What are our KEY ISSUES?

[Joe]

We are the party of freedom, creating new laws everyday. We are the party of less government, spending taxpayers' money at historical amounts. We say one thing and do another. We need action. Not rhetoric.

If we want our great party back we must first define what it is. What do we believe? What are our KEY ISSUES? And everything is on the table.

[Mark]

Strong Military (Peace through Strength)
Lower taxes - Less intrusive government if there's no money to spend on governement employees
Less Federal government. I think we'd all be shocked at how much the pulling of Federal money affects the decesions made by the people we send to office to represent us.

[Anna]

We need to speak out against the prinicpals of "shared prosperity" and celebrate a free economic society comprised of people who have taken advantage of the American dream and made a some money. We need to speak up and out for Corporate America and the so-called wealthy and not allow their prosperity and growth to be condemned by liberals who want to take their money and distribute it to the masses!!!! I realize in the economic condition of the country, it is sometimes hard to help people realize that we are still blessed. But we need to try and change hearts. Corporate America is not evil. Business and competition make this country great!!!

And, as long as we are talking about the wealth, let me speak a little about "poverty." I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Jamaica, and trust me...generally, poor people here have no idea what poverty is!!! Depending on the government is not the answer. Handouts are not the answer. Not working because you make more money on welfare is not cutting it. The United States is not the Nanny. We need to help the poor through private or community philanthropic efforts, and allow people to realize that with a little effort, they could also prosper!

[Mark]

As a young person just out of school – interestingly enough during the Regan Revolution – I lived in an urban area just outside the Chicago city limits. Down the street from my apartment there was a 7-11 convenience store it was nice having it there opened 24 hours. There was a guy who worked behind the counter of mid-eastern heritage (he was not the owner) who seemed to be there every time I came in regardless of the time of day. I’d be there @ 7:AM for coffee, he was there. I’d come in @ 8:PM for a box of macaroni & cheese he was there.

He waited on me one night rather late and as I was walking out of the store, there was a young man, obviously born in this country pan handling. As I sat in my car, it occurred to me what a remarkable contrast there was between these two guys. On one hand there was a guy from another part of the world who upon his arrival in the U.S., didn’t speak English; didn’t understand the monetary system; the public transportation system the proverbial fish out of water. The one thing he did understand that was abundantly clear was that if he worked hard – he would be able to improve his lot in life. In direct contrast, here was a native born citizen who has spoken the language from birth and doesn’t have any of the cultural issues to surmount, with the benefit of free education from kindergarten through 12th grade begging for a few pennies. I couldn’t understand why such a simple concept so clear to me and the clerk in the store eluded this fellow.

I suppose this was one of those profound moments that helped guide my life as a conservative. I’ve often thought about that incident and have come to essentially 2 conclusions.

Primarily, many of the problems of our nation stem from the dissolution of the American family. Fathers are virtually non existent in so many homes. Nearly 40% of all births in the U.S. are babies born out of wedlock and divorce rates are edging over 50%. That’s a lot of kids with no male influence. No boys learning how to be good honorable men. They don’t learn what it takes to support a family; they don’t learn the masculinity can be tempered with tenderness. The boys aren’t taught honor and manliness because the dad’s not there to teach them. Girls aren’t taught about what to look for in a man because there’s no one there to show her what a real man is like or supposed to be like.

The void is filled by government and gangs. The government replaces the husband and the gangs replace the father. We couldn’t have designed a worse system if we did it on purpose. Systemically the mind set when passing social legislation needs to change; included in all bills should be the measure of success expected should it become the law. This will obligate legislators to consider the law of unintended consequences. It’s a small step but I believe it can fundamentally change the way our government works.

The second thing I’ve noted over the years is a lack of work ethic. It’s been especially poignant since my wife and I have opened our own business. There’s a sense of entitlement among many of the people we’ve hired. Working and providing your best effort for the pay you get is concept that seems to be foreign to so many people. It seems that the mere fact that they show up entitles them to a pay check.

The young panhandler outside the 7-11 born and raised in America, did not have the basic understanding that the foreign clerk inside seemed to get as easily as putting one foot in front of the other to take a step. The neighbors of the American taxpayer are owed nothing that they themselves have not worked for.

This is nice lead to Anna’s comment about corporate America. The one thing about every business in the U.S. is that at some point it started just like ours. Some guy put his head on the chopping block for an idea; a belief in a new idea or product. Like us they risked everything really facing incredible odds. The government is not your friend. If someone ever shows up at

[Mark]

This is nice lead to Anna’s comment about corporate America. The one thing about every business in the U.S. is that at some point it started just like ours. Some guy put his head on the chopping block for an idea; a belief in a new idea or product. Like us they risked everything really facing incredible odds. The government is not your friend. If someone ever shows up at your door and says we’re from the government and we’re here to help run like the wind! We’ve just finished our tax returns and the amount of tax that’s been paid by our little shop is not to be believed. Sales tax; Federal Income Tax; State income tax; Employee Federal withholding tax; State employee withholding tax; Permit fees; taxes for gasoline surcharges for product deliveries; Local user fees etc etc etc. This was just for the store and doesn’t include our personal Federal & State returns. With all of the forms filled out it closely resembled the dimensions of an unabridged dictionary.

