Eight in Oh-Eight - These are the eight most important issues we face in 2008.

Tie Education Funding to Competition and Accountability. A major result of the No Child Left Behind legislation has been the revelation that a number of schools systems are crippling and destroying our children's education. When the North Carolina school system only graduates 60% of entering freshman on time, it is clear the children are being cheated. The American people strongly support reforms designed to save the children. The first step would be to insist that federal funds only go to school systems which require teacher competency and accountability. We will only fund those which provide competition and which can prove they are educating the children. A clear choice between those who want to save the children and those who want to save the bureaucrats would mobilize the country in favor of dramatic education reform based on competition. This competition must take the form of Charter Schools, Home Schooling and Equal Opportunity Scholarships with control of their children's choices by the parents.  (more)

Assure Fair Taxes Leads To Spending Control . Cutting taxes while spending money in excess of tax receipts is simply passing the costs on to our children. This generational warfare must end.  There needs to be a real focus on reducing waste and eliminating special interests payoffs.  In program after program there is more than enough money to do the job.  The problem is that government bureaucrats misdirect and waste so much that the spending does not accomplish the goal the people want.  Rather than fix the waste and corruption, more money is thrown at the goal.  In most cases this does not accomplish what is needed.   We need special focus on give away programs liberals will fight to protect.  We must avoid using the unintended consequences of a helping hand for the needy becoming a free ride for the greedy.  Citizens must start punishing officials who contribute to waste by participating in "earmarks" and other forms of pork. Let the country see who is really committed to effective government with lower taxes and who is committed to wasteful government with higher taxes.   However being right on tax policy is not enough.  All three problems need to be addressed in a balanced effort.  Lower and fairer taxes.   Eliminate waste and corruption, so more help reaches the needy.  More effective spending.  (more)

Control the Borders Against Economic and Cultural Invasions. It is impossible to pass a "comprehensive" immigration bill as long as big corporations, sweat shops, farmers and Democrats see amnesty as furthering their economic or political interests. The American people overwhelmingly want the borders controlled. There is no justice in making America’s poor compete with the world’s poor for our jobs. Every act of terrorism reminds us that having the borders uncontrolled makes us more vulnerable to attack from those who have no respect for our culture or our economic rights. We must ensure that the United States can control our border.   (more)

Defend America From "Terrorism". Terrorism by Islamic radicals, called Islamo-fascists by many, is a real threat. Congress should hold hearings on their activities across the movement and across the world.  The American people are prepared to believe we face extraordinary threats from a nuclear Iranian regime actively seeking to develop nuclear weapons and a Pakistan dictatorship which already has them. Actions in Iraq need to be recast in terms of their impact on Iran and Pakistan and their willingness to give nuclear weapons to the Islamo-fascist movement. A weak America in Iraq will be unable to stop Iran and Pakistan Islamo-fascist supporters. Stopping Iran and Pakistan is  literally a matter of life and death.  (more)

Make English the Official Language. We should make English the official language of government.  We should abolish multilingual ballots and reaffