TAX REFORM DEBATE and DECEPTION

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The tax code is unfair and obsolete

The current debate about tax reform has exposed the sorry state of politics in America today. The American people continue to be the losers in this debate, because for decades, economic growth has been limited due to bad tax policy, reckless spending policy, mindless Congressional rules, and unrelenting deception. The Senate has tied itself into knots with restrictive rules that prevent its ability to do its job. Republicans can’t agree on the size of tax cuts, distribution of tax cuts, timing of tax cuts, and which tax deductions to keep, or eliminate. Lost in the debate is the underlying purpose for tax reform: The need to provide incentives for businesses and entrepreneurs to, [1] Grow the economy, [2] Locate in America, [3] Create jobs, [4] Make American businesses competitive in global markets, and [5] Generate a strong catalyst for wage increases.

A group of republican senators are threatening to vote against the tax reform proposal using the excuse that it will increase the national debt. They are deceiving themselves and their constituents. Could it be that their real reason is their animosity towards Donald Trump? If so, are they willing to damage the country to prevent Trump from any success? The national debt will explode if congress doesn’t dramatically stimulate the forces that grow the economy.

A perfect example of bad government policy is the current tax code, which is a monstrosity with almost 74,000 pages of waivers, carveouts,and special interest favors.  97% of all income taxes are paid by 50% of American taxpayers, many of whom are mislabeled as “The Rich”. Over 45% of American households do not pay federal income taxes. The tax code is so absurd that Millions of Americans get income tax refunds even though they pay no taxes! The tax code is unfair…from top to bottom. 

Democratic politicians have duped millions of democrats, and thousands of millennials into becoming the enemy of free enterprise, and the main obstacle to economic growth. These politicians preach their socialist doctrine of “fairness”, “tax the rich”, and “corporate greed”. Their divisive accusations are deliberately deceptive using class warfare: Claiming the rich don’t pay their fair share, that corporations exploit their workers, and that we, the non-rich, are all victims of the rich. The deception is truly evil because it is based on one of the “Seven Deadly Sins” [ENVY] and encourages the desire to take what others have earned. The democratic party’s negative impact on economic growth does not end with bad tax policy. Democratic politicians also divide Americans on spending policy: Democrats support a $15 minimum wage; paid “family leave”; free college; open borders; sanctuary cities; ObamaCare; subsidies and mandates for renewable energy; and an expansion of eligibility for a multitude of welfare benefits. Not one of these socialist policies is intended to grow the economy.  Every one of these policies is an attempt to buy votes and gain power. Millions of well-meaning people, wanting nothing more than to do good, have fallen into the socialist trap. The irony of this strategy to gain power is that it won’t help the people that the socialists claim to be helping. Entitlements and every other social program need funding. Americans need good paying jobs. The economy needs nonpartisan, common sense policies to grow. The economy cannot reach its growth potential without massive reform of tax policy, spending policy, and regulation reform. Only then, can the creative energy and ingenuity of America be unleashed.

Both political parties have created a tax and spend recipe for economic stagnation and eventual disaster. The American Dream is out of reach for a majority of young Americans. The freedoms we enjoy are not free. Fairness means that everyone must pay taxes. Everyone. We cannot survive as a free country when 45% of households do not pay income taxes. Tax rates higher than 20% are excessive and confiscatory. No one, no matter how rich, should pay more. Congress is trusted with the responsibility of managing the budget and ensuring [our highest priority] that we have the resources to remain free.                                                                                                                                          They have failed…year after year!                                                                                           Spending policy must be the next political priority. Entitlements must be reformed. At a minimum, these programs must be means-tested and adjusted for longer life spans. A recent research report on health and aging predicts that 50% of babies born today will live to an average age of 104.

ENOUGH! The time for term limits is long past due.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RACISM AND REASON

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We Shall Overcome!

The national news media has not identified the group behind the effort to remove Confederate monuments. Surely they know. Proponents of Confederate monument removal would have us believe that doing so will end reminders of slavery, and racism.  Could it be that the real reason is to generate conflict, and light the fuse of racism…not end it? Don’t be surprised if the ultimate goal is to gain democratic votes for the next election and beyond.

The violence in Charlottesville was inexcusable. I don’t understand why the neo-nazis were allowed to march on the grounds of the University of Virginia when their permit was limited to the park where Robert E. Lee’s “offensive” statue was prominently located. They marched at night with torches, while chanting hate speech. Why weren’t they arrested, jailed, and fined for disturbing the peace? There is video of these thugs.  Why did the police allow the violence to begin? This tragedy could have been prevented. A spokesman for the ACLU reported that the police were held back because they didn’t have the authority to act. If this is true, it should be investigated, and responsible parties held accountable.

In case you haven’t heard, the anti-protest in Charlottesville included a group of radical socialist extremists who carried weapons and intended to do harm. These thugs need to be exposed for their political agenda. They are just as dangerous as neo-nazis. They are a disrupting influence on university campuses, town hall meetings, and political rallys everywhere. Because of a democratic media bias, the entire disgraceful episode has been turned into an anti-Trump tirade.

We can destroy statues, rewrite the history books, and remove all other symbols that may offend, yet not one problem will be solved. Especially the problem of inner city hopelessness.  Corrupt politicians have deliberately ignored the deplorable conditions that inner city residents face every day: shootings, criminal gangs, drug addiction, poverty, lack of education, lack of jobs, fatherless homes, hunger, substandard housing, and countless other barriers to the American Dream. This is the real source of racism today!

Where is the outrage over the lawless carnage in the streets of Chicago, Baltimore, and other cities? If “Black Lives Matter”, why are there no marches in the streets when the overwhelming percentage of shootings do not involve the police?   Why isn’t the Black Congressional Caucus screaming for police protection?

Does anyone in America believe that the suffering residents of inner cities will feel relieved after the last statue comes down? These forgotten and neglected citizens need a “Marshall Plan” to reverse hopelessness. In addition to safe streets, the minimum wage must be waived for teenagers, discipline must be restored in schools, the “Right To Work” must be public policy for employees of public schools, and tax incentives should be offered to businesses that locate in inner cities.

Every American deserves the protection and opportunity that is guaranteed by the Constitution. It is time to stop the political blame game, and unite for the good of the country.

