Presidential Preference Portfolio Event

South Florida 912 and the Palm Beach County Tea Party are jointly hosting a Presidential Preference Portfolio event for January 10 at the First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach on Flagler Drive. It will be moderated by Brian Mudd, Program Director 1290 WJNO & 1230 WBZT, Financial Analyst & Co-Host for The Palm Beaches Morning Rush.

The introduction of our 2012 Grassroots Presidential Preference Primary Voter’s Guide is a key part of preparation, and it will be made available at the event.

Each of the eight major Presidential campaigns are being asked to participate, and have been sent a series of questions designed to “get beyond the sound bites” and help us get to know the contenders on the basis of how they would approach the job, and how well suited to it they are.

The project has three parts – the questions, the event itself, and a member survey that asks each of us to score the candidates in the key areas of Leadership, Character, Worldview, Quality of Solutions, and Governing Style. The results of the survey will be included in the Voter’s Guide (available the night of the event), along with the candidate’s answers and our analysis of their policy positions. Following the event, after you have seen how they answered, we will ask you to take the survey a second time and we will record the changes (if any).

The Voter’s Guide will also have a section for the candidates policy positions, either provided by the campaigns or determined by our researchers from publically available campaign collateral and websites. Through this process, we hope to help you (and others who use our voter’s guide) to make an informed selection in the January 31 Florida Presidential Preference Primary.

Click below to RSVP:

Member Survey

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We need your views of the candidates for the process. Please CLICK HERE to take the survey now. You must be logged in to register your results.

Background

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The 2012 Elections are both a referendum on the stewardship of Barack Obama, as well as a choice of what kind of country we are going to become. The Republican standard bearer will carry enormous responsibility to offer a compelling alternative to the progressive, anti-business, social-democratic future that the last 3 years has foreshadowed.

So much damage has been done to our country through enormous deficits, out of control spending, suffocating regulations, erosion of property rights and the rule of law, and a feckless and incoherent foreign policy, that stopping the damage is not enough. The next President must roll back the excesses of the past few years and restore our Republic to one of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.

It is a unique time. The country is gripped by fear and crushed by pessimism, yet we are yearning for leadership and open to new ideas. Not since the Carter Administration has there been such malaise, and polls show many think America’s best days are behind her and their children are destined to a lower standard of living and crushing debt. We fear our liberties are being eroded by a massive and growing federal government, that crony capitalism has corrupted the highest reaches of government, corporations and the banking system, that our traditional values of the family, the community, and the nation have been morphed into something unrecognizable. Yet there is some leadership to be seen away from Washington as the states press their case to overturn Obamacare and take the initiative on immigration policy from a failed federal bureaucracy. We as a people are resilient and capable, and will respond to a leader with bold new ideas and a commitment to fixing America.

The next President must have the right policy prescriptions for today’s known problems, and most of our candidates do, but that is not enough. Whoever assumes the position must also be able to meet and triumph over the challenges that lie ahead in an increasingly dangerous world, for a country left in a weakened state from fiscal irresponsibility, a decade of war, and a business sector left reeling from suffocating regulations and economic hardship that has led to the highest sustained level of unemployment since the Great Depression.

How can we determine who can carry this mantel?

We believe the qualifications of our champion can be found in five key dimensions:

• Leadership – who can inspire us to greatness? Who has the ability to clearly lay out the problem, communicate the urgency, convince us to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve success?
• Character – who can we trust? Who is loyal to their principles and their countrymen, respects others’ points of view, yet has the courage and confidence to make politically difficult choices?
• Worldview – who sees the world as we do? Who sees America as exceptional, its people capable and motivated, its strength in the individual efforts and decisions of the many,not the central wisdom of government?
• Quality of Solutions – who has proposed solutions that really get to the crux of the problem? Who understands that changes have consequences and can explain the broader ramifications of their tax plan or their entitlement reform proposals?
• Governing Style – who is likely to see their solutions implemented? How will they work with Congress, particularly the other party to form governing majorities on issues? Who can use their political capital and support from the voters to realize a mandate for change?

