Issues

ISSUES

Iraq and Afghanistan

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that there can be no military solution in Iraq or Afghanistan. There must be a political solution. For the Iraqi’s to have a free society, they must have law and order. But order cannot be maintained without the people’s respect for the laws and the leaders who govern them. The military cannot force that on a free society. 

Part of the reason for the reduction in violence in Iraq can be attributed to the multi-tiered expansion of government. Local government units are being created that give the average Iraqi a voice for the first time in their lives. Access to government leads to involvement which leads to empowerment and an empowered populace can succeed in building a great society.

For the United States to succeed in Iraq we must be a constructive force rather than a destructive force. Let us move from the US Marine Corps to the US Diplomatic Corps and prove to the Iraqis that the pen is truly mightier than the sword.

The Economy

By any objective standard we should be in a much deeper recession than we currently find ourselves. Our broad based economy provides a buffer that allows multiple industries to pick up the slack when one or more falter. But that cannot continue for very long.

The disaster in the U.S. housing market did not result from market forces, but was caused by unbridled greed. Two of the CEOs who were directly responsible for the housing foreclosure crisis were rewarded with huge multi-million dollar exit packages. Our economy will suffer as long as greed is allowed to reign unchecked.

As an increasing number of businesses come under the control of fewer and fewer people, our broad based economy is disappearing. If this trend continues our economy will become less and less stable and the next industry giant that falls may take us all into a depression.

A broad economy is a stable economy. The increasing concentration of economic power creates a thin and fragile economy that is vulnerable to abuse. We must create an environment where businesses of all sizes can work fairly and competitively together.

Energy

The United States must find our way towards energy independence. We have technologies today to create new energy supplies that are far superior to fossil fuels and lessen our impact on the environment at the same time. Coal and oil have served us well but the time has come to leave the past and embrace the present opportunities to move into a world of new energy and new opportunity.

There are multiple technologies that transform wind, solar and the earth’s own heat into usable and reusable energy and bio-fuels that can come from vast, plentiful and renewable sources. We have hybrid, hydrogen and fuel cell technologies changing the way our cars are powered. Much of the technology is already available, but it’s going to take all of us to make it work.

Renewable energy sources are our future. We cannot afford to wait and buy the technology from Japan, Russia or China. We must get to work and become the world leader in safe, affordable, sustainable energy.

Healthcare

Healthcare costs are rising at astounding rates, many times the rate of inflation. We are faced with a long-term fiscal crisis that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, threatens to consume nearly one half of our Gross Domestic Product. This is unacceptable.

We must seek bipartisan ways to lower costs and make healthcare affordable for everyone, providers and recipients alike. Part of the solution involves ensuring that everyone has access to information, products and services and creates to seek and maintain a healthier society.

Healthcare professionals across the board recognize that preventive measures, promoting healthy choices, and access to affordable services greatly reduces the need for expensive acute care. This is something we all agree on; let’s focus our attention on preventing catastrophic illness by fostering healthy choices and well being for all our citizens.

Education and Training

There is a new, robust economy on the horizon born from America’s need for energy independence and the necessity to adapt to global climate change. We need to shift our educational focus from test taking skills to real world skills to take advantage of these opportunities.

By developing specific practical models for math, science and technology training we will empower our children to become innovators and to prosper in the new technologies, industries and markets that will dominate the 21^st century.

We must train teachers in these developing fields and insure that their salaries increase commensurate with their valuable contributions.

For those workers who have lost jobs due to changing markets we must provide dynamic retraining programs plus incentives for businesses in emerging industries to train and hire these workers.  America needs to move forward now to effectively compete with Europe, China, India and the rest of the world. Standardized tests are simply a method for determining where our students need help. It is now time to give them that help.

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration creates a multitude of problems that will not be easily or quickly fixed. Democrats and Republicans alike agree that we must find ways to reduce the influx of illegal immigrants and to deal with the millions who are already here. It is vital to recognize that the vast majority of illegal immigrants are caring, loving, respectful people who have come here to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Just like most of the millions of immigrants who have come to the United States for over 230 years. 

It is inconceivable to think that we could expel 12 – 15 million people without terrible consequences. History would not judge us well for such a barbaric act.

Responsible Government 

The size of our government is not nearly as important as its quality. In practical terms, it does not matter if we have a large inefficient government, a small over worked government or a medium sized government that still doesn’t work well.