This is what I want from the government (not in any particular order):
- A military second to none. President Obama wants to bring the US in line with the Europeans militarily. That is not satisfactory to me. I’ve been to war and it isn’t pretty. Walk softly and carry a big stick works. I never wish to see a war on American soil.
- A level playing field. While I personally believe that affirmative action is no longer necessary, I understand that there are those who would disagree that “content of character” trumps color of skin. However, government should regulate – which means “to make regular” the rules under which we live with an eye toward promoting life, liberty and the ability to pursue happiness. (Tenth Amendment) Everything that can be delegated to states should be. Everything that states can delegate to counties should be and everything that counties can delegate to local government should be so that the people can take personal action to deal with the problems that they face. This is the very best way to level the field.
- Legislators are not sacred cows. They should make no law that exempts themselves from that law (ObamaCare comes to mind) nor should they accord themselves breaks that are not equally accorded to everyone else. (All pigs are equal but some are more equal than others philosophy)
- Allow me to be a sovereign individual. Government should work diligently to allow everyone the right to live without onerous mandates that impact the citizen’s abilities to live lives where they determine their own outcomes and work for their own advancement. I don’t want the government to ‘pick winners and losers’. This means that people should be free to arm and defend themselves. When seconds count, the police are minutes away.
- Encourage education in NECESSARY fields. I feel that giving student loans to students who with to major in the humanities is a waste of GOVERNMENT money. If somebody wants a liberal arts major, they can pay for it themselves. The US is behind in the sciences and we should encourage those majors. (Nobody believes that we have too few attorneys and social workers to meet the need)
- Healthcare is 20% of the economy and people from around the world come to the US to be treated because the level of care is second to none. Maintaining that reputation requires competition and a free market. Offering the lowest possible prices requires that government open markets to allow the medical and medical insurance industries to compete fairly in all states and territories. There needs to be a safety net for the poorest among us. We all should continue to contribute to that as a nation as we have been.
- Treat other nations fairly and demand the same treatment by them.
- Over regulation of financial markets and requiring that loans be accorded to people who could never qualify for them caused the financial markets to collapse in 2008. The free market picks winners and losers effectively, the government does not.
- Work to establish complete energy independence from the Middle East. Encourage nuclear power, coal power and other resources that are available to fulfill that urgent need.
- Work to establish manufacturing independence from China through opening markets in Latin America. I understand that this is a Romney talking point and I didn’t copy it from him. I personally believe that it’s necessary for the coming century. At the moment, our economy is almost completely dependent on cheap Chinese imports. That is not good.
- When all else fails, resort to the Constitution…
I lived through the miserable Carter years and America is suffering through the same treatment at the hands of President Obama. I also lived through the Reagan years and understand the difference.
President Carter apologized to everyone and spent trillions on the Cold War. Iranians took hostages at the embassy in Teheran because they didn’t fear President Carter. (he was a weak man – afraid of his shadow) Reagan ended the Cold War in his presidency and returned the nation to prosperity.
Every twenty or thirty years we need to be reminded what made and what keeps America great. Replacing what is good with ‘what sounds good’ hasn’t worked so far. For example, people believe that we can’t afford to pay for doctors, hospitals and medical care but they feel that it’s a splendid idea to pay for all of those things AND a massive government bureaucracy to manage it — so long as somebody else pays for it. While “money for nothing and chicks for free” sounds good, it never works. It’s time to get rid of “Obama Phones” and other cheap tricks designed to keep one party in power.
