I am a conservative and a Republican. At least I remain a Republican for the moment. I may become an independent soon because the Republican Party no longer truly represents my conservative thinking. I don't understand why the Republican Party is unable to field a real conservative for President.
Is John McCain the best this party can do, really? Honestly, I believe John McCain is a straight arrow with a host of heroism under his belt, but no one can seriously call him a conservative. In fact, John McCain has proven over and over he will move not just to the middle but even to the left to entice voters to his side. He is power hungry who has found himself dissatisfied with the Senate and now believes he is the right man to lead the county. I disagree and believe his election will seriously damage conservatism by trying to identify himself as a conservative who is very willing to redefine what conservatism is all about. Real conservatives understand that conservatism needs no redefinition, it's just fine the way it is. Although I must admit McCain is our only alternative this time around, but remember he like the Democrats seeks power and the prestige of the office. Here is why he is not a conservative; McCain will give blanket amnesty to all illegal immigrants living in the United States illegally. He will not secure our borders in a way that will stop the massive influx of illegals. McCain will not seriously address the issue of lowering taxes, he says now he will support the current Bush tax cuts but this is a flip flop from previous statements. McCain will not support drilling for oil in Anwar, the Continental Shelf, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean or seriously consider converting coal and shale into now reasonably priced oil. He will bend over backwards to appease Democrats on issue after issue. I'm not a political pundit or even the smartest guy in the neighborhood but even I know what it would take to be elected President of the United States in November. Most Americans will agree with me, yes even Democrats with the guts to admit it. If someone would stand up and with these five things and say they are only running for one term they would be the recipient of the biggest landslide win in history - guaranteed.
1. Fuel: We must become energy independent and the best way is a multi faceted approach. First we must change our current law to enable us to drill for oil, wherever and whenever we can and yes, that means Anwar so we can begin producing oil enough to eliminate the need to import or export oil to anyone. Second we are woefully behind in our refinement capability meaning we must to build new and improved refineries. I would recommend five, one in Pennsylvania, one in Georgia, one in Nebraska, one in Utah and one in Idaho. This will strategically provide fuel throughout the U.S. We should also begin construction on Nuclear Power generating facilities to augment antiquated power facilities throughout the U.S. In conjunction with these actions we must incentivize Americans and American companies to conserve fuel with tax credits. This can be applied widely in nearly every home and industry in the country. We must incentivize the ingenuity of the American inventor. We need new sources of energy and innovative ways to power cars, homes, towns and even the world. The fossil fuel producers of the world see it coming and have hiked the price of fossil fuel to hoard as many U.S. dollars as possible. They see the end is near for them. This is in part because Americans with their sincerity, generosity and kindness will not be dumped on like we are now. We should provide research dollars for any product that is made using petroleum for alternatives to be developed and marketed expeditiously. We have the world's largest shale deposits in our own back yard. There is enough shale that if converted to oil would be more oil than any amount of oil the Saudis can produce. With gas at $4.00 a gallon/$125 a barrel, it is now economical to mine it and refine it. We must begin immediately to convert shale from the earth to produce crude oil. We will build a shale processing facility in Colorado where a large part of the deposits are located. All of these actions will take time. However, we have to start today, right now. Even if this will take us 10 years to complete these actions will give us more independence. We need congressional cooperation so I say to you the voter, that when you notice your congressman and senators fighting these action, vote against them. That is exactly what I am going to do.
2. Economy: We must lower taxes on all Americans, yes I said all Americans, but every American should not have to pay taxes. Paying taxes invests us in our economy and in our nation, everyone one should pay some tax. Even more important is that we must lower the taxes on American corporations. We can make the United States of America the premier place in the world to do business but we have to make it worth the investment. We can draw major corporations to this country with a simple stroke of the Presidential pen. We can encourage States to provide Ad Valorem abatements and offer other incentives to create competition to get companies to come to their States. Lowering taxes on individuals and corporations will generate more revenue for the government; historically it always has in every single case. With that additional revenue we are going to pay off our National Debt to secure our future for our Grandchildren and further we are going to balance the annual budget and stick to it. The days of Pork Barrel legislation are over, Congress get used to it. There are many other actions that can be done to facilitate a growing economy and much has to do with deregulation and allow for more free market forces to work. We must stop taxing commodities out of business, like luxury items, cigarettes, gasoline, cell phones and many more.
3. Immigration: We must get a handle on illegal immigration. First thing to do is that we must secure all of our borders, north and south. Next we are going to provide a way to give legal residence to the 10-20 million illegal immigrants that are here. We will register them with ID Cards (fool proof), fingerprints, Social Security numbers etc. We have to know who and where they are, they are visitors to this country. They can stay and work as residents not as citizens and they will pay taxes like everyone else. Employers that hire anyone without a "resident" ID card you will be fined $10,000 for each one. We will beef up the ICE to enforce this and give local jurisdiction to local authorities. A path to citizenship will be provided the same as any other alien through the application process.
We will revisit our immigration laws to ensure a balance in population in order to maintain our culture as the United States and not be held hostage to any peoples. If a baby is born to illegal residents that child will not automatically be a citizen and yes I understand this will require a change to the Constitution so let's get to it.
4. The War: We are going to help Iraq win their war for freedom and democracy. We will double our effort to train the Iraqi forces to take over their own security - I believe the max time should be 3 years. We will provide continued limited security support for 3 additional years (Max of 25,000 troops). We will expect Iraq to repay us the entire costs of the Iraq war by providing the U.S. reduced priced oil. We will build up their infrastructure including power grids, fresh water, oil refining and drilling, sports facilities, homes and worship sites. If they blow it up, we won't rebuild them. We will sternly tell the rest of the Arab world to stay out of IRAQ and allow them the opportunity to develop and grow their own democracy or theocracy as they desire without outside help or influence from anyone, including the U.S.
5. Healthcare: We have the best healthcare system in the world and that is why when people in Germany, France, Canada or England want first class treatment they still come to the U.S. for the best health care in the world. That says it all for Universal Health Care - bad idea. However, we have problems. Insurance companies are getting rich and are overcharging on many fronts. First things first - we will limit personal liability injury cases in court to two million dollars, if a Doctor makes a mistake resulting in death, two million dollars is enough for anyone to live on. End of discussion. Next Mal Practice insurance may be provided by private associations and corporations allowing for more competition which will result in lower rates and possibly bring back physicians to small towns and private practices. Medicare prices will not be increased and the Government will negotiate for the best prices for all Americans but especially for seniors. All seniors regardless of income will have the best Medicare coverage. If you are able to pay then you will pay the nominal rate if not, it will be provided for you. Medicaid will be expanded to include all people not covered by healthcare. We will raise the limit to include those families (citizens/registered residents) determined to be working poor.
Insurance companies who carry medical insurance charge very high prices because Doctors and Hospitals charge so much for services. Everyone believes in a free market and profit but competition is the answer to keeping prices down and we will encourage and provide incentives for competition with hospitals and with other services. Competition is the answer for health insurance, so companies who buy insurance for their workers must look for the best deals for their employees. The same goes for prescription drugs and other services. This is a multi faceted problem of greed verses necessity. We must control greed with competition, it works every time.
In conclusion let me just note that if just one candidate would dare to take a serious and unmovable stand on something; I don't even care what it is, anything. they would be elected to the Presidency of the United States. I fully understand the above five issues are not completely unpacked and examined but they don't need to be. In my estimation if a candidate would demonstrate enough passion to even address these issues he would get my vote. How about you?
Dennis W. Atkins, Th.D.
Huntsville, Alabama
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