THANK YOU!!!
Thank you to all who supported me in the race for election as State Representative to the Indiana House of Representatives! We fell short in the voting in the May 7 primary election so my name will not be on the ballot for the general election in November.
I am extremely grateful to all of you who came alongside me in this campaign with your assistance in going door to door to meet directly with potential voters, for your financial contributions, for your encouraging comments along the way, for administrative support with media communications and for your prayers. I am far from worthy of such an effort on the part of so many of you. My prayer is that my efforts honored your confidence in supporting this campaign to represent the constituents in Indiana House District 41. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Gratefully and very respectfully,
Joe Sturm
TAXES!!!
“Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table,
At which he's fed.
Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work, Tax his pay, He works for peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties, Tax his shirt, Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars, Tax his beers, If he cries Tax his tears.
Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find other ways
To tax his a**.
Tax all he has Then let him know
That you won't be done Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers; Then tax him some more, Tax him till He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's laid...
Put these words Upon his tomb, Taxes drove me to my doom...'
When he's gone, Do not relax, Its time to apply The inheritance tax.”
HOW MANY WAYS CAN WE BE TAXED? LET US COUNT THE WAYS…
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 18.9 cents per gallon in Indiana)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What happened? Can you spell 'politicians’?
STURM POSITION STATEMENT: Make massive cuts in state spending. Reduce and eliminate Hoosier’s taxes and fees.
The Second Amendment
Thankfully, the Indiana legislature did the right thing when they joined other states in passing a so-called Constitutional Carry law. It almost seems counterintuitive that states would have to guard what is already a right to bear arms that is codified in the United States Constitution as the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights but the attacks against our national and state constitutions are relentless so we must be vigilant to support and defend our constitutions against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
The Second Amendment is the bastion that protects all the other amendments in the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution. Without it, there would be no effective means to guard the liberties defined in the Constitution.
It is predictable during election time that all Republican Party candidates claim that they are Pro-Life and Pro-Second Amendment. Since these issues are clearly defined and documented in the Republican Party Platform, all candidates should proclaim their allegiance to the Party position in these crucial matters. But do they sponsor or otherwise promote as well as vote for Pro-Second Amendment legislation once they are elected to office?
Although Indiana is now a Constitutional Carry state, there is still much to do to ensure and secure gun owner rights in this state, especially with the continued threat of anti-Second Amendment policies and bans at the federal level. One means of protection would be to legislate for a “Second Amendment Preservation Act”, or SAPA, which, in effect, would relieve Indiana law enforcement departments from enforcing unconstitutional federal gun control laws, executive orders or other agencies’ (e.g., the ATF) rule misinterpretations or misapplications. SAPA makes sense and the time to legislate for it will be in the 2025 session of the Indiana General Assembly.
The ”Red Flag” legislation enacted in Indiana in 2005 needs to be “de-legislated” (i.e., repealed) and struck from Indiana code; these types of laws enable rogue judges to order unconstitutional seizure of personal firearms without any statutory violations by an individual much less any arrests or convictions of existing gun laws by a person.
And we must be vigilant to oppose any gun registry in the state as well as any attempt to raise the age to purchase firearms from 18 years old to 21.
The incumbent in HD41 touts that he is the only candidate that has been endorsed by the NRA and that he is a defender of the Second Amendment. But what Pro Second Amendment legislation has he introduced or authored or co-authored or voted for since he was elected? We do know that he voted for a trigger ban in 2023 in HB1365, a Democrat sponsored gun control bill, that was all optics since these devices, also referred to as “Glock switches”, are already illegal by federal law. Is he a “Republican in name only” (RINO) in the matter of gun control legislation or is he really a “Democrat in Disguise”?
THE Main Issue in HD41 (continued)
When I joined the Navy, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. When I left the Navy, that oath was NOT rescinded, and I am obligated to continue to fulfill it.
Our federal and state constitutions are under attack and are being shredded and ignored by foreign and domestic enemies. I am fulfilling my oath to defend our constitutions by running for state representative. I believe we have been underrepresented in house district 41 and in the adjacent house and senate districts in this matter of unconstitutional foreign and domestic enemy takeover of rural and agricultural resources in the area.
As previously stated, the number one issue in HD41 and the adjacent house and senate districts is the LEAP project being forced upon Boone County by the Indiana Economic Development CORPORATION, or IEDC, which is a shadow government within state government usurping constitutional powers using taxpayer money to fund corporate agendas without transparency or accountability. It is central planning at its finest. It is crony capitalism, FORCING winners and losers. It is, at a minimum, socialism, and should not be allowed in Indiana and certainly not facilitated by a Republican supermajority in the General Assembly according to our national Republican Party platform which states:
“Cronyism is inherent in the progressive vision of the administrative state. When government uses taxpayer funding and resources to give special advantages to private companies, it distorts the free market and erodes public trust in our political system.”
