Issues
Fiscal Responsibility
The Obama/Pelosi/Reid cabal simply has the wrong end of the stick when it comes to government spending. America does not have an income problem, it has a spending problem. Placing more and more of our economic output in the hands of the federal bureaucracy is a prescription for eventual melt down. The Obama/Pelosi/Reid plan has already burdened our children with a mountain of debt, debt that will retard growth and deny prosperity to untold numbers of Americans. Government spending does not breed prosperity. Period.
It’s not as if we don’t have plenty of examples of the pernicious nature of an overspending government. As the most recent economic downturn was occurring, states across the nation continued to expand spending like typical tax & spend liberals; California has simply spent their way to beggary, they are bankrupt. The nation can’t afford (in any sense) to follow the same path as our dysfunctional neighbor to the south.
As a congressman, I will not vote for any measure that places additional tax burdens on America’s hard-working citizens. The central duty of representative government is to make hard choices with the resources available. I welcome the challenge!
Wisdom from the "other" Fred Thompson
The frightening thing about the following video is that it was recorded in 2008. Now that we've heard the content-free State of the Union address, we darn well better keep the following in mind!
Healthcare Reform
The “Healthcare Reform” plan finally emerging from Congress is another big spending, dumb idea from the Democratic majority. Every version proposed simply trades in one set of problems for another set of more expensive problems. If you believe that a government mandated/run healthcare system will result in greater personal choice and better service at lower costs, call me, I have land for sale on the moon.
Many problems with our current healthcare programs are the result of government mandate: employer based insurance, lack of portability, restricted markets, restrictions regarding pre-existing conditions, and choice of coverage type. Principled Republicans in Congress have proposed alternative approaches that reflect the unique nature of America’s population and traditions.
We are all looking for quality healthcare that will be affordable, accessible, and portable. We can do this by using a system of tax credits/vouchers so that individuals and families will be guaranteed the means to purchase their own healthcare insurance plan. Personal choice, personal ownership, and personal management are the only hope for a lasting, affordable overhaul of the healthcare system.
Illegal Immigration
Although currently under assault by the Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda, America has been the land of opportunity. It is only natural for many of those living under the thumb of a repressive kleptrocracy to want to come here. But we are also a land of law, and many of our problems with illegal residents spring from our failure to enforce that law.
No nation can long endure which does not control its borders. We must give appropriate agencies the resources to secure our borders by any effective means. Secondly, before we can even have a national debate on how we wish to approach immigration, we must enforce the laws we already have. There are many sides to the immigration debate, but how can any such debate be taken seriously when we disregard the law?
Immigration is an American tradition and has historically enriched our land of opportunity, but we owe it to posterity to take a more reasoned approach.
Gun Ownership
Every law-abiding American Citizen has the right to self-defense which is protected by the plain language of the 2nd Amendment as their right to keep and bear arms. I will vote against any attempts to weaken or abolish the 2nd Amendment.
War and the Constitution
Any review of America’s overseas entanglements of the last fifty years must conclude that military action without a Declaration of War by Congress leads to weak national resolve. Our armed forces deserve our full support when committed, and we should commit them only to achieve victory. We can no longer permit the current majority party to provide situational support for our men and women in uniform: no more support the troops while strangling their victory. Either do or don’t do, simple hope is not enough.
Values
Abortion is a crime against our basic humanity, it reduces us all. I am Pro-Life, and will support measures that reduce or eliminate the practice.
The radical left’s willingness to weaken marriage is very dangerous. I understand that some Americans may feel bad, but the lawful union of a man and a woman is a pillar of our cultural cohesion. Research continues to indicate that children do best in a traditional marriage. I will be a consistent voice and vote against attempts to change the traditional definition of marriage.
Natural Resources
We must provide affordable energy, efficient transportation, and cost effective building materials if we plan on continuing the miracle that has been the American economy. We must also preserve our beautiful State’s environment for succeeding generations. These goals need not be contradictory.
The radical environmental agenda will result in fewer opportunities for individual prosperity. Moreover, they will create indefensible social injustice as the least able to afford it will pay the greatest price. This is, of course, just fine by the current majority party as more and more Americans will be forced to rely on government largess.
I will support legislation that will increase energy production through the cleanest and least expensive means possible, that will move more people and goods at the lowest costs, and that will provide the building industry with appropriate materials while preserving our natural wonderland. What I won’t support are energy production or environmental boondoggles at inflated costs with little value.
