibit a federal income tax, we would probably end up with both a national sales tax and an even higher income tax. After all, the income tax was sold to Americans with the understanding that it would result in lower tariffs, but just a few years after its implementation, tariffs were higher than ever before. And if we did go to the enormous trouble of passing a constitutional amendment, it would be far better to more strictly limit Congress's power to tax, rather than granting it a new power of taxation.

As a Libertarian, I am opposed to all taxation. As Senator, I will vote against any and all efforts by government to separate you from the fruits of your labor. As for how the government should be funded in the absence of taxation, that is unlikely to be a "problem" since there will certainly be no shortage of tax-and-spend liberals and conservatives in Congress who still think they know better than you how to spend your money. But know this: I believe that your money is yours to keep, and I am for cutting or eliminating taxes everywhere and at every level, with no exceptions.

Ultimately, the best way for the federal government to fund its few legitimate constitutional functions is through a proportional tax assessed to the several states. This way, each individual state could determine the best way to meet its tax obligation to the federal government, and the states would serve as a much needed check against a federal leviathan that's always hungry for a greater percentage of your hard-earned wealth.

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 is not only unconstitutional, it has been absolutely ruinous to our nation's economy. Since the Fed has come into being, the U.S. dollar has lost 95% of its purchasing power -- and yet the defenders of the Fed tell us its purpose is to "keep inflation under control."

The fact of the matter is that only the government and its central bank can cause inflation. They do this by expanding the money supply. Each time the Fed creates new money, it diminishes the value of your dollar-based financial holdings. It thus imposes a hidden tax -- the "inflation tax" -- and redistributes wealth from the poor and working class to the rich and politically connected.

Since 1971, the U.S. dollar has been a purely fiat currency. At one time, people accepted paper dollars because they knew they could exchange them for gold: The dollar was "as good as gold." But now people accept dollars only because they've become so accustomed to doing so, and because they are legally required to accept them.

The Federal Reserve System of fiat-money central banking is bankrupting our country. We must move away from this unsustainable debt-based financial system and towards a truly free economy. The first step in doing so would be to legalize competing currencies.

Were you aware that its illegal for private businesses to produce gold and silver coins? One such company, Liberty Dollar, was raided by the FBI and charged with "advocating the repeal of the Internal Revenue Code and Federal Reserve" when it was about to release a new issue of coins adorned with Ron Paul's likeness. All Liberty Dollar wanted to do was give American citizens the option of using constitutional money -- but the FBI and IRS said no and seized tons of precious metals from Liberty Dollar and its customers.

We must legalize competing currencies, repeal the unconstitutional legal tender laws that require Americans to accept Federal Reserve Notes, and enforce gold clauses in contracts. If we act quickly, and if the states take the lead by abolishing all sales taxes on gold and silver, then we might be able to transition from the fiat empire of the Fed to a truly free economy before we meet our economic ruin as a nation. But we mustn't delay. History teaches us that fiat currencies have brought down all great nations in time, and if we do not learn from history, then we shall certainly be doomed to repeat it.

Social Security is as much as $11 trillion in the red. It, along with Medicare, will place an insurmountable burden on the young working people of this nation in the years to come -- unless we immediately change our ways.

There is no simple solution to the Social Security shortfall, but one thing is for certain: We need to cut government spending. Not a little here and a little there -- but drastic, across-the-board cuts -- and we need to do it now.

Millions of people are dependent upon Social Security, and we can't just throw them out on the street. They had their wages garnished by the government for decades to pay for the benefits of the generation that came before them, and now they expect today's younger generation of workers to provide for their retirement.

This Ponzi Scheme cannot last, and that's why we must make Social Security a voluntary program and allow younger workers to opt out going forward. The benefits of today and tomorrow's retirees can only be paid through the increased economic growth and savings we would experience as a nation if we redirected our current foreign policy towards a more traditional American, non-interventionist approach.