Obama – Corzine Economy
Mica Committed to Restoring Our Economy
Dear Friends:
As I get back to the district and talk to folks, I hear from those that have lost their job and people who now have lower incomes and lower expectations for their children’s future. This greatly concerns me. I have listened to the President, along with my constituents and others, and while the President has some ideas that merit consideration, our biggest point of difference is that just implementing bigger government programs and more spending are not going to get America out of a depressed economy.
We must incentivize those that invest and those that create jobs. It is the private sector that can expand employment and reinvigorate the economy. It has been free enterprise and business that makes the country go and grow. These free market principles provide good paying jobs and then allows people to pay their taxes and be good citizens. We must find ways that promote that private sector activity and also to compete and win today in a global market. More regulations, more taxation and more meddling from Washington only depress positive economic growth.
In Congress, everyone has different responsibilities—mine is transportation and infrastructure. In this role, I am trying to make certain that the money you pay when you fill up your tank through the gas tax or the other federal fees and taxes you pay, are properly expended on good infrastructure. America’s roads, bridges and all types of transportation and infrastructure systems need attention. It is imperative that we use your hard-earned tax dollars, the money that you are sending to the highway trust fund, properly. With 35 percent of the Stimulus I funds appropriated two and a half years ago still in Washington, the term “shovel ready” has become a joke. We must streamline the federal project approval process, cut red tape and end wasteful programs.
I am looking for ways to do more with less like many citizens have had to do. So in the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, my responsibilities have been to work in our area to move projects forward and expand employment opportunities to build our nation’s infrastructure. I am willing to work with the President, Democrats, Republicans and citizens that come forward with great ideas that we can incorporate into good policy. We can and we must do better.
I am optimistic about the country’s future. I think people working together with good intentions and good faith, can make a difference. America has risen to any challenge in the past, and I know that we can in the future.
Setting Our Priorities
Not long after Obama was elected, he introduced a new website called whitehouse2.org where you can set the nation’s priorities.
Whitehouse 2 describes the purpose of their website as: “We’re imagining how the White House might work if it was run completely democratically by thousands of people on the internet. Get started by setting your priorities for the nation.”
When I created my account- I set my top 10 priorities for getting the country on the right track.
- Restore, uphold and defend the constitution.
- Cut spending, reduce the national debt.
- Replace the federal income tax with the Fair Tax.
- Build nuclear power plants.
- Drill for oil in our own country.
- Protect gun owners rights.
- Permanently end the death tax.
- Stop the bailouts and implement free market solutions.
- Let the banks that make bad loans go out of business.
- End corporate welfare.
On February 18, not even one month since Obama was sworn in, I received an email that priority 2- Cut spending, reduce the national debt has failed.
And boy did it fail, Obama and his big spending democrats- passed the largest bailout bill (that Obama refers to as stimulus) at over a trillion dollars- much of that in new spending for new government entitlements. I am proud of our Republican leaders stepping up to the plate on this one and not voting for this waste of taxpayer dollars.
But that was just the beginning, today the congress approved another 400 billion in pork spending. Hey don’t forget that is on top of the 300 billion that Bush released for spending shortly before leaving office that has not even been spent yet.
I am not surprised by this, Obama announced after his election that he was going to spend his way out of this. Every time it has been tried- it has failed. It didn’t work with Carter, or FDR and it won’t work now.
But as Joe Scarborough and Tucker Carlson, reminded everyone at the convention last weekend, this is not the end- just the beginning. Brace yourself for more bailouts and big spending packages on the way.
We are engaged in the war of ideas with the left, and while we do not have the majority at the moment, we need to stick to our principles of personal liberty, personal accountability, and limited government.
Soon the country will tire of big spending, and higher taxes and they will have to make a choice of whether to continue on the same path or elect new leadership. That first choice will come during the midterm elections in 2010.
I know Bernake and other are optimistic that the economy will turn around later this year, but I am more cautious. I really can’t see how the policies of the left and their reckless spending, and more government oversight will get us out of this mess that they created.
