In an effort to provide Sacramento State students with an alternative political perspective, the Progressive Students Union invited Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gray to campus Oct. 20.

“I think our goal was to open up third party candidates and propositions,” said Progressive Students President Lindsey Brown, who said she wished more students had attended.

About a dozen students participated as Gray gave a speech and took questions in the Forest Suite inside the University Union.

Sean Catanese, Progressive Students publicity officer, said the organization is interested in letting third party voices be heard because the organization looks for diversity.

Gray has been a superior court judge and a federal prosecutor, and is now on unpaid leave of absence from his duties as a judge in Orange County as he makes a run for the Senate.

Gray said since he’s a judge, not a politician, he would not be partisan as a senator.

As he spoke on various propositions, Gray said he believes this election is the biggest in our history, and students should care.

Gray said Americans’ civil liberties are being attacked under the Patriot Act, and the federal government is growing too rapidly. He said he would like a cut back in government intervention.

Gray believes the federal government has no business in education because of the unwillingness of lawmakers to take responsibility for failure in the public school system. In health care, he said government should be a “safety net,” and citizens should have an account that is solely there for accumulation of funds for healthcare. Gray said he remembered when healthcare was excellent and the envy of other nations.

“There are two areas where you could get quality prices: with Lasik and cosmetic surgery because government is not involved,” Gray said.

If elected, Gray said he would verify whether current agencies are fit to continue their work within the government by mandating a commission and seeking an affirmative from Congress. If an agency does not pass, its finances would be cut to save money. Acceptable agencies would receive five more years to continue.

“I am convinced that some agencies will not be able to pass scrutiny,” Gray said. Gray said he is convinced social security will not be available for students once they reach retirement age because the system is based on borrowing.

“We have more and more people claiming and fewer people putting in,” Gray said. Gray said the federal government should fight the war on drugs with a different approach, by treating marijuana as beer and letting each state decide. He said California taxpayers would save $1 billion on what is currently being used to fund programs that look to stop marijuana usage.

Gray said he remembered how united people were right after the terrorist attacks and how French President Jacques Chirac said, “We’re all Americans now.”

He said under his leadership he would bring nations back and gain an international support that was omnipresent before and was lost under President George Bush. He also questioned what America is doing now by alienating other nations and blamed every Congress member for being in Iraq.

“People are saying what is not working in Iraq, but I want to hear what could be done,” Dr. Lee Welter said. “He has really good principles and he’s open-minded. I’m disappointed he’s not getting more publicity. He’s got favorable feedback.”