We’re a small business, however we have three people who draw paychecks; that doesn’t include the people we help to employ by extension –the truck drivers who deliver product; the bakers who make our bread; the butchers who process our meat and cold cuts and when we can, we donate back to the community. Now imagine that times 100 or 10,000 fold and it’s difficult to condemn corporate America. Corporate CEO’s get paid what they get paid because the decisions they make can affect the lives of millions of people – they don’t get paid to be wrong. If a line employee makes a mistake a mistake at the very least a little bit of product is wasted perhaps a customer is annoyed or lost. If the CEO makes a mistake, thousands to millions of dollars can be lost and at the worst manufacturing facilities are closed people lose their jobs as it also affects all of the people whose jobs depended on that manufacturing plant.

A favorite target is always “The BIG OIL Companies” does anybody remember when they were loosing money hand over fist because the price of oil was below $20.00 a barrel and yet new and safer ships were being built, drilling platforms were being built and searches for cleaner and more efficient fuels and processing was still being done. I could go on about drilling our own oil and how a new refinery hasn’t been built in over 40 years but that’s another subject.

So the next time someone starts decrying corporate greed ask them what they’ve done for the economy. Ask them where they think our government gets it funds and who ultimately pays that tab. You probably won’t be surprised by the ignorance of the answer but you will be that a person can actually be stupid enough to believe it.

[Anna]

Mark, what an awesome story! I wholeheartedly agree with you. I want to even take it a step further, as you speak of children being raised without mostly positive male influences. (sidenote: thank God their are still wonderful men like you and my husband in the world. As long as there's that, there is a bit of hope for those you influence by your example).

Anyway, I really think that the breakdown of the family is directly related to the loss of the WWII generation. I am 38 and was raised beautifully by my parents, who were children of the World War II generation of parents. These are the people who actually lived through the Depression and truly understood what it was like to lose everything, depend on family and community and live in moderation. The main values that brought this generation through the despair of the Depression were hard work, family, and a true hope <---not the Obama kind of hope. I can only imagine what it must have been like for a father at that time to know that he could not have a job, or even two, that offered his family the best of everything. Or his pride having lost everything, and seeing his family go from prospering to starving. And in the end, what did the dad's do? They went to work for the pennies they could. The gave up their dinners so their kids could eat! They were role models to their children, not because of what they could give them, but working hard and being determined...making the most of what they had, and teaching their children the same values. Many of the people of that time were immigrants, or children of some, and they had a deep appreciation for the American Dream!
HAHAHA, and now after having written this, I am thinking also that those living at this time understood most of all "it takes a village" concept. Not in the way Hillary means it.

I fear that unless our generation goes back to those values instilled in our parents by their parents, the strength of the family and especially the role of the father, we are in deep trouble. FDR thought he was doing them a favor by intervening with the New Deal, but I am positive that that deal was what doomed us for generations of Americans who epected the government to fix everything!

And another side note, the strength of a mother is equally important and made only stronger with the strength of her companion. Mom's could also learn by leading by example, offering the stregth of those WWII and Depression mom's that smiled even though they were crying inside. That is stength!

[Joe]

We can all agree on the FACT that we are over taxed and the code is out of control. So which is the better solution?

The fair tax?, or
The flat tax?

[Anna]

I do not really know which would be better. Right now I would be more apt to think a flat tax would be better...so that everyone, no matter how much they make, would pay the same percentage. It would truly be the most fair. HAHAHA, I suppose in the end, the rich <---wait let's redefine rich as being anyone above the poverty line since the middle class is being wiped out...anyway, the rich would still pay the most as their contribution would still be larger based on their income. I dunno Joe, that is a tough one. Do you actually think that Republicans would have the courgage to stand up for either of them? I can only hope!

[Scott A]

I am sorry that i am so late to the debate on this, as taxes are one of my fav issues to talk about... both fair and flat would be better than the monster that we have now, but there is one big difference between the two as i understand it.... the flat tax taxes income , while the fair taxes taxes consumption. for this reason i believe that the fair tax is better. any time you tax (punish) someone for making money i believe you are discouraging them and restraigning(sp) there biz creativity. With a fair tax you are choosing to pay the tax with your consumption, if you want to pay less tax you have the choice to do so, and of course it can always be spun to say the rich spend more so they will pay more taxes.