It was government intervention during the Carter presidency starting with the Community Reinvestment Act that forced banks to loan to people who couldn’t afford homes in the first place. That coupled with the mismanagement of Freddie and Fannie by the democrats- Chris Dodd and Barney Frank caused the housing bubble to burst and the economy to collapse.
Now those same Democrats are in charge of cleaning up this mess? Sorry, I don’t have confidence in government to solve this. I do however, have confidence in the market to correct itself- but it can’t do that with government running interference for banks and companies that should fail.
I’m with Rush- I hope Obama fails- if this is going to be his answer socialism and nationalism of banks. We cannot afford for him to succeed. That is why it is more important than ever for Republicans to stand up for their principles in this time of moral and ethical uncertainty.
Overheard
I was in the lunch room the other day at school when I heard a student explaining his political views. First, he stated I am not a Republican or a Democrat. Immediately, I thought to myself- “Please don’t say you’re a moderate.” The next thing that came out of his mouth was shocking. He said, “I am a captialist.” He went on to explain how he was a strict captailist. Stating, “I am a captialist, but I am not conversative. I am a captialist, but not liberal.” He further explained his views on business and the economy- and how he felt that he was a man without a party. I was sad. Sad to hear that he didn’t think conseratives were pro-captialists.
But it is understandable when you see what has been going on in the Senate this week with “Big Oil”. Liberals made a push for the Windfall Profits Tax again- and many conservatives are ready to latch onto it. This is a dangerous idea. it almost reminds me of Marxism- punishing companies for doing well. Especially when there are many pro-capital solutions to the problem.
First of all, we haven’t had a new refinery in this country in over 35 years. And some of the ones that we do have are now shut down. A pro-capitalist would push for new refinining capabilities to increase oil production.
Second, a pro-capitalist would be for drilling in ANWAR and exploring other places for new sources of oil. Yet, liberals have stopped this exploration at every turn saying it causes environmental damage.
Third, a pro-capitalist would ease restrictions on special enviromentally friendly blends and lower taxes. Lower taxes? you ask. I heard this bit of trivia the other day. The gas companies make about 9¢ profit on each gallon of gasoline, while the government makes 50¢-65¢ on each gallon. Of course that is just the feds. That doesn’t include state, local and sales tax.
Now that is outrageous. Isn’t it about time that we do something about the windfall profits of the government?
Let’s take back our party and those people who consider themselves pro-capitalists.
The Gameplan from Coach
The other day I turned on Glenn Beck to find him talking to Coach. Well, the man who played Coach, Craig T Nelson. They had been discussing the state of the economy, the tea parties and the gameplan for the GOP.
The government has put us dug a very deep hole with the bailouts, the high taxes- set to go even higher, takeover of private companies, and the excessive government waste.
It was then that Coach laid out the gameplan. He announced on Glenn Beck, that he would rather go to jail than pay his taxes to an irresponsible and wasteful government.
I wished we all had that courage. Yet, despite our kicking and screaming we don’t refuse to pay for it. We still write our check out every April 15 without fail.
While it is true that the tea parties attracted some attention, it is not enough to speak our mind to a government that listen. It is time for action. It is time for civil disobedience.
The Tea Parties were named after the Boston Tea Party, (perhaps a misnomer), because the Boston Tea Party was not a peaceful protest, it was an act of civil disobedience. The settlers were refusing to pay their taxes to someone who did not represent their interests. Instead, they choose to destroy their tea rather than concede the authority of a legislature in which they were not directly represented.
We could certainly say the same. The Government of Corporate Bailouts, and Hostile Takeovers is not my government. The Government of Greed and Excess is not my Government. They do not represent our interests or the interests of our children and grandchildren, who will undoubtedly be slaves to a government that has dumped this pile of debt at their door.
In November, Our Country voted for change, but it is up to us to bring about real revolution. Change does begin with the government. It begins with the courage of a single individual who is willing to say NO MORE!
NO MORE GOVERNMENT WASTE!
NO MORE BAILOUTS OF FAILED COMPANIES!
NO MORE HOSTILE TAKEOVERS!
NO MORE GOVERNMENT GREED AND EXCESS!
IF everyone would join in this act of civil disobedience, the government would not be able to stop us. It would be a political disaster if they tried. And that would be the beginning of a new revolution.