 

 

PRIORITY ONE: ECONOMIC GROWTH

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Economic Growth- the key to jobs and the American Dream, The choice is easy

The solution to economic growth is a mystery to many voters because they don’t understand, or have been deliberately misled about the political environment that encourages prosperity for all.  The relationship between risk and reward determines what a business will do, and not do.  If the potential reward for starting or growing a business is limited, or not available, then the risk will not be taken by businesses and entrepreneurs. Opportunity, jobs, and economic prosperity are subject to government tax and regulatory policy. When a government overtaxes and over regulates, the economy will suffer recession, or mediocre economic performance…even in a supposedly free country.  When a government consistently spends more than it’s income, the economic impact will be devastating.  Without economic growth, America will never be able to create enough jobs, reduce the debt, fund welfare programs, fund Social Security and Medicare, finance roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects, and provide for the common defense.

Tax Reduction and Regulation Reform are the key incentive catalysts necessary to stimulate economic growth.  Reform is also desperately needed to address fairness.  Tax policy must ensure that all people pay their fair share of taxes. When everyone pays, the people will hold politicians accountable for wasteful spending.  Socialist demagogues use deceptive tax policy to buy the votes of a large percentage of the population that don’t pay any income taxes.  Under the Obama Administration, the federal government has adopted punitive tax and regulatory policies that retard economic growth, and limit opportunity for all Americans.  Government has become the enemy of the free enterprise system.  Current government policies make it more costly for businesses to hire employees, and make it unattractive for potential employees to take a low paying job because they can receive more money on welfare. These anti-growth policies are bankrupting the country.  As a result, the federal debt has doubled over the last eight years.  The federal debt is increasing by over two billion dollars every day!  Because of anemic economic growth, almost fifty percent of American workers do not pay income taxes and this number is increasing every year.  Job creation in inner cities, is almost nonexistent, due to increases in the minimum wage, unsafe streets, a failing education system, and lack of parental guidance. Higher paying jobs are becoming scarce due to government mandates like ObamaCare that add so much cost to businesses that they only hire part-time employees.   Is it any wonder that businesses are relocating out of the country?  The risk-reward incentives for economic growth have been turned upside down.

When I was a teenager, I was told that if I worked hard and stayed in school, I could achieve the American Dream.  Back then, jobs were plentiful.  Entry level pay was low, but a hard worker, willing to learn, could increase his pay and opportunity over time.  Back then, government was business friendly.  After all, government was a silent partner in a business’s success because of taxes on business profits.

That economic environment doesn’t exist today.  It didn’t happen overnight, and the decline was caused by politicians of both parties over the last 50 years.  But, Obama’s socialist policies have doubled, and redoubled the assault on business, and have almost destroyed the American Dream.

There are four immediate steps that must be taken to become an economic powerhouse: [1] Dramatically lower tax rates for all businesses and individuals, and enact a sliding scale of lower rates depending on income, but with the goal that everyone pays federal income taxes.  The maximum rate should be 15%, and the bottom rate should be 1%.  A reformed tax policy must include a requirement that any change in rates will affect all rates. i.e.- if the top rate is increased to 16%, then the bottom rate must be increased to 2%.  This will prevent politicians from using the tax code to buy votes.  The tax code needs to be simplified by eliminating all special interest deductions, exemptions, and the earned income tax credit [no more tax refunds for people who don’t pay taxes]. The tax code must be an incentive for investment in the US. This will eliminate the need for a US company to save taxes by moving to another country, and allow them to reinvest foreign earnings in the US without incurring double taxation. [2] Review and reform all laws and regulations from all federal agencies that add costs to American businesses. [3] Consolidate, and closely manage all federal welfare programs: so that waste and fraud is eliminated; to ensure that the combined social safety net is high enough to alleviate poverty; but not so high as to discourage going back to work. [4] Provide incentives to federal employees to cut federal spending by the amount needed to balance the budget each year.  Federal spending is inherently wasteful because politicians are spending other people’s money.  There is no oversight…no one is minding the store…there are no incentives to operate efficiently.  The overwhelming majority of waste is due to programs that should not exist…the government has expanded into many areas that government has no business being in.

None of these steps are being proposed by the democratic candidates for President.  Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are proposing policies that will raise taxes and increase punitive regulations on businesses and entrepreneurs…proposing the opposite of what needs to be done.

There will be those who say that the numbers don’t add up.  They are looking at the problem the wrong way.  Tax revenues will dramatically increase when businesses are given the incentives to locate, and expand in America.  Rather than adding numbers up, the naysayers need to look at subtracting numbers down.  Out-of-control Federal spending must be cut.  Subsidies and cost killing mandates must be eliminated.  Congress needs to stop the practice of annual, across-the-board automatic increases due to inflation, and do the job of overseeing every expenditure, every year.  Some agencies need to be eliminated entirely.  The list of potential cost savings is endless.

There will be those that say this is “just a tax cut for the rich”.  Those that say this are greedy politicians that are willing to suck the lifeblood out of freedom in order to gain political power.  Other than the War on Terror, the corrupt Socialist “war on the rich” is possibly the greatest threat to America’s freedom and the freedom that drives the American Dream.  America became great by allowing every American, the freedom, and the opportunity to become wealthy, even fabulously rich.  The Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States form the foundation of freedom.  The idea that anyone can become rich in America is the basis for America’s greatness…and it is this greatness that has lifted millions out of poverty into a standard of living that is the envy of the world.

President Reagan initiated a twenty year economic boom with a maximum tax rate of 28%.  That won’t be enough to grow the economy today. The maximum rate has to be lower to attract investors from all over the world.  The maximum rate of 15% should apply to both businesses and individuals.  But a minimum rate is also necessary to be fair.  No more voting for deceptive socialist politicians that try to buy votes with anti-freedom redistribution schemes. This is the one fair way to protect the American Dream.

 

 

 

MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

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Restore the American Dream, Unite for prosperity

At every campaign event, Donald Trump claims he’s going to “Make America Great Again”. His charm is his boundless confidence, coupled with his blistering criticism of politicians who can’t get anything done. He is a master of politically incorrect statements…and people love it.  He claims that he will be a job creating machine; he will repeal and replace ObamaCare; he will rebuild America’s military; he will deport illegal immigrants; he will build a wall at the border; he will take care of wounded warriors; and he will make “good deals”.

I believe America can be made great again, but it will take someone who can unite Americans…someone who understands how America became great in the first place.  Every serious problem facing America can be solved if Americans are united.  It will take a president who can communicate solutions to complex issues to unite a majority of Americans. People will unite if they understand the issues. The key to understanding the issues is to understand the impact of government on freedom, and the importance of freedom in every issue.