The LEAP project in Boone County is the pet project of the IEDC. As we know, the IEDC wants to withdraw and transfer massive volumes of water from Tippecanoe County and transfer it to Boone County to support CHIPS manufacturing. In response to a survey conducted by the Senator in SD22, 92% of responders said that they supported legislation to limit how much water can be taken from aquifers in the state and 98% opposed the IEDC’s plan to transfer up to 100 million gall0ns of water from Tippecanoe County to Boone County. In a less than robust response, Senate Bill 249 and the identical House Bill 1305, both entitled “Major Ground Water Withdrawal Facilities”, were introduced in their respective chambers but even with five prominent senators and four representatives as co-authors, there was no resolve or passion on their part to get either bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote. Which is probably just as well since neither bill had any teeth in them to challenge the water steal. These bills were just “smoke and mirrors”, designed to pacify their districts’ constituents.
And now to add salt to our wounds, the IEDC has created the Innovation Development District in West Lafayette to advance a South Korean CHIPs manufacturer. We’re surrounded by domestic and foreign enemies!
But LEAP is not the only threat to natural resources in the region. Nefarious industrial companies, funded by federal taxpayer money via the New Green Energy Deal and the Inflation Reduction Act, are vying for agricultural lands for so called wind and solar farms, which are not farms since they do not produce crops or livestock, but are really electrical power plants. Clinton and Boone counties are being attacked by industrial solar project companies to acquire agricultural lands to install their version of electrical power plants. As already mentioned, Tippecanoe County is a target to steal massive amounts of water but the incumbent in HD41 introduced House Bill 1217, Alkaline Hydrolysis, to allow for water cremation at funeral homes, which would drain even more water resources. He stated, “I am passionate about it and believe in it. If it doesn’t go through, we’ll run it again.” Did he commit to running House Bill 1305 again to try to stop the water steal? Of course not. He is more concerned about water cremation than he is about water preservation.
I am not a single issue candidate nor am I against progress. Let the free enterprise system and local citizens determine what businesses operate in Indiana. As a legislator, I would encourage a collaborative effort of concerned citizen groups to craft legislation to decommission the IEDC and shut it down! I will also do everything a legislator can do to defund the IEDC during the 2025 legislative budget year.
This matter of the IEDC and New Green Deal energy corporate agendas such as carbon, wind and solar projects is a real and present danger to Hoosiers throughout the state. A vote for Joe Sturm for State Representative might just put a man in the State House who will fight to support and defend our constitutions against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic.
Immigration?
The United States Constitution does not address immigration but does specify citizens as “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” (Amendment XIV, Section 1.) Immigration law specifies the naturalization process, allowing people from other countries to apply for citizenship.
Any person from a foreign country is an alien and must follow immigration law to be naturalized if they want to be a US citizen. This is the proper, legal means to citizenship. Anyone that does not follow the immigration laws and enters the country without following the specified process is breaking the law and should be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. They are illegal aliens and NOT undocumented immigrants; changing the wording of their status to change the narrative is duplicitous, intentionally misleading people to believe otherwise.
The flood of people coming across the southern border is NOT immigration; it is an INVASION. It has opened the floodgates to unfettered human trafficking, fentanyl and other dangerous drug trafficking and allowing unknown numbers of military age men to enter the country as terrorists or worse. Any effort to legitimize the breaking of the law on behalf of illegal aliens is disingenuous and exposes American citizens to real danger.
The latest manifestation of ways to pander to illegal aliens is the “driving privilege card” hoax being perpetuated to legitimize so called “undocumented immigrants” by granting them drivers licenses. Senate Bill 138, Driving Privilege Cards, was introduced in the 2024 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Why would privileges of legitimate citizens of Indiana be extended to illegal aliens residing in Indiana? If it is the current practice of the BMV to “automatically” register to vote those residents, legal or illegal, that they issue drivers licenses to, then the Driving Privilege Card will essentially become a Voter Privilege Card, furthering the Democrat Party voter registration effort.
Extending any kind of special privileges to noncitizens is clearly a slap in the face to law abiding citizens. The current incumbent State Representative in House District 41 has testified in support of Driver Privilege Cards at the Frankfort, Indiana, City Council meeting of March 11, 2024. He obviously does not have the best interests of his legal constituents in mind and certainly does not deservetheir vote for his reelection.
Veterans Rights & Responsibilities
Most Americans are very grateful to military veterans for their service to defend our Constitution, our very lives from real enemies and our way of life. As an expression of our gratefulness, we want to ensure that our veterans receive the respect and benefits, especially healthcare for service related injuries, that can be rendered to them for their service. As a Navy veteran, I am grateful for the benefits I have been blessed with by a grateful country.
However, we veterans need to recognize and meet our continued RESPONSIBILITIES. When someone thanks us for our service, one of the best responses we can provide is not just a “thank you” but a hardy, “It was my duty and honor to serve!”
When we entered the military service, we swore an oath to “support and defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign AND domestic.” When we left the military, that oath was not rescinded and our obligation to defend the Constitution remains in effect. Our national and state constitutions are constantly being attacked, ignored, and even subverted by non-constitutional, non-legislated agencies and other nefarious organizations. Are all the three letter, alphabet soup agencies (e.g., EPA, FBI, CIA, etc.) and cabinet level departments really looking out for citizen safety and best interests? Is there any possibility that these governmental agencies could be working to undermine our constitutional rights and liberties?
Veterans, are you c0ntinuing t0 meet the terms of your oath to defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign AND domestic? Are you, at a minimum, involved in the political process by casting your vote during elections? Have you considered getting involved and continuing your legacy of service to God and country by running for political office? In the Indiana General Assembly, there are only 10 of the 100 state representatives and only six of the 50 state senators that are veterans. Why would military veterans make solid political office holders? I can think of at least three reasons: 1. We know how to serve; 2. We, to some measure, understand real sacrifice; 3. We know when and how to fight.
Veterans, we love our rights and benefits but my appeal to you is to give priority to our RESPONSIBILITIES. Seriously consider your possible role in public life to continue to fulfill your oath to support and defend our national and state constitutions against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. These enemies are always out there, they are real, and they never retreat so they must be defeated.
THE Right to Life
Thankfully the Indiana legislature did the right thing in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, turning the legal issue of abortion to the states by outlawing abortion in Indiana during the 2023 General Assembly sessions. However, has enough been established legislatively to ensure that the continual challenges to this legislation can be thwarted and even prevented? Will the legislature advance the right to life to include laws against other abortion options such as the so called “morning after” abortion pills to prevent such chemical abortions and even the purchasing of chemical abortion alternatives online and across state lines. Have we removed feticide exceptions as necessary? Have we safeguarded the lives of the old and infirm against euthanasia? The enemies of life will continue to wage war against life with creative alternatives such as transgender treatments of hormones and surgery to destroy the lives of people that they weren’t able to kill by abortion. The war against life will never cease so constant vigilance is required. Each battle must be fought with the goal of defeating the anti-life enemy and saving lives.
Modern Day Human Slavery & Child Sex Trafficking
Has the Indiana General Assembly done all it can to end and prevent modern day human slavery and child sex trafficking? This is the unseen and undermenti0ned issue that is the REAL pandemic in the world, exceeding even the egregious release of the ”China virus” (so called COVID) bioweapon on the world population in 2020, and very few want to discuss it or fight it. Could it be that this is the real reason for the open southern border? Are the women and children coming across the border coming as family units or are they being kidnapped out of families and then herded off to waiting customers by pedophiles, pimps, and coyotes? Is it true that human trafficking brings profits that exceed even the fortunes made by the drug cartels? These abused women and children are crying out for help! Is this not a cause that should be addressed in state legislatures to ensure that these nameless, faceless, voiceless victims of modern day human slavey and child sex trafficking are rescued and protected and that their perpetrators are apprehended, arrested, and prosecuted?
THE Main Issue in HD41
I am not a single-issue candidate but to be clear, the number one issue in HD41 and the adjacent house and senate districts is the LEAP project being forced upon Boone County.
The IEDC’s (Indiana Economic Development CORPORATION) funding of that project using taxpayer funds and its plan to obtain massive amounts of water from Tippecanoe County to support a CHIPS factory in the LEAP district is disturbing and alarming to the constituents of HD41.
In addition, all other corporate initiatives to obtain large amounts of rural, agricultural lands for the purpose of CO2 sequestration, solar and wind projects (not “farms” as these projects do not produce food) throughout the region and the state are being met with very vocal resistance at public meetings and other means of communication.
I will be publishing more on these egregious, unconstitutional attempts and plans to force corporate agendas on a people that value a quiet, rural lifestyle.