Candidate Questions

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In order to explore these dimensions for each of the candidates, we have prepared the following set of questions. The campaigns have been asked to answer them both in an absolute sense as well as how their candidate’s values may differ from their competitors for the nomination. Obviously, there are no wrong answers, but their responses will help us understand them better.

1. Leadership
a. What are the characteristics of a great leader?
b. What leader has most influenced you in your life?
c. In what leadership roles that you have held have you been most effective and whatdid you accomplish?

2. Character
a. Some of the dimensions of character include trustworthiness, loyalty, warmth, respect, courage, and reverence. How do these attributes guide your behavior and how much do they influence your view of others?
b. Who was the major character influence in your life? How and why?

3. Worldview
a. What do you see as America’s role in the world for the next 20 years?
b. What level of debt, deficit and taxation is “reasonable” and why?
c. What are the top 3 economic problems that “must be solved” to secure our future?
d. What are the top 3 foreign policy challenges of the next decade?

4. Quality of Solutions
a. Explain the major advantage and the most important side effects of your tax plan.
b. What is your “doctrine” regarding the intervention in foreign conflicts?
c. What should be “done” about the United Nations?
d. Close to 50% pay no income taxes – how do we change that?

5. Governing Style
a. How would your style differ from George Bush? From Barack Obama?
b. It is difficult for a President to “change Washington” – how will you work with the existing DC environment and avoid both frustration and/or corruption by it?

Policy Positions

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Policy positions on today’s key issues are also important, and we will attempt to profile each candidate based on their campaign collateral, public statements and debate performances. If a campaign wishes to specifically provide material to us on policy we will feature it in the assessment. The policy areas of interest are found in the following 10 questions:

1. Tax Reform – what are the key aspects of the tax reform initiatives (if any) that you would attempt to implement if you become President?
2. Spending and Deficit – Our $15T debt is the largest single threat to our institutions and our way of life. What are your top policy prescriptions to address this issue?
3. Size of Government – the federal government has become a major factor in everything we do and would be unrecognizable to the founders. How will you “make Washington inconsequential in our lives?” What federal programs would you eliminate or turn over to the states?
4. 10th Amendment – the states have asserted themselves in the last couple of years over immigration policy and health care. There are additional moves coming over EPA overreach, education and energy. Where would you draw the line between federal jurisdiction and that given to the states by the constitution?
5. Health Care – Most agree that Obama care must be stopped and 26 states are taking their judicial challenge to the Supreme Court. A legislative solution is needed and there is some fear that the PACA has already made turning back the regulations almost impossible. What steps would you take to deal with this issue and what priority would you give it?
6. Federal Regulations, EPA, NLRB, FCC – The Obama administration has greatly increased the regulatory assault on business and citizen alike. What can be done to reign in the entrenched bureaucracy and how will you approach this task?
7. Trade policy, China – What is your position regarding fair trade with China concerning currency manipulation, intellectual property protection and dumping? Should our trade policy favor certain countries or regions or should we treat everyone equally? What do you see as the future of manufacturing in this country?
8. United Nations, NATO, European Union – In what way would you change the relationship between the US and these organizations from what the current administration has done?
9. Radical Islam, Arab Spring, Iran – Contrast your approach in these three areas to the Obama administration. What should be our future posture towards the emerging regimes in the middle east and Maghreb and how should we deal with Iran’s weapons program?
10. Role of the Military – Our force composition has changed in response to the asymmetrical threats we face, yet our experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has illuminated many shortcomings in regards to “nation building” projects. How does the military factor into your vision of America’s role in the world for the next decade and what changes would you make in structure, weapons systems and human resources in the military forces?

Explanation from Sen. Rubio’s Office about the Controversial National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012

Dear Pam,

It was great talking with you.  Today, the Senator’s office received many emails and phone calls voicing concerns over the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.  There have been many assertions made about these provisions, some of which could not be further from the truth.  It just so happens these outlandish accusations are from the ACLU and their allies in Congress.