Several issues are critical to making America great again:

[1] Economic growth – providing a pro business environment to reenergize the economy, to create jobs, to fund entitlements, to fund a strong military, to fund the social safety net, and reduce the debt.

[2] Tax reform – enacting one low tax rate for businesses and individuals, that provides simplification, fairness, and incentive to restore the American Dream.

[3] Spending reform – Returning to a limited federal government – making limited government efficient by eliminating waste, and by phasing out every non-essential program.

[4] Regulation reform – revising all federal regulations that add costs, and complexity to businesses, and individuals; plus revising all regulations that add costs, and complexity to state and local governments.

[5] Civil Service reform – revising civil service rules to improve productivity and efficiency, including the ability to reward outstanding performance, and terminate all poor performing employees.

[6] Public employee union reform –  outlawing all public employee unions, providing all public employees with the right to work, and eliminating dues checkoff from all public payrolls.

[7] Entitlement reform – dramatically reducing costs, and insuring solvency, including means testing to determine benefit levels based on income; adjusting for longer lifespans to be eligible for Social Security, and Medicare; repealing ObamaCare, and replacing with competitive health insurance plans that are tailored to individual needs instead of a government one-size-fits all plan.

[8] Tort reform – allowing innocent victims legal protection against frivolous, and punitive lawsuits; dramatically reducing health care costs by eliminating the need for defensive medicine costs in health care; reducing liability insurance costs for all US businesses, by enacting a “loser pays” amendment to Liability laws.

[9] Immigration reform – including sealing all borders, defunding sanctuary cities, deporting criminals, and determining practical solutions for those who need to come out of the shadows.  Practical solutions would include temporary visas, paying taxes, and a plan for reentering the country to be eligible for a permanent visa.

[10] Environmental reform – eliminating the war on fossil fuels, reversing all punitive rules that add crushing energy costs to businesses and individuals.

[11] Education reform – eliminating common core mandates, and replacing with best practice suggestions; limiting funding support to colleges for priority research projects only; shifting federal student loan programs to non government lending sources.

[12] Restoration of America’s Military strength – rebuilding and supporting America’s Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Special Operations, Coast Guard, and National Guard; supporting an enhanced intelligence capability and creating an unbeatable cyber security capability.

[13] Rebuild and restore decaying inner cities – creating an American “Marshall Plan”; protecting the streets, parks, and homes of inner city residents; destroying gangs and drug distribution ;providing a quality education to inner city children, and jobs for teenagers; creating an economic environment that encourages businesses to locate in the inner city; and ending the crime culture that populates prisons with absentee fathers.

[14] Infrastructure upgrade of roads, bridges, ports, and the energy grid – creating a huge supply of good paying jobs throughout the country. and

[15] Reforming and combining all welfare programs –  providing a comprehensive social safety net with strict conditions that encourage the incentive to work and a provide a pathway back to employment for all able-bodied citizens.

 

Where Are The Plans ????

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Freedom or Socialism

Where are the plans to fix America’s many problems?  Terrorism?  Job Creation?  Punitive Taxes and Regulation? Out of Control Spending?  Health Care?  Immigration?  American Dream? Education?  Environment? Government Debt?  Entitlements? Welfare?  Foreign Relations?  Politicization of Federal Agencies: IRS, EPA, NLRB, Justice Department, and many more…The problems are overwhelming, yet many politicians pretend that they don’t exist.                                                                                                  Now that most of the 2016 presidential candidates have declared, its time to revisit the key issues needing attention and how the candidates propose to fix them.  I’m very concerned about our government, 
Everything is going in the wrong direction.  

The economy is depressed,
 and there has been no effort by the Obama Administration to fix it.
We are at war with radical Islam…
Don’t know how to fight it.
…Can’t even define the enemy.
We are in another war.
..And aren’t even aware of it.
Socialism is the enemy… 
And we are losing this war.
Socialist politicians…are trying to 
tax and regulate all behavior, putting
 government in control of everything.
The American Dream is disappearing…
 The loss of freedom has been staggering.
It’s not too late to fix things.
..                                                                          Before we can fix…we have to understand…and we need to take action!
Dramatic incentives are required for job creation and economic growth.
The time has come for a new… Contract With America:

[1]  America should become a tax haven to the world.
Today, US Corporate and Individual Income tax rates are so high
 that they depress economic growth and innovation.  
Ronald Reagan cut the maximum tax rate to 28% and initiated a twenty year economic boom. 
 More dramatic action is needed now. 

Why not cut corporate and all other income tax rates to a maximum of 15%? The rate that’s good enough for Warren Buffet ought to be good for every American. 
And every American should be paying income taxes. 50% of wage earners are not earning enough to pay.
  There is a huge danger to freedom and prosperity when so many people don’t have good jobs…they lose hope…and they think that there is nothing they can do.  But they can. They can get involved. They can learn from states that have strong economies, and understand the policies that generate economic growth. They need to know that 
low tax rates attract new businesses, expand existing businesses, and create jobs.

[2] Government must become a partner with business, not an adversary.
 Government needs to become business-friendly.


The people need to know that any government regulation that adds cost and complexity to business should be rewritten or replaced. 

 Start with ObamaCare.
  ObamaCare is the most deceptive, disruptive, divisive,
 and economically destructive pack of lies ever enacted in my lifetime. 
This abominable law does nothing to improve health care.  
Everything about it was a lie…your doctor; your plan…the cost…
the negative impact on jobs…one size fits all mandates…and new taxes.

 The law was over 2,000 pages,
 the regulations are over 20,000 pages

.
And the most onerous provisions have been postponed, delayed, and temporarily waived…                                                                                                                                                   There are many other laws that not only do not achieve their goal, but create new problems that reduce American business’s ability to compete.                                  Laws aren’t the only job killers…many regulations are worse, especially those coming from the Environmental Protection Agency.

[3] End frivolous lawsuits that are nothing more than legalized extortion. 

Surprisingly, most people don’t know that lawsuit abuse adds costs to every US business.  A major reason that health care costs are out of control is because lawsuit abuse adds billions of dollars in extra health care costs each year… [defensive medicine]

.                                                                                                                A simple language change that allows innocent victims to recover the cost of defending themselves in court will fix this glaring flaw in liability law. 

 It’s known as “Loser Pays” tort reform and would have been enacted years ago if Bill Clinton had not vetoed it when he was President.  Clinton was protecting his lawyer friends, and ignoring everyone else.