P.S. some might say that this would discourage people from spending. I do not beleive this to be so since your paycheck would not be taxed you would certainly have alot more money to spend, and we all know how much americans love to spend...

[christo]

Hi, as a foregner in this contry it is very interesting to me to hear the opinions posted. But I can't restrain myself of not giving my opinion on the matter.
I see that you belive in general that everybody should fend for themselves and if the govorment intrudes it makes people immoral and children fatherless. /Sorry for the oversimplification/
I suggest traveling and looking at other cutires and way people live. I must ashure you that in Europe kids have their fathers to learn from, people have good friends to rely on and have fun with, and goverment does what is supposed to do more or less. And trust me socialized medicine and long vacation are not demoralizing at all.
Down time creates good families, not working two jobs and sruggling to pay the bills /and they are a lot - the circle is work more -pay more- work even more and so on/.
I don't see anything wrong with chanalling the wealth so it affects everybody. I mean it can't be my son's school to have a junk buss and a coppy mashine from the 80's - his school resembling a refugee camp- while getting his education in the welthiest contry in the world... And a lot of other things that are striking to me but don't want to waist time on writing.
Nevertheless I agree with part of the opinions and understand the guy in 7/11, /I delivered pizza whhen I frist came and before I started working in the animation industry/. But my opinion on the guy otside begging differs a bit it might be more complex than it looks. It could be a reflex on the very competitive "winner or looser" culture in america , I used to have a neighbour who's fatehr is very rich his mother good looking lady and yet he is fat and a tottal slacker smoking weed all day. Observing him I reached to the conclusion that he gave up early because he could't compete with the expectation that were imposed by his fammily and society in general. Hence not a winner but a tottal looser. No middle ground for him in the society, every time he should look at the eyes of his relatives he knows there is "looser" writen on his forehead. Also he is very bitter with his father, who worked a lot.
I don't want to turn anybody down by my comments and probably they are not put elequently enough but just wanted to put some descent in the disscussion and somewhat put an outside view for your concideration. I also appreciate intelegent talk and hearing the republican side without gay marriage - abortion - god -being mentioned. It is very refreshing. You have to understand that until today I thought of republicans being exatly this .
And as a conclusion, I am happy to have found you and will be regularly visiting to check on opinions in broadening my understanding of this great country.
regards
christo
P.S. I know the reply wold be -roughly put "Go back to your country if you don't like ours" and my reply is I like your country and want to make US a country of mine too, I am legaly residing I pay roughly 450$ of taxes every week and I am eligible to become a citizen and voting too. I only wish my new contry to be more and more to my liking, because I really believe it could be.

[Mark]

Christo:
As a native born American I welcome legal immigrants they are and continue to be what is and what has made America great. My Grandparents were faced with signs that said “Irish need not apply” yet they still managed to find work and improve their life and thus that of their children, my parents.
If you read our Declaration of independence our founding fathers said that All men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights those being Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness. There is no guarantee of success or happiness that, is within the control of each person and the choice is theirs to make.
Channeling wealth an interesting choice of words? Your son’s school has an 80’s copy machine and a junk bus because money for those needed pieces of equipment are being used to fund social engineering programs. I have a special needs kid at his last IEP there were no less than 8 “counselors” in the room each with file folders on a kid who’s been in the school for 2 years. These folders had enough paper work in each to make the U.S. Tax code look like a quick read. Your son has to ride a Junk bus because each school is required to have these counselors. The copy machine is from the 80’s because the school is required to have sensitivity training and sex ed courses. They no longer teach just reading writing and arithmetic.
The guy outside the 7-11 like your neighbor had all the chances and breaks in the world and it was each ones “CHOICE” to either panhandle or lay around and smoke weed all day no one MADE them do it.
He’s a loser because he’s chosen to be one maybe his parents gave him too much growing up and never taught him a work ethic. I’m sorry but now he’s grown up and it’s time to do things for himself. Is it our responsibility to support someone who is perfectly able to support themselves but chooses not to? No one is winning at either of these guys expense. American conservatives don’t believe in a winner/loser culture; that if someone wins another person must lose that’s at the core of liberalism. Conservatives believe that everyone can win. For example if your neighbor sobered up and got a job he would win in that he would gain self respect, a salary and no longer be a burden on the US Taxpayer but a contributor. With a smidgen of ambition he can be as successful, by his own measure as he chooses. I win as an American taxpayer and as a business owner, I may have a potential future employee. He wins – I win.
You mention you pay $450.00 dollars a week in taxes – have you counted the Social Security you pay into and probably will never see (FYI Your employer pays a like amount if he didn’t have to that could be part of your salary) did you count the governmental “fees”? How about the taxes you pay on property, sales tax; the tax you pay at the fuel pump, when you pay your phone bill, electric bill; gas bill etc. How about the taxes you pay when you buy school supplies and clothes for your son to go to school? Did you count that too? Let’s say instead of the government confiscating money from your paycheck a governmental employee came to your door every payday and walked you over to your neighbor and made you give him the $450.00. After seeing him stoned in the morning on your way to work and then stoned when you got home after a while you’d come to resent this. Suppose after a few months of this, he got his girlfriend pregnant? Now, even though your salary hasn’t gone up, the government worker now requires you to give your neighbor $525.00 so he can support his new child and his girlfriend! It wouldn’t be long before you’d start rebelling and demamding he do something to help support his family,I assure you. Well I started working at 14 years old and I’ll tell you after having this done to me for over 30 years well, I’ve had enough. Also, at $450.00 do you think you’re getting value for that money? Is it being spent as well as you could spend it? Suppose the government only confiscated 250.00/week you could give the other 200 to your church or another charitable organization that would actually do some good with it rather than spend 175.00 of it to make sure that you were in compliance with all of the governmental mandates.
It is true government makes father less homes. Believe it or not a woman who applies for AFDC will not receive any benefits if the children’s father is living with them so it’s easy for the father to leave and easier for the woman to tell the guy to take a powder. I won’t argue that the state of healthcare isn’t what it should or can be but I do know that the answer is NOT governmental control of it. The fact that your son rides a junky school bus and the school has a copier from the 80’s should be a clear enough example for you. Do you still believe most disease can be cured with leeches you'd have to if the government ran our health care. Think healthcare is expensie now wait until it's free. If our Health care system is so bad why are the hospitals along the Canadian border loaded with Canadian’s who can't get treatment in their governmental healthcare program? The problem starts with lawsuits and filters through insurance companies. A free market solution would solve most of these problems or a win- win situation. You’re probably getting your information from the New York Times; MSNBC or NBC who would have you believe that there are millions of Americans with out healthcare but by law no one is denied medical attention in the US – you won’t hear that from any of those sources.