First off, this bill does not allow the US military to supplant your local police department in carrying out typical law enforcement activities.  Section 1031 only affirms the authority that the president currently has to detain certain people pursuant to the current military force authorization; in fact, this bill says that nothing in this section is intended to expand the president’s power.  In addition, in reaffirming the president’s authority to detain people, this section specifically limits the people who can be detained under this act to only those people who planned or helped carry out the 9/11 attacks on the United States or people who are a member of or substantially support Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that fighting against the US and its coalition partners.  Simply put, you need to be involved with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or one of its surrogates and you have to make a deliberate act that directly supports their efforts against us in the war on terror to be detained under this act.

Section 1032 of this bill deals with the requirements that are needed for the U.S. military to hold people in custody.  This portion of the act differs from section 1031 in that this section deals with a much more select group of people that must be detained by the U.S. Military.  Any person detained under the authority of Section 1032 must be a member or part of Al-Qaeda or an associated force AND they must have participated in the planning or execution of an attack against the US or our coalition partners.  In addition, this section of the act has a limiting clause that specifically states that the military detention requirement does not extend to US citizens or lawful permanent residents.

I want to thank you all for reaching out to the office to voice your concerns on this bill.  I want to assure you that Senator Rubio and his staff always have, and always will, listen to your concerns and address them in a timely fashion.

The Senator has proposed 2 Amendments to prevent the President from transferring foreign terrorists to the U.S. to be prosecuted in the federal court system.  However, in regard to the idea that this bill allows the U.S. military to supplant our local police departments and detain otherwise law abiding citizens for purchasing gold or guns is unfounded.  Those types of measures are not included in this bill; moreover, the Senator would never support them.  If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Please find the text of S. 1867, Section 1031 and 1032 below.

Sincerely Yours,

J.R.

	J.R. Sanchez
	Director of Outreach
	Office of United States Senator Marco Rubio
	Hart 317  Washington DC 20510

 

Subtitle D–Detainee Matters

SEC. 1031. AFFIRMATION OF AUTHORITY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES TO DETAIN COVERED PERSONS PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE.

(a) In General- Congress affirms that the authority of the President to use all necessary and appropriate force pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) includes the authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons (as defined in subsection (b)) pending disposition under the law of war.

(b) Covered Persons- A covered person under this section is any person as follows:

(1) A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.

(2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.

(c) Disposition Under Law of War- The disposition of a person under the law of war as described in subsection (a) may include the following:

(1) Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

(2) Trial under chapter 47A of title 10, United States Code (as amended by the Military Commissions Act of 2009 (title XVIII of Public Law 111-84)).

(3) Transfer for trial by an alternative court or competent tribunal having lawful jurisdiction.

(4) Transfer to the custody or control of the person’s country of origin, any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity.

(d) Construction- Nothing in this section is intended to limit or expand the authority of the President or the scope of the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

(e) Requirement for Briefings of Congress- The Secretary of Defense shall regularly brief Congress regarding the application of the authority described in this section, including the organizations, entities, and individuals considered to be `covered persons’ for purposes of subsection (b)(2).

SEC. 1032. REQUIREMENT FOR MILITARY CUSTODY.

(a) Custody Pending Disposition Under Law of War-

(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (4), the Armed Forces of the United States shall hold a person described in paragraph (2) who is captured in the course of hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) in military custody pending disposition under the law of war.

(2) COVERED PERSONS- The requirement in paragraph (1) shall apply to any person whose detention is authorized under section 1031 who is determined–

(A) to be a member of, or part of, al-Qaeda or an associated force that acts in coordination with or pursuant to the direction of al-Qaeda; and

(B) to have participated in the course of planning or carrying out an attack or attempted attack against the United States or its coalition partners.

(3) DISPOSITION UNDER LAW OF WAR- For purposes of this subsection, the disposition of a person under the law of war has the meaning given in section 1031(c), except that no transfer otherwise described in paragraph (4) of that section shall be made unless consistent with the requirements of section 1033.

(4) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY- The Secretary of Defense may, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, waive the requirement of paragraph (1) if the Secretary submits to Congress a certification in writing that such a waiver is in the national security interests of the United States.