[4] End the war on fossil fuels, and become energy independent … free from Middle East oil addiction.
People don’t know why gasoline costs so much.  They’ve been told that big oil companies are to blame.  They need to know that our own government is to blame.  Americans have been deceived.  But we can dramatically reduce the cost of driving our cars, 
heating and cooling our homes,  flying our planes, and defending our country.  

Manufacturing jobs, economic success, and American quality of life are dependent on cheap and abundant energy.  

Government needs to accelerate permits to drill for oil and gas, to expand and upgrade refineries, to build new nuclear power plants, and to build pipelines. We should also allow the export of oil and gas to allies and friendly countries that are currently dependent on energy sources from enemies of the United States [Russia, Iran, Venezuela].  This would jump start an enormous number of new, good paying jobs, give every American more money to spend, lower the cost of every American business, and lower household costs all across the country.
Pollution control must be vigorously enforced, but government has created an economic disaster to correct an environmental theory.  Government is proposing regulations and mandates that will bankrupt the economy. The Environmental Protection Agency must develop reasonable solutions to real environmental threats without adding astronomical costs to American businesses, and significantly increasing energy costs for every American.

[5] Outlaw public employee unions. Put student education first.
 Put critical government activities first.                                                                                  There are reasons to protect workers from bad employers, but the idea of a government employee union is absurd.
Unions are intended to protect workers from oppressive employers.  
Today, Government is oppressive to taxpayers, and employers,
 but overwhelmingly supportive of unionized employees.
Federal agencies like OSHA, the EEOC, the NLRB, the PBGC, the Department of Justice, and others provide comprehensive protections for workers so that there is no reason for a union.

While we’re on the subject of unions…
 All workers deserve the freedom of choice.  
Government should guarantee a right to work in every state for all employees that elect not to join a union.

[6] End Government involvement in so many activities that it has no business in, 

and…Invest in critical projects that government should be doing.
People need to read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States to learn why Americans formed a government to serve this country.  Many government functions are critically necessary, but lack funding and focus to do the job that’s desperately needed.  We need to restore funding and priorities for military readiness, 
for rebuilding roads and bridges, 
for rebuilding and protecting the energy grid, 
for police protection to ensure safe streets [especially in inner cities], 
and protection from computer viruses and cyber attacks.  Government has expanded so much into non-vital areas that it is doing a horrible job in almost everything it does. Administration of VA Hospitals and treatment of our wounded warriors is a national disgrace.                                                                                                            Many laws have nothing to do with the purpose of government and these need to be eliminated, or refined to allow funding for basic government responsibilities.

[7] Require that all new laws be subject to a freedom impact study… and a cost benefit analysis…and pilot testing.  Refine old laws that were drafted without proper review.                                                                                            Too many laws are drafted by bureaucrats that have limited knowledge of the subjects that are impacted by these laws.  The results of poorly crafted laws are unintended consequences that add cost and complexity.  Every new law and regulation needs to be reviewed.  

These reviews should be similar to the depth and breadth of detail, as required by the FDA for a new drug, or the EPA for an environmental impact analysis.

Too many laws have been enacted that don’t solve the problem they were supposed to solve. 
Many laws like the Ethanol program, Cash for Clunkers, the Davis-Bacon Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Obamacare have created costs and problems that far exceed their benefits. We need to step back and reexamine the goals of every program, assess whether we are achieving these goals, and do cost-benefit comparisons of the laws and regulations enacted to meet these goals.
All existing laws that were implemented without the time to study and test their impact must be reopened for amendment and refining.
Review all regulations implemented by all agencies to see if the agency’s regulations comply with the law’s intent.

[8] Reform Immigration Policy to ensure security, to retain highly skilled foreign workers, identify illegals in residence, and convert a serious problem into a win-win solution.
This is a national problem that won’t go away and will require a comprehensive approach to fix.  It is impractical to think that we can successfully deport every illegal alien from this country.  Our government allowed this problem to happen, and both political parties are to blame.   It might be helpful to remember that our original pilgrims were illegal aliens, and I’m sure that the American Indians would have loved to deport every one of them too.  That being said, this is a problem that can be fixed, and it can be good for the country:                                                                                                                                                                                                                           First, secure the border, this is a national security requirement.
Second, identify illegal aliens in residence, and
 offer temporary residence [green cards].
Deport, or jail the criminals, gang members, and malcontents.
Dramatically increase permanent visas for highly skilled, and educated foreigners.
 
Offer permanent visas to green card holders that have jobs and are paying taxes.
Allow a path to citizenship at the back of the line for permanent visa holders.
 who speak English, have a job, are paying taxes, and… are not on welfare.  America needs many more workers that pay both income taxes and taxes that support Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

[9] Fight the War on Terror without regard for political correctness.
People are unaware that America may already be involved in World War III, and need to wake up!  Radical Islam has declared Jihad against infidels in all countries, especially against the US.  We and our allies need to identify and fight the real enemy…the radical teachers and preachers of hate that speak in Mosques, Schools, jails, and the Internet, encouraging Holy War, Death to Infidels, and Shiria Law.
They are the ones who create the Osama Bin Ladens by the thousands.

We need a robust military, a strong intelligence capability, and a will to fight to win.  This war will take decades, will involve collateral damage, will require enhanced interrogation techniques, and sometimes brutal responses to brutal behavior.  The enemy is like no other we have fought.  They believe that GOD has instructed them to do what they do and that eternal happiness awaits those that die in the process.

[10] A Plan for Real Health Care Reform is needed to make quality health care affordable, and accessible.  Dramatic Health Care Reform was needed before Obamacare was shoved down our throats. For decades, politicians have enacted additional government insured health benefits in the Medicare and Medicaid programs without a realistic plan to pay for them. Health Care costs have risen out of control year after year as a result.  Politicians, driven by a self-serving desire to be reelected,  have routinely chosen to shift increased health care costs to doctors and hospitals rather than patients.  After all, there are far more voters that need health care than voters that provide health care. This has resulted in a Socialist quagmire: increased costs; lack of health insurance coverage; lack of access to health care; disillusioned doctors, and many other problems.

A well devised law can reduce costs of health care.  Several steps can reduce costs immediately: [1] eliminate all government mandates [2] enact liability law reform, [3] end the medical device tax, and all special taxes related to health care [4] end the threat of physician reimbursement cuts, [5] raise the age eligibility for Medicare, [6] end mandatory taxes for lack of insurance coverage [7] allow insurance companies to tailor plans according to individual need, [8] Provide block grants to allow states the freedom to design medicaid coverage plans, and control eligibility for their plans [9] provide catastrophic reinsurance backup for preexisting conditions [10] allow individuals, and health care providers more freedom to determine health care solutions rather than by government dictate.

[11] Introduce the concept of efficiency and quality improvement to all government agencies.                                                                                           Big government is too big to manage effectively. Divide gigantic entities into smaller, more flexible, more efficient operations.                                                                Revise Civil Service law to regularly reward good performance and terminate poor performers.                                                                                                        Provide huge incentives to government employee teams that eliminate waste and improve productivity.

[12] Ensure That All Americans Receive A Quality Education.   A comprehensive, effective, and continuous campaign is needed to educate the public on reading, writing and arithmetic, but also economics, civics, history, geography, human relations, and information technology.

Education is the building block of freedom.  We do not need “common core”, but we do need high standards and a way to achieve those standards.  States can design education curriculums without government dictates.  Without a quality education, Americans are not truly free.  Government’s second highest priority should be education, second only to government’s duty to protect it’s citizens from foreign and domestic enemies. A highly educated population is essential to all businesses., and is the bedrock of the American Dream.  The public is grossly uninformed about the free enterprise system and it’s positive impact on jobs and economic prosperity.  A highly educated population would know that freedom is the key to prosperity.

[13] SOCIALISM is the ENEMY of FREEDOM. 
Freedom is the key to prosperity,
 and the key to good jobs.                                                                                     People need to know that government can provide the greatest opportunity to it’s people by guaranteeing freedom.  The education focus above must include the purpose of government, and an assessment of how well government policies are meeting the goals of government,
If people understand… they will unite.
We have to unite as a country.
If we unite, there is no problem we can’t solve.
The 2016 Presidential election is a chance to restore freedom.
We need jobs, economic growth, debt reduction, and a chance for everyone to achieve the American Dream.
Freedom was the focus when America was founded, 
and is the sole reason why America became the most prosperous, successful country in the world.
We need to renew that focus.

A new Contract With America will 

stimulate investment from all over the world, 
create economic prosperity, 
create good-paying jobs, 
reduce the debt, 
educate the poor, 
make American business competitive, 
provide protection from foreign and domestic aggressors, 
and restore the American Dream.

Compare these pro-growth, job creating, debt reducing, and protection of freedom programs with the Democratic programs of the last seven years:

The Democratic economic focus has been on expanding Socialism…
Expanding unemployment benefits; 
Expanding and redefining eligibility for food stamps;
Expanding and redefining repayment terms for student loans;
 Raising taxes on the rich;
 Raising taxes on the middle class; Mandating extra costs to business and state governments;
 Expanding the eligibility for overtime pay; Increasing the minimum wage; Increasing energy costs to all Americans; Ignoring Immigration laws; Ignoring our veterans; and mismanaging the entire health care industry.

The Democratic political focus has been to corrupt, and politicize
 the Justice Department; the EPA; the NLRB; the EEOC; and the IRS.
Dividing the country by falsely claiming a war on women; scaring seniors; fomenting racial hatred;
and buying votes with deceptive promises to fix “income inequality;”
opposing voter ID requirements; 
and emasculating military readiness and capability.

The Democratic misplaced priority focus has shifted from real problems to imaginary ones.  Believe it, or not …Two federal agencies, the Federal Communications Commission, and the U.S.Patent Office, are now trying to force the Washington Redskins to change its name because it is supposedly “offensive” to native Americans. Worst of all, the Obama Administration has declared that Global Warming is the greatest threat facing America.

What do all of these democratic efforts have in common?
– They destroy freedom, and the American dream.
– They do nothing to improve the economy…they depress the economy.
– They do nothing to create well paying jobs…
 they create low paying… part time jobs.
 – They do nothing to improve the quality of health care…they increase costs…and discourage physicians from the practice of medicine.
– They do not reduce the national debt…they add to it…significantly.
– They do not provide any incentive for businesses to grow, expand, and invest.
– They have increased the energy cost of every single individual and business.
– They do nothing to educate inner-city children and give them a chance to succeed.
– They put our nation at risk from foreign enemies.
– They create a bloated, inefficient, incompetent, and complacent government.

Todays headlines are all about foreign policy. 
Disaster after disaster…
A President who doesn’t know what he is doing, 
doesn’t listen to his generals…his Secretary of State…his Secretary of Defense…
the CIA…the Congress.
This President doesn’t listen to anybody… domestic policy is a bigger failure than foreign policy because he didn’t listen…didn’t understand…didn’t care.  Or…maybe the President is not incompetent at all…maybe what he’s doing is deliberate.  After all, once elected, he stated that he was out to “fundamentally change America.”  Maybe he has deliberately alienated our allies, made bad deals with our enemies, emasculated our military, failed to support our police, demonized business, ignored the Constitution, paid lip service to fighting the war on terror, politicized every federal agency, and poisoned relations with congress.  He has promoted government micromanagement of health care, energy, education, banking, and transportation.  He has neglected inner city issues, and has inflamed racial tensions.  After he leaves the Presidency, his ultimate goal appears to be to become a community organizer on a national scale.  Using his fame, he plans to unite African Americans, Latinos, students, Socialists, and disaffected groups who consider themselves victims of the free enterprise system.  He can do this even though he has deliberately done nothing to solve the root causes of problems that affect these groups.

SO MANY CHOICES

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Be Informed Not Manipulated

While Hillary is ignoring the media and cruising toward the 2016 democratic nomination, we are overrun with candidates seeking to be the republican nominee for President.   Every day I hear questions asked about candidates, issues, policies, qualifications, experience, etc., and what is my opinion?: “Who do you like?”  “Who are you going to vote for?” “What about Trump?”  “Can Hillary survive another scandal?”  I’ve also heard statements that are reasons for not voting like: I won’t vote for a candidate because he/she is: “Too liberal”…”Too religious”… “Advocates Pro-choice”… “Supports common core”… ” Believes in amnesty for illegals”…”Not tough enough” “Tea Party favorite”…”Warmonger”…”Too moderate”…”Thinks global warming is a greater threat than terrorists”, etc.

I don’t know why people have made up their mind this early, especially on a single issue, but I understand their frustration.  I am going to pay attention so I can better understand candidate positions.  There are a lot of choices and a talented field of republican candidates.  I want to hear every idea from every candidate.  Even if I don’t agree with every position of a candidate that becomes the nominee, I cannot imagine not voting.  Not voting because of one issue [abortion, immigration, gay marriage, race, religion, common core, etc.] will likely elect someone who you disagree with on every issue.

What I do know is that I’ll vote for a candidate that is a uniter, not a divider.  I want someone to represent all of the people.  I want someone that will appeal to all Americans, regardless of race, gender, age, political party, sexual preference, religion, education, wealth, or ideology.  I want a candidate that can communicate solutions to economic, social, environmental, and national security problems.  A candidate that follows this campaign approach won’t have to use negative ads and smears.  I do not expect any candidate to have the perfect solution to every problem, but I want a candidate willing to listen and act on expert advice regardless of political affiliation.  I want a candidate that is willing to meet the needs of America, not a political party.

I am more worried than ever about the future of our country.  The next president will be faced with all the problems that Barack Obama inherited, plus all those that he has created.  Most of the problems we face today have been caused by Socialism.  It is a failed ideology that leads to economic ruin, and never solves the social problems that Socialist politicians promise to fix.  Socialism is a monstrous ponzi scheme that politicians use to buy votes and gain power.  Examples of Socialist failure are everywhere.  Greece is the latest failure: bankrupt, borrowing money from other countries to pay for promises it can’t keep.  Cuba is a prime example of a Socialist country achieving income equality…make everyone poor.  We don’t have to use another country as an example, our national debt is increasing by hundreds of billions of dollars each day!  This is a threat to Social Security, to Medicare, and to every welfare program that needs funding.  This is why our military capability, our ability to defend our country, is shrinking.

The Great Recession of 2008 that caused so many American workers to lose their jobs was a direct result of a failed government Socialist policy that attempted to provide home ownership to millions of people who couldn’t afford to own homes. The failure to deal with the recession after seven years of mediocre enonomic performance is typical of Socialist politicians.  Rather than implement economic reforms recommended by the Bowles-Simpson Commission, the Socialists enacted ObamaCare, which is a perfect example of Socialist deception and failure.  Nothing was done to save the economy.  Socialist “solutions” inevitably lead to more failure: Raising the minimum wage, expanding the food stamp program, increasing unemployment benefits, forgiving student loan debt, providing government benefits to illegal immigrants, increasing overtime eligibility, are all examples of failed Socialist attempts that don’t solve the problem, but do more damage to the the economy.  Adding and expanding welfare programs, increasing taxes, and demonizing big business, wall street, banks, energy companies, drug companies, and “the rich”, are nothing more than Socialist attempts to buy votes.

Many voters have been, and continue to be manipulated, and deceived… not because they are stupid, but because they are uninformed.  Sadly, in addition to the uninformed, some minds are so poisoned with blind Socialist ideology that they will never accept the truth…that Socialism is the enemy of freedom.  For two hundred years, economic freedom has consistently proven to be the better path to solving social problems.

My choice, and I hope the choice of conservatives, moderates, Libertarians, Tea Party members, the religious right, independents, Latinos, African Americans, and millions of Americans, will unite to vote for the candidate that has a plan [not a promise] to undo the damage done by Socialism: A plan that will restore economic growth and create good jobs; A plan that will rebuild military strength; A plan that will provide safe streets and a quality education for all Americans; and A plan to rebuild relationships with our allies around the world.

INNER CITY INSANITY

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Hands up...Don't shoot

I first published my thoughts on this topic in August, 2015.  Today, the problems are worse: policemen have become targets of racist snipers as if the police were the only enemy of inner city residents.  Rioting, looting, burning, and sometimes killing, solves no problem. It never has, and it never will. The national news media ignore the much greater problem of black on black crime: shootings, murders, gangs, and drugs, continue to haunt America’s inner cities.  The breakdown of the African-American family has made things worse.  Racism is not limited to skin color.  Police sensitivity training would not be needed if President Obama seriously addressed the root causes of inner city problems.  The President should reject the “Black Lives Matter” movement as racist and inflammatory. The President should begin to solve confrontations with police by preaching, “Don’t resist an order from police, don’t fight, don’t threaten, don’t incite.”  But the President will not do this.  Neither will the Congressional Black Caucus.  I cannot name a single Obama policy that would change the sense of hopelessness that pervades the inner city.  I now believe that Obama plans to be a “Community Organizer” for the entire country after he leaves office.  This is why Al Sharpton has been a welcome White House visitor dozens of times over the past few years.  Obama wants a perpetual power base.  He wants to maintain the inner city sense of anger, resentment, and victimhood.  He wants to expand his base to include Latinos.  He intends to be a national political boss and power broker after he leaves office [think Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton on steroids].

So, the next President must deal with this problem.  It is not going to go away.  Some of my friends say these problems cannot be fixed.  They say it’s too late, that the inner city population is hooked on federal welfare.  I disagree.  It may take decades, but I think it can be overcome with great leadership.                                                                                                         Without safe streets, and an environment free of drugs and gangs, none of the problems can be addressed:  Why would a business locate in the inner city after riots, and destruction?  Without businesses, how are jobs going to be created?  How can children of the inner city ever receive a quality education when streets, and schools aren’t safe? How can a teacher focus on teaching in a school environment where lack of discipline, lack of respect, lack of appreciation, and lack of protection is pervasive?  How can a child receive a decent education when teachers can’t do their job?  What options, other than joining a gang and a life of crime, are available for young men who lack parental guidance, education, jobs, and an opportunity to pursue their dreams?  How can a child learn from a father who is in jail? How can a mother raise her children without a husband available to perform the duties of a responsible father and husband?  How can a policeman do the job protecting the people in the inner city where he is automatically despised and mistrusted?  How can any solution, including massive investment, ever work if the inner city population doesn’t take responsibility for its success?

Government has the primary Constitutional responsibility to provide “domestic tranquility” and has failed the inner cities.  The inner cities need government protection now more than ever before.  Every major crime area should be flooded with police.  Martial law needs to be declared before a “Marshall Plan” to invest and rebuild can be initiated.  Once the streets and schools are safe, businesses can move in, and jobs can be provided.  When the opportunity for crime is removed, fathers and husbands will not be going to jail.  The inner city education system will require a total overhaul.  Contrary to what the politicians in Baltimore have just done, charter schools should replace poorly performing public schools and not be burdened with collective bargaining, union rules and unnecessary interference from political influence.  Discipline must be enforced, and disruptive students that fail to change their ways should be transferred to reform school.  Schools will be needed to teach more than reading, writing, and arithmetic.  Remedial programs need to be established to repair the damage of inadequate teachers, and offer a quality education to those who didn’t receive it.  Job training for carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, painters,  electricians, computer technicians, tutors, care givers, and other worthwhile occupations need to be established.

