Previous application can be found
here so that previous discussions can be read and analyzed. I never expected to have a chance in this last election, as my previous application was primarily meant to gain a foothold for 2015. My previous application was defeated due to insufficient time prior to the election for a proper candidate analysis, insufficient time on my part to dedicate to the 2011 elections and communication difficulties (I was hard to get a hold of at the time due to final exams). I am re-applying now so that I have a good 4 years to “build up a head of steam” for the 2015 elections.
NAME/NOM: René Kabis
PROVINCE: British Columbia
RIDING/CIRCONSCRIPTION: Kelowna—Lake Country
PARTY INVOLVEMENT / PARTICIPATION DE PARTI:
Currently a member of this party, but have not been involved with politics prior to this.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE / L'EXPÉRIENCE POLITIQUE:
Helped an acquaintance build his media campaign for a Councillor position in the Kelowna City elections. Ya, not much, but at least it was something.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST / CONFLITS D'INTÉRÊTS:
Currently involved with the Centre for Inquiry, Okanagan. It is a non-profit group dedicated to critical thinking, education and the promotion of science and a secular government. I am the Treasurer, and am responsible for their web presence.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / PARTICIPATION DE LA COMMUNAUTÉ:
Aside from working as an independent contractor/consultant within the IT field, I have yet to become involved to any significant degree in the community. The Pirate Party is my first such attempt because I feel so strongly about its platform - I simply can’t help myself. With that said, however, I should point out that Kelowna is a strange mix of retirement community and technology hotbed. While the retirement community may not find anything of interest within our platform, it is the technology community that I believe will find our platform of great interest. While larger patent-invested companies may take offence at our message, it is the smaller and more progressive companies and individuals that I believe are a prime demographic that can be reached.
PLATFORM / MANIFESTE:
I have strong minarchist leanings, with a particular interest in minimizing the government's effects on personal liberties (aside from upholding them).
I have read Against Intellectual Monopoly by Boldrin & Levine, and agree with virtually every aspect of their argument. I strongly believe that the majority of copyrights and patents exist as anti-democratic, anti-capitalistic tools that serve only to inhibit innovation and greatly increase the cost of progress.
I also believe that the tax framework in this country is far too complex, and provides far too many loopholes to the rich people and corporations. How to reform the tax code is a solution that has yet to be seen, but I think that the time is right for a more equitable tax system.
PLEASE REPLY WITH "SECONDED" TO SECOND THIS APPLICATION. YOU MAY ALSO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT IN THIS THREAD.
PERSONAL HISTORY / ANTÉCÉDENTS PERSONNELS:
I have been living in Kelowna since 1977, when I moved here from Ontario (Bolton, to be exact) at the age of 5. I have been involved with computers since 1984, involved with the Internet since 1988, and involved with the Web since 1993. In 1998 I became a freelance IT consultant, and managed to survive for about a decade until I came to the uncomfortable realization that I simply wasn’t greedy enough, ruthless enough or duplicitous enough to be my own boss (Yeah, I’m a regular boy scout). I make extensive use of Libre software such as Linux and BSD, and have seen firsthand the destruction that a patent troll can bring down upon an innocent inventor who just happens to independently reinvent something that was just a little too similar to an existing patent (and which was far too obscure for him to discover even with the help of a patent lawyer). If anyone is interested, my
Curriculum Vitæ is online for perusal.
I will try to add more to this when I have the time. Thank you for considering me, whether or not you second my application.