(b) Applicability to United States Citizens and Lawful Resident Aliens-

(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.

(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.

(c) Implementation Procedures-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall issue, and submit to Congress, procedures for implementing this section.

(2) ELEMENTS- The procedures for implementing this section shall include, but not be limited to, procedures as follows:

(A) Procedures designating the persons authorized to make determinations under subsection (a)(2) and the process by which such determinations are to be made.

(B) Procedures providing that the requirement for military custody under subsection (a)(1) does not require the interruption of ongoing surveillance or intelligence gathering with regard to persons not already in the custody or control of the United States.

(C) Procedures providing that a determination under subsection (a)(2) is not required to be implemented until after the conclusion of an interrogation session which is ongoing at the time the determination is made and does not require the interruption of any such ongoing session.

(D) Procedures providing that the requirement for military custody under subsection (a)(1) does not apply when intelligence, law enforcement, or other government officials of the United States are granted access to an individual who remains in the custody of a third country.

(E) Procedures providing that a certification of national security interests under subsection (a)(4) may be granted for the purpose of transferring a covered person from a third country if such a transfer is in the interest of the United States and could not otherwise be accomplished.

(d) Effective Date- This section shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to persons described in subsection (a)(2) who are taken into the custody or brought under the control of the United States on or after that effective date.

 

 

PBCTP Newsletters

For a flavor of the thinking that energizes the Palm Beach County Tea Party, check out our online newsletters:

• January, 2012
• December, 2011
• November, 2011

Why Do You Continue to Lie to the People Mr. President?

There is in Washington an ideological riff between the socialist/progressive party and the conservative party.  The socialist/progressive party with their titular head, Mr. Obama believe that we have a tax problem—that is we must tax the rich to solve our debt problem.  The conservatives clearly understand that we have only one problem in Washington—a spending problem.

I have collected some “facts” on what is happening with taxes in spite of Obama’s continual reminder that we must tax the rich folks not the middle class.  My question is once again, he is either stupid or he is lying and I don’t believe he is stupid.   He claims to be targeting the rich but in the example below, I certainly would not call this family “rich”.

If the President and Congress do not proactively work to keep the Bush tax breaks, we are going to have a significant tax jump for a very large part of our population come 2013.

The fact is, if nothing is done in terms of putting into place long term “permanent” set of tax laws, many average American families will get whacked.  See the article by Bob Jennings on Fox Business: Why Your Tax Bill Might Surge Next Year

With our economy in such poor shape, why would anyone in their right minds want to put this additional burden on the American people?  The above represents one of the biggest tax increases on our citizens in the history of our country.

Once again, millions of small business owners had better enjoy the next 16 months, because come January 2013, they are going to get whacked with a giant tax bill.

Oh, I forgot one other tax not mentioned above.  See: The 2013 Tax Cliff in the Wall Street Journal.

Ladies and gentlemen, get out and vote these people out in November of 2012!

Are You Really Interested in Creating Jobs Mr. President? Part II by Mark Wohlschlegel

Obama once again talks about creating jobs but his actions simply don’t show it!  Once again, he is either stupid or lying!  He is not stupid.  Just a week ago, the Obama administration announced it would delay the construction of the $7-billion Keystone XL pipeline that would bring in more than 700,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to the Texas Gulf coast.

The transparency of what is behind this decision is so obvious.  Obama has delayed this project solely for his political benefit ignoring what this project would mean in terms of jobs and national security resulting from moving away from the importation of oil from hostile sources.  Specifically, Obama’s two large constituents, the labor unions and the environmentalists, are split on this issue.  The tactic that Obama has used is to delay this decision until after the November 2012 elections, thereby not alienating either of these groups and not costing him votes!  At stake are hundreds of thousands of jobs, and the generation of revenues for the states where the pipelines passes.  These states include Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas who have projected $5.2 billion in property tax revenue.

The environmentalists are behaving like this is the first pipeline to be built in the US.  In fact, there is over 50,000 miles of oil pipeline in this country that have been operating for years without any mishaps.  Even the Obama administration determined it to be safe with the completion of the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) found that the pipeline posed no danger to the environment.

