Barry Hess Gubernatorial candidate

Barry Hess, libertarian candidate for governor, wants everyone to "just chill out."

And he wants government to chill out, too, by slimming down and focusing on watching out for individual rights ÷ not on taxes and government-run services.

On education, Hess is trumpeting a drastically different slogan than his opponents: Refuse federal funding, don't increase it.

"Theft is still theft even by a committee called government," he said, talking about why he thinks the income tax is unfair and unconstitutional.

For Hess, a good university system in Arizona would be one that prepares people to make their own way in the world.

As he sees it, UA, ASU and NAU should offer "whatever the marketplace demands."

For example, if there's no demand or interest in mathematics, "Why offer it?" Hess questioned.

He'd like to see the universities rely less on state funding, eventually becoming private. For that reason, Hess said he backs President Pete Likins' "Focused Excellence" agenda.

The UA would also be wise, he said, to let students vote for the university president.

Higher education is not a right people are born with, he said.

And although Hess, who as governor would have influence over tuition increases at UA, said a tuition increase "might be necessary," he'd rather see the university keep costs low.

While the front-runners in this gubernatorial race, Janet Napolitano and Matt Salmon, want to see more federal dollars pumped into the state for education, Hess said he would refuse them.

The government has a role "to protect individual rights" and "make sure people don't hurt each other," he said.

In 2000, Hess tried to win the Libertarian nomination for president, but failed. He later made a run against U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl.

Now, making a bid for Arizona governor, Hess says the state can lead the way for the rest of the nation.

If Arizona sets the example and allows the free market to reign, the rest of the country will be apt to follow, he said.

A small business owner, Hess is not just in favor of gradually eliminating welfare programs; he has a consistent view on government handouts, advocating an end to government subsidies for business.

Hess' calm, soft-spoken attitude is a reflection of his "chill out" approach. He advocates an end to the drug war, but discourages drug use, adding, "People should decide what they're going to put in their bodies."

A distant fourth in the gubernatorial race, Hess, who owns a company that manufactures 5-pound granite replicas of the Ten Commandments, will focus on his efforts to legalize marijuana should his run prove unsuccessful.