I’ve been distributing campaign cups (Chabot Cups) for quite a few years now – in fact, back to my days on City Council, back in the ‘80s. Chances are, if you read this blog on a regular basis, you probably have one somewhere, or two, or dozens.
Because our country faces so many challenges at the present time, and because our current leadership in Washington seems unwilling or unable to recognize these challenges, much less do anything constructive about them, I decided this year to list the most important issues facing our nation – and put them on the cup. I call it:
10 WAYS TO GET AMERICA BACK ON TRACK.
1. STOP THE SPENDING
2. NO MORE BAILOUTS
3. STOP GROWING GOVERNMENT
4. RE-ENERGIZE THE ECONOMY
5. STOP SOCIALIZED MEDICINE
6. CUT TAXES
7. GROW PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS
8. STOP PELOSI
9. DUMP DRIEHAUS (HE VOTES WITH NANCY PELOSI 94% OF THE TIME!)
10. ELECT STEVE CHABOT TO CONGRESS
Now I’ll put a little meat on the bones.
1. STOP THE SPENDING. If we don’t do this, we’re finished. We now have a $13 trillion debt. The Democrats who control Congress are so clueless that they’ve thrown up their hands, and this year for the first time in 36 years, aren’t even going to pass a budget – so there are no limits on what Congress can spend. Social Security is going into the red this year. And all those bad things that were projected to happen sometime in the future if we didn’t get spending under control – they’re happening now.
2. NO MORE BAILOUTS. The two biggest bailouts in our nation’s history – the bank bailout and the auto industry bailout – I voted against them both, and I’d do it again. It’s just wrong to put the American taxpayer on the hook for the mistakes of others. And it just makes bailouts in the future more likely. We’re telling irresponsible risk takers and speculators to go ahead, don’t worry about common sense and sound business practices, we’ll be there to bail you out next time.
3. STOP GROWING GOVERNMENT. Thomas Jefferson has to be rolling over in his grave. He firmly believed that that government which governs least governs best, but this government is growing by leaps and bounds. Government takeovers of the banks, insurance industry, auto industry, health care, and soon to be financial services. What’s next? What will be left to take over? We’re well on our way to becoming a European social democracy-styled welfare state.
4. RE-ENERGIZING THE ECONOMY. Many Americans are hurting. The national unemployment rate is approximately 10%, or 17%-20% if you include the underemployed and people who can only find part-time work. And the Ohio unemployment rate is approximately 11%. This is more than a year after passage of the so-called economic stimulus package. President Obama had promised that unemployment wouldn’t rise above 8% if it was passed. It clearly hasn’t worked.
In order to re-energize the economy we need to do numbers 1,2, and 3 above and cut taxes across the board on all Americans who actually pay taxes. The way to spur economic growth is to let people keep more of their hard-earned money, and let them spend it as they see fit, not as the government sees fit.
5. STOP SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. Whether you call it Obamacare, Pelosicare, socialized medicine or whatever, the American people were opposed to it, but this arrogant Congress passed it anyway. Are we stuck with it? Only time will tell. But at least 20 states have either filed lawsuits or are attempting to pass legislation to stop it. If Republicans take back the House this year, and I think that’s becoming more and more likely, we may be able to stop the funding of the implementation of the legislation. If Republicans take back the House and the Senate we might be able to repeal the legislation, but President Obama would likely veto the repeal, and it takes a 2/3 vote in both houses to override a veto. The health care legislation and what to do about it would be a key issue in the 2012 Presidential Election. Since much of the legislation doesn’t take effect until after 2012, there’s still time.
6. CUT TAXES. We are not under taxed – Congress over spends. That’s why the budget isn’t balanced. Not only do we need to reduce the tax burden on the American people, but we need to simplify the tax code.
7. GROW PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS. The so-called stimulus package stimulated the growth of government jobs, but did not stimulate jobs in the private sector. 70% of the jobs created over the past two decades have been created by small businesses. The Obama Administration and the Pelosi/Reid Congress have been putting additional burdens on small businesses, health care being a perfect example. And this has stifled job growth. We need to reduce the tax burden, the regulation burden, and the red tape burden on small businesses if we are to grow jobs in the private sector.
8. STOP PELOSI. She is without doubt the most liberal Speaker in our nation’s history. She doesn’t give a hoot what the American people think; she knows best. And who can forget “we have to pass the bill to see what’s in it.” She must be stopped.
9. DUMP DRIEHAUS (HE VOTES WITH NANCY PELOSI 94% OF THE TIME!). His very first vote was to make her Speaker of the House. He’s voted with her on the so-called stimulus package, the budget, Cap and Trade, health care (after leading us to believe he would vote against it), and on and on. We deserve better representation in Washington than this.
10. ELECT STEVE CHABOT TO CONGRESS. (I guess you saw this one coming.)
In conclusion, it’s not too late to get our nation back on track. A lot of damage has been done, with the overspending, and the bailouts, and the government takeovers… But we are a great nation, and I’m an optimist like one of our greatest Presidents, Ronald Reagan, who truly believed that our best years are still ahead of us. I believe that too. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work, by a lot of patriotic people who love their country. I’m up to the challenge. I know you are too.