Strong Economy, Safe at Home, Respected Abroad

On Friday March 14, 2008, President Bush spoke to the New York Economic Club saying, “…the economy is going through a tough time.”  What he doesn’t acknowledge is that it is the people who are going through a tough time.

Our website will highlight a few of the major concerns we have in North Florida along with my ideas for creating lasting solutions.  Our challenges are many and these positions focus on finding a better way to address these challenges.  I believe, by and large, our elected officials are good people with good intentions, but they simply don’t understand the nature of the problem.  Too often officials see issues like the economy in an abstract, far removed realm instead of in more concrete terms such as "the people."  We need a better perspective from which to analyze the monumental problems we face right now and from which to move forward together.  We are a government for the people and by the people – that is what I believe. 

Strong Economy

The first element in rebuilding our economic strength is to get our deficit under control and to stop the free fall in the value of our dollar.  Bold movement in addressing these issues will restore confidence in both consumers and the financial markets.

We need to reduce the national debt: 

• Rebuild budget discipline; return to “pay as you go” budgets
• Reduce earmark expenditures
• Stop subsidies to profitable companies, like oil companies
• Create jobs in a new energy economy -- green collar jobs
• Help consumers who are caught in the mortgage credit crunch
• Pursue healthcare reform that reduces cost for consumers and businesses, providing affordable access for all to health insurance
• Acknowledge that lengthy military operations in the Middle East are not improving our economic security and ultimately not improving national security

Safe at Home

We need to recognize the fact that safety and security can not be provided by the government in the form of the Dept. of Homeland Security or even our great Military.  It starts and ends with the citizens.  To be safe at home, we must be strong on the economy, education, and long term planning.  These items are the foundation of safety and security.

We need to build upon the strength of our citizenry:

• Restore our constitutional rights -- we can have improved national security without sacrificing basic civil liberties
• Recognize the Global War on Terror (GWOT) must be fought by more than our military alone; we need a stronger coalition with better intelligence sharing between countries
• Invest in school infrastructure, Head Start, and K-12 education including after school programs that provide alternatives to drugs, gangs, and crime
• Establish new programs for non-violent offenders to re-engage with society -- including job training and transitional housing so they can contribute to society as opposed to being a drain on it
• Ensure a Government supported healthcare solution for all children
• Promote voluntary National service, either in the military, AmeriCorps, or other programs that contribute to the strength of our society

Respected Abroad

Regardless of whether the war in Iraq was a mistake, it is part of our present reality.  The unfortunate reality is that while it was a flawlessly executed military operation; it was a misguided war and has not made us safer.  Furthermore, this conflict is putting a significant strain on our military resources, constraining our capacity to deal with the true threat of Al Qaeda and Islamic extremism.  Al Qaeda's leadership is still hiding out and regrouping in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  We can build a broad coalition of partners willing to fight the type of Islamic extremism which fills the ranks of Al Qaeda.  What we can not afford is to squander precious American lives and treasure to displace dictators who do not threaten American lives.  Orderly and promptly withdrawing from Iraq is a necessary part of our GWOT victory strategy. The Iraqis have to take responsibility for their own governance and find a path toward political reconciliation.  Again, we need to refocus our international efforts on the broader GWOT and building alliances with our friends around the world.

America needs to:

• Clearly articulate to the world that we have no quarrel with Islam or its people but we will defend American lives anywhere in the world where they are threatened
• Regain the moral high ground -- abide by the Geneva Conventions and stop torture or anything that borders on torture.  Do this not because our enemy deserves it, but because that is who we want to be
• Talk to other countries -- including those who we don't always agree with, even if using a third party is necessary
• Recognize diplomacy is not appeasement, but do not relinquish US sovereignty to the United Nations or any other organization