The risk now is that by delaying this decision, Canada may chose to export the oil to markets other than the US like China.  So what is at risk in delaying this decision driven by Obama’s decision are precious new jobs and new sources of oil supply away from hostile nations who wish to do harm to the US.

To make matters worse, just on the coattails of this decision, the Obama administration has delayed shale gas drilling in Ohio for up to six months by cancelling a mineral lease auction.  The move was done to appease environmentalist on the pretext of studying the effects of hydraulic fracturing, a technique used to extract shale gas.  The US conservatively with the fracking techniques has identified over 150 years of natural gas reserves within the contiguous United States.  The delay is estimated to cost the US 200,000 jobs!  Once again, national security is further jeopardized by this administration’s persistent intentions to not develop and explore our own God given energy supplies.

 

Fashion Show Postponed

The Luncheon and Fashion Show that was scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3rd has been postponed until after the first of the year.  If you purchased a ticket, please email info@palmbeachcountyteaparty.org for a refund.  We apologize for the schedule change!

Senatorial Candidate Forum – December 12

Jim Sackett, WPTV NewsChannel 5 news anchor, will be our special guest moderator at our Senatorial Candidate Forum on Monday, December 12th. 

We have invited all of the primary candidates for the Florida US Senate seat and now have confirmations from: Mike McCallister, Ron McNeil, Deon Long, Craig Miller and Marielena Stuart..

The forum will be held in the large ballroom at Binks Golf Club.  Doors will open at 5:30pm.  The $15 dinner buffet will start at 6pm and the Forum will begin at 7pm.

Directions to Binks Country Club

We will have limited seating so please click on the button below to RSVP by Wednesday, December 8th.

Here’s What Barack Obama Might Say in a 2nd Inaugural Address

January 20, 2013
Washington, DC

Many pundits thought Barack Obama was going to be a one-term president. However, he and his 2012 team found much of the mojo of the 2008 campaign. That plus a largely friendly and protective media, clever use of the advantages of incumbency, an ill-timed gaffe by the Republican presidential nominee, a significant financial advantage, and a massive, union-led GOTV effort enabled Barack Obama to eke out a tiny popular vote plurality and a bit more comfortable Electoral College majority.

Here is the transcript of his just concluded Inaugural Address.

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My fellow Americans and my fellow global citizens everywhere,

I stand here today humbled and yet invigorated by the tasks before us, and grateful for the trust you have once again bestowed upon me. We celebrate today not the victory of a man, nor the victory of a party, but the victory of an idea, an idea whose time has finally come. The idea that we are all in this together, that every man, woman and child is important and deserving, regardless of where in our world they may live. All have the right to the fruits that result from the world’s resources and our ever improving technology. This is the idea of the Common Good, which means that we can only make progress as a species if some more fortunate people make a few sacrifices for the betterment of the whole. If we choose the path of selfishness, then this nation, this civilization, and indeed this planet will face great, unprecedented and rapidly increasing peril. But if we choose the path of using the power of government to implement policies that further the common good for all humankind while honoring Nature, then ultimately we will achieve a collective salvation for our planet.

All citizens of the globe have a right to be free from the ravages of unnatural climate change. All global citizens have a right to a living wage or to the provision of life’s basic necessities. And all have the right to adequate health care; it is especially unfortunate when this right is not honored for those in the prime of life, as has too often been the case in the past.

The Constitution wisely provides for the possibility of a second and final presidential term, a term of four years during which a president unencumbered by petty politics can pursue the common good without concern about popularity and reelection. Perhaps other presidents so situated may have nevertheless played some politics, whether to help their party or their personal popularity or both; but this president shall be focused solely on what is for the common good and thus expects that, in the full light of history, this Administration shall be judged as having fulfilled its promise to fundamentally transform the United States of America.

We began this fundamental transformation four years ago today. We have made progress towards making the ideals of progressivism a reality in America, but much remains to be done. As one who has authored two books, delivered countless speeches, given innumerable interviews, and twice run successfully for President of the United States, there can have been no doubt about my values of social justice and greater economic equality. Now that the American people have spoken at the ballot box and given their collective imprimatur to my values and four more years of this transformative presidency, we must not let anything stand in the way of fulfilling the promise and we shall finish the job. That is why I issued several key Executive Orders in the post-election period, and why more such orders shall be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.

To my fellow citizens of planet Earth: We pledge to work towards a lasting peace. Never again shall the United States take unilateral military action, unless of course we are first attacked directly by another nation. Should we believe there is a need for military action, we shall go before the United Nations and receive approval before acting. We pledge an end to the American arrogance that prevailed in the Twentieth Century and much of the first decade of this century. We pledge to continue to learn from you, particularly those of you who enjoy religious and cultural traditions different from America’s past. We pledge to honor those traditions in every region of the globe, whether Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and so forth. We pledge to support what is best for the region as a whole rather than a particular regime in an individual country. Nowhere in the world, including the United States, can the 1% be allowed to stand in the way of the welfare of the 99%. We pledge to move aggressively towards full implementation of Agenda 21. We pledge to do whatever it takes to roll back the specter of a warming planet.

To the peoples of poor nations everywhere: We cannot, unfortunately, substantially alter your plight in a matter of weeks or months, but know this: Help is on the way. This Administration shall not rest until there is a markedly greater degree of global equality. As part of this initiative, we will, effective immediately, commit to a 90% increase in our annual contribution to the United Nations. This will not solve the problem, but it is a step in the right direction. And we shall be taking more such steps soon with the funds we will save from substantially reduced defense spending.

To Americans of all races, regions, ages, religious and non-religious outlooks: We have been a lucky people to have had what we have had for so long; but the status quo is unsustainable. The world is in need, and must no longer be ruled by greed. To preserve much of what we have, we must be governed by a spirit of sharing and caring. Narrow interests must give way to the common good. Outmoded concepts of individualism and self-interest must yield to the spirit of service and sacrifice. The Age of American Hegemony is over. Global problems demand global solutions. Imperialism and jingoism and so-called American “exceptionalism” must give way to global cooperation and sharing and fairness and becoming a big part of the solution, instead of a big part of the problem.

The major domestic issues in the recent campaign were immigration, energy, and the related issues of spending, taxes and the size of the federal government. Allow me to briefly address each of these, but first a point about the tone of the recent campaign. The rhetoric became quite heated. This is understandable during a campaign. But for the good of the nation, we must move on. Yet some in the media, and this includes but is not limited to talk radio and the Internet, have not moved on. They are entitled to their views, but no purpose is served by the strident tone of their vitriolic rhetoric. Indeed, it is harmful to the common good of the nation. Thus we shall pursue two fronts to restore a civil tone to our national dialog.

First, the FCC shall increase its monitoring of the Internet and other suspect media, regardless of political persuasion. When deemed necessary, warnings shall be issued. If warnings go unheeded, web sites shall be shut down and licenses revoked. Second, our political debates had a far more civil tone when the media was dominated by the great newspapers and news magazines that helped make America great. Through no fault of their own, they have been seriously hurt by the rise of the Internet. Out of a sense of fairness, and of respect for traditional American media, and to help restore civility to America, we shall use some of the funds from an Internet tax to aid some of these traditional newspapers and magazines. It is critically important to restore a civil tone in America and thus avoid future tragedies. As John F. Kennedy said from this very spot exactly 52 years ago today: “Civility is not a sign of weakness.” We can make strong points and still make them civilly.

We have always been a nation of immigrants and so should we be now and in the future. It is time that we allow those who have labored for us to participate in our democracy and, with their children, to come out of the shadows and into the safe sunlight of American democracy. Accordingly ICE is being downsized and reorganized. Furthermore, my Administration shall take steps to assure that there is no denial of voting or other rights to any adult immigrant, regardless of current technical legal status, and also to assure that there is no such denial to any non-immigrant, including persons of color.

As for energy, all thinking people know that my system of cap and trade is the only viable solution. As I have said before and repeated again earlier in this address: We must do whatever it takes to roll back the specter of a warming planet. Otherwise our children face an unprecedented disaster.