Residents of the inner city need to be consulted for their ideas, suggestions and concerns so that they have ownership in the solutions.  Any proposed solution should be pilot tested to work out bugs and problems before adoption.  Massive rebuilding efforts will be wasted if residents aren’t committed to accept responsibility, and help fix the real problems of the inner city.

The breakdown of the family might require future generations to resolve.  Government assistance programs need to be reevaluated to see if they contribute to the breakdown.  Big brothers, big sisters, and mentors need to be pursued to substitute for lack of parental guidance.  Grandparents, and other relatives/friends/neighbors, etc., that are filling this role should be assisted and rewarded for their efforts.  Drug addiction will require special programs.

Instead of blaming police for inner city problems, the blame should be placed where it belongs…on politicians who deceive the poor with false promises.

FREEDOM – THE SOLUTION TO ALL ISSUES

Tags

divided we fail, United we stand

America is divided on so many issues, its a wonder that things aren’t worse than they are.  Too many politicians use wealth, gender, race, religion, and other tactics to divide us.  As long as we are divided, we will be unable to solve critical economic and social issues. Divisive rhetoric can lead to riots, destruction of property, and death.  Shootings of police officers, abortion doctors, military personnel, and innocent civilians, are the result of hate speech delivered by demagogues who would divide us.

Corrupt politicians lie, deceive, scare, and smear to buy the votes of various groups.  Abortion, health care, Islamic terror, global warming, income inequality, immigration, education, gun control, welfare, tax policy, foreign policy, and other issues are used to divide us.  The deceived often vote for politicians who never keep their promise.  As a result, social and economic problems never get solved…they often get worse.

The next president will inherit a catastrophic mess, made worse by an Administration riddled with incompetence, deception, and a poisonous determination to remake America into another Socialist failure.  Obama does not have to spend time on developing his legacy.  The Obama legacy will be: “The Worst President Ever.”  But the problems the next president will face began long before Obama. Decades of political mismanagement will have to be overcome.  America requires a leader who can unite the country to support tough decisions.  The leader must be a great communicator who can address every issue with honesty, and clarity.  The issues are critical:

The Federal government cannot afford to borrow 40 cents of every dollar it spends on political promises that can never be kept.  Funding schemes for Medicare, Social Security, food stamps, unemployment insurance, and other government obligations are unsustainable with so much of the population out of work and not paying taxes. When interest rates increase, as they surely will, drastic reductions will be required in every program.  Future administrations will be faced with difficult choices.  It may take decades to get out of the mess that politicians of both parties have created.

With an extraordinary leader, America can recover.  Millions and millions of new jobs must be created.  Jobs enough to employ the unemployed, and enough to bring back the millions of Americans that have given up looking for work, that are not even counted as unemployed.  Jobs enough to create a labor shortage, so that competition for workers creates wage increases across the board.  Jobs enough so that millions of illegal immigrants are given temporary green cards so that they can come out of the shadows, and become taxpayers.  Jobs enough to shrink the welfare population, and dramatically reduce the cost of welfare.

Jobs cannot be created without incentives for those who create jobs.  Instead of punishing businesses and entrepreneurs, Government must become a partner with these job creators.  Government must restore the American Dream that allows risk takers the opportunity to achieve, and keep, fabulous riches.  Tax rates must be cut much more deeply than anything yet proposed so that businesses and investors around the globe will flock to America.  Any regulation that adds cost to business must be refined to achieve the goal without adding cost.  Punitive regulations must be permanently removed.  Spending policy needs to be redirected from partisan political goals to goals that meet the needs of all Americans: Defense; Energy; Education; Economy; Infrastructure; and the like.   Funding must be made available for the general welfare, not for some political special interest.  Government will never be efficient unless the Civil Service regulations are revised to reward outstanding employees, and replace poor performers.  Government unions must be abolished. Mandates and subsidies should be ended.  Government spending programs must be reevaluated, rejustified, and refined: Is the cost of a program worth the benefits?   Does the program enhance freedom?  Is the program sustainable?  Can the goals of a program be achieved more efficiently?  Is the program working as promised?

Americans are not stupid, as some have suggested, they are just ill-informed, or misinformed.  Most don’t know how jobs are created, how government can impact the economy in a positive way, the beneficial steps that can be taken to improve education, health care, Social Security, poverty, racism, and so much more. Freedom is the only reason that America has the opportunity to fix all the issues that divide us. Freedom can unite America. If America is united, we can solve any issue using freedom as the key. Now that the 2016 Presidential contest is beginning my hope is that candidates will focus on freedom, and goals that will bring people together.

Immigration Policy Can Be Good For America

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Immigration fix

Socialists continue to poison the minds of Latinos by smearing Republicans as bigots who want to deport and jail Latinos who are in the country illegally.  President Obama could have fixed this problem as he promised when Democrats were the majority party in both houses of Congress.  He did not fix it because he wants an angry political base for now, and especially when he leaves office.  He will not compromise because he does not want to fix anything but his political goals.  When he said he wasn’t running again, don’t believe it.  He will never stop campaigning to divide and change America.  His affiliation with Al Sharpton is not accidental.  He intends to go from community organizer to a national organizer.  The only way to deal with this threat to Freedom…and it is a threat…is to offer solutions to every problem that is key to Socialist deception.  Freedom, the American Dream, economic prosperity, justice, education, and social solutions can be achieved when people, not government, become the priority.

The successful approach to this issue is to offer a proactive solution that is realistic. Immigration policy is a disaster because millions of illegal immigrants have been allowed to work and live in America for decades. In addition to this problem, current Immigration policy prevents, and deters highly skilled immigrants from permanent residency. Most of the highly skilled receive their education in the US, and should be encouraged to stay.  They would be valuable employees, and/or potential job-creating entrepreneurs. Both problems with our out-of-date immigration policy could be resolved with legal visas, and a potential path to citizenship subject to strict requirements.
America needs many more law-abiding workers who pay taxes…especially skilled workers. These workers would embrace the opportunity to pursue the American Dream. Their path to citizenship would not be accelerated, but would begin when the visa is granted, and would not affect the application process of legal immigrants. The current illegal population needs to be identified, allowed to come out of the shadows, and become legal contributors to society. Immigration quotas need to be significantly increased to offset a growing population of retirees, and a declining US birth rate. The idea that millions of illegal immigrants could be identified, fined, and deported is unrealistic, and fails to take advantage of future citizens that this country needs.

The path to citizenship should become available when visa holders get in back of the line of legal immigrants, establish a history of working, and paying taxes, and completing all of the legal requirements for citizenship.  It makes no sense to add welfare recipients to a Socialist voting base.

A robust border enforcement policy is a necessary National Security requirement and is the highest priority.  Border enforcement will become much more manageable if temporary visas are available.

Illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, and/or are members of gangs must be deported or jailed.

Socialism – The Hidden Threat To Freedom

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Lies and more lies, Other People's Money

SOCIALISM – America is involved in a second war, different from the War on Terror, but unfortunately most Americans are unaware of it…The war of Government Controlled Socialism versus Freedom.  Unlike the separation of church and state, our founding fathers didn’t see the threat of Socialism, otherwise they would have separated Socialism and state too.   Socialism is a greater threat than Terrorism because it comes from within, from power hungry politicians who deceive people who want to help people in need.  The needs are real: poverty; health care; education; energy; housing; job security; retirement, and more.  Socialist politicians exploit these needs and promise government solutions if elected.  Realistic solutions to these needs are ridiculed and ignored… Government Controlled Socialism is gradually sucking the lifeblood out of our economy because Socialism is incompatible with freedom.  Socialists use government power to over-tax and over-regulate in order to over-spend on Socialist policies that redistribute income to their supporters. Socialists easily deceive those who think they are getting something for nothing…easily deceive those who want to help people in need… easily deceive those who are apathetic, who just don’t see the danger.  The danger comes from those who want to change America from a free society to a government-dominated, Socialist society. The key strategy of Socialism is to achieve power by deceiving large segments of the voting population through the politics of envy, class warfare, and hate mongering.  The deception always begins with a charge of “unfairness”…and creating the false impression that, if elected and given the power of government, the Socialists can correct the “unfairness.”  “Fairness” is never defined.  The deceived don’t bother to check the costs of government solutions against the benefits intended for those in need.  The deceived don’t recognize the negative impact of unintended consequences that result from government Socialist programs.  The deceived do not hold the Socialists accountable for keeping their false promises. All Socialist Entitlement programs have been designed to ensure political power, not to solve the social need.  The funding sources for both Social Security and Medicare are nothing more than giant “Ponzi” schemes…doomed to failure…leaving needed benefits exposed to great risk.  Costs have always exceeded the benefits.  The federal government has squandered all of the money collected from workers and employers that were intended to fund Social Security and Medicare.  These funds were supposed to be held in “trust”, and invested for the benefit of retirees.  Politicians have violated that trust, have ignored their fiduciary responsibility, and have increased the risk of insolvency with the addition of ObamaCare. Sadly, most people are unaware that misguided Socialist policies are the cause of most of our economic problems.  Most people are unaware that Socialist policies perpetuate the social problems that the policies are supposed to fix.  The proponents of Socialism conveniently ignore that all of our prosperity, all of our wealth, and all jobs come from the free enterprise system. Not one government job could exist without funding from private enterprise. Today’s Socialists, i.e.- progressives, i.e. – liberals, would have us believe that the free enterprise focus on profits is incompatible with compassion for those in need. They are clueless about the destructive impact of taxes and regulations on employers.  They don’t understand why businesses relocate to a more business-friendly state, or country.  Business freedom has been eroding every year for decades.  When businesses lose the freedom to compete, everyone loses.  Evidence of this loss of freedom includes: abnormally high taxes; unsustainable government deficits; unsustainable levels of debt; high unemployment; business closures; outsourced jobs; massive government involvement in every facet of life, and general economic decline.   The promised benefits devised by Socialists never fix the underlying cause of the problems because the politicians never want the problems fixed.  Socialist politicians need the problems to continue in order to stay in power.  This is why waste, cost overruns, and other problems in social programs are never investigated, and never resolved.  Socialist politicians always demonize any sensible effort to fix these problems.  Even though the federal government has to borrow 40 cents of every dollar spent on these programs, Socialists oppose all efforts to reduce the debt. Socialism is bankrupting the Country by creating disincentives to work…creating disincentives to invest…and  reducing the ability of American businesses to compete. Socialist regulatory policy is mindlessly complex and punitive… Socialist tax policy is excessive, unfair, and deliberately punitive… Socialist spending policy is out of control, and economically insane. Socialism smothers individual rights, dooms economic prosperity, and destroys the “American Dream”.  Socialist policies will ultimately lead to an inability to fund social goals.   These policies will destroy America, and too many Americans don’t know the danger.   This is why Socialism is a greater threat to freedom than all other threats. Social needs are real, and there are millions of people who are capable, and want to help.  Among the many who want to help are people who have the means to provide that help.   The solution is a combination of government and private initiatives to deal with social needs. Government can do its part by focusing on protecting, preserving, and enhancing freedom.  This focus will eliminate most of the causes that create social needs.  If a free society guarantees safe streets, provides all of its people with a quality education, unburdens its businesses with complex and costly regulation, operates every government service efficiently, and offers the American Dream to everyone through low taxes, then: JOBS WILL BE ABUNDANT, and INVESTORS WILL FLOCK TO AMERICA.  Government provided Socialism is a road to bankruptcy, mediocrity and the death of freedom.  Private, people-funded charity is more efficient, more flexible, and can best serve those in need. Don’t get me wrong…Socialism can exist within a free society.  Those who believe in Socialism are free to pool their own money, build their own communes, start their own businesses, pay their own employees a “living wage”, create their own health care system, ride bicycles instead of cars, read by candlelight instead of electricity, and do whatever they think is fair, and just.  Socialists can do this in a free country, providing they do not force the rest of us to give up our freedom.  In a free country, the rest of us can pursue our own ideas of happiness, and the “American Dream”. THE SOLUTION – Socialism must be separated from government much the same as religion.  Because of Socialism, people are divided. We can solve social problems if we unite, and work together, regardless of political party.  The best way to solve social problems is to achieve economic prosperity, and plentiful jobs.  Economic prosperity, and job growth can be achieved by undoing all the damage done by Socialism.