[christo]

Hi Mark,
thank for the lengty reply,
your imput is highly appreciated and valued.
My point of view has been shaped by my travelling and spending time in other countries, also listening to ultra right cristian radio, ultra left, public radio and recently Danny's radio and Air America. Plus all the news you can get on cable: BBC FOX etc. I haven't been to a black church or any of the others yet, but maybe in the future. Believe me I only wnat to understand both sides and I am fairly independant minded.
Oh and the tax from my paycheck is 506$, and I defenetly don't get a fair trade for my money.
Especially when I needed help 3 years ago, while my old company closed I was out of work, no health inshurance and wife pregnant with second son. Soon I realized that she is uninshurable because of preexisting condition, I don't qualify for any help from the goverment, because my unemployment benefit was putting me in the not so poor category. Believe me it was few stresfull months that we had to endure.
Bottom line I am ready to pay 600$ or more every week but not to go trough this again, and to know that when I need help I will get it. And oddly enough in many countries people are getting it. So speaking from my own prespective and interest I would like to see more of of the good things that people enjoy in let's say Sweden or Switzerland and keep the good thing that are American. That's all. My only choise at the moment is building my own fortress of security and wealth, disregarding anybody else, which is kind of hard, since I have been on the other side. And NO I will not give my money to a church and hope that they will help the needy, by air dropping Bibles.
regards
christo

[christo]

Hi Mark,
thank for the lengty reply,
your imput is highly appreciated and valued.
My point of view has been shaped by my travelling and spending time in other countries, also listening to ultra right cristian radio, ultra left, public radio and recently Danny's radio and Air America. Plus all the news you can get on cable: BBC FOX etc. I haven't been to a black church or any of the others yet, but maybe in the future. Believe me I only wnat to understand both sides and I am fairly independant minded.
Oh and the tax from my paycheck is 506$, and I defenetly don't get a fair trade for my money.
Especially when I needed help 3 years ago, while my old company closed I was out of work, no health inshurance and wife pregnant with second son. Soon I realized that she is uninshurable because of preexisting condition /understand being pregnant!!!/, I don't qualify for any help from the goverment, because my unemployment benefit was putting me in the not so poor category. Believe me it was few stresfull months that we had to endure.
I understand that Conservatives think that regulations and goverment are the boogie man but I've seen that they do good in times when it counts.
Bottom line I am ready to pay 600$ or more every week but not to go trough this again, and to know that when I need help I will get it. And oddly enough in many countries people are getting it. So speaking from my own prespective and interest I would like to see more of of the good things that people enjoy in let's say Sweden or Switzerland and keep the good thing that are American. That's all. My only choise at the moment is building my own fortress of security and wealth, disregarding anybody else, which is kind of hard, since I have been on the other side. And NO I will not give my money to a church and hope that they will help the needy, by air dropping Bibles.
regards
christo