Government spending is necessary for the good of the economy. Of course, there are a few places where savings can and will be achieved, especially in defense. Much government spending is for government employees, who are necessary to carry out this Administration’s programs and policies. To keep these valuable people, we must reward them accordingly. That is why there can be no further reduction in taxes. Indeed, we will soon unveil a more fair tax policy that will raise taxes on those in higher brackets of income and will impose a tax on retirees who have a private nest egg that is larger than they could reasonably spend in their remaining years, according to actuarial studies.

We must mature in our thinking and not cling to the past and its outmoded concepts. The centuries-old way of doing things will not work for any of us in this new age of an ordered world.

We now truly have a rendezvous with destiny. A great collective opportunity is ours, an opportunity to change and modernize America and to help better the world. Let us not waste it, let us not shrink from the challenge of embracing this opportunity and advancing economic and social justice here and around the globe.

Thank you, and let us move forward quickly to achieve the Common Good for all citizens of the world.

Federal Government’s Continued Medling in the Private Sector Will Make It Impossible For US Industry to Recover

The oppressiveness of our federal government continues to constrain any real recovery in our economy and until we can get them off the private sectors back, economic stagnation will continue in the US making us more and more non-competitive in both our own markets and overseas markets.

Take the example that I am pointing out in only a single industry and multiply the same kind of behavior across many industries including the power sector, the energy sector, and others.  It is no wonder we can’t snap out of this recession that we find ourselves in today.

The airline industry in the US is a significant “driver” of our economic engine.  Yet our federal government continues to use the industry and their investors as a piggy bank to fund their outrageous, undisciplined, and out of control spending.   The airlines today and we the passengers currently pay 17 different federal aviation taxes and fees which totaled last year $16.5 billion.  Federal taxes have increased from 7 percent of the price of a ticket in 1972 to 20 percent in 2011.  By the way, this excludes income taxes paid by the airline companies!  When is this going to end?  Just imagine if you started a business and the federal government took 20% off the top before you saw any money coming into your business operations.  Airlines are now taxed higher than the so-called “sin” taxes which are applied to alcohol, tobacco, and firearms.

The airline industry is a significant driving force to the US’s economic activity and employs millions of Americans.  They also are involved in creating lots of jobs at hub cities and reaching out to small and medium-sized communities.  Why do they deserve to be taxed as they are today?  When will it stop?

Guess what, the federal government is not stopping here.  Obama administration is now proposing under the American Jobs Act a new $100 per flight tax that would cost $11 billion over the next 10 years.  The proposal also seeks increase the passenger security tax from today’s minimum of $2.50 per customer per flight segment to $7.50!  This is outrageous—a 3x increase!  This proposed increase would cost nearly $25 billion over 10 years.  More than half of that would be not to improve security but instead applied to paying down our federal government’s debt.  Why should the airline industry be singled out to pay for Washington’s irresponsible spending?

If these major tax increases get put into place, not only will we as consumers be saddled with them but airlines themselves being increasingly squeezed, will be forced to pull out of serving smaller communities.  The airlines then will be forced to lay off more employees as it downsizes to eliminate routes and service that become unprofitable.  It is a death spiral.

Our airlines also compete against foreign airline companies whose government in many cases have enlightened aviation policies.

Again, just multiply these oppressive government taxes and tariffs across many other industries and it does not take a rocket scientist to understanding how damaging the current federal government is to industry and job creation.

 

GOP Booth at Palm Beach Gardens Green Market

Palm Beach Gardens Green Market:

• Sunday November 20, 27, Dec 11 & 18
• 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• Market is located at City Hall Complex next to PBG Fire Station # 1 at 4301 Burns Road
• We will register volunteers
• We will direct people to SOE web for voter registration
• We will hand out information on issues and candidates

• Our booth will be recognized by the American flag proudly on display and the elephant logo
• Candidates can stand in the booth and speak to visitors
• Candidates are allowed to walk around but not campaign as walking
• All handouts can be placed at the booth
• All signs can be placed at the booth
• Contact person is Linda Gore- please call 686-1616 to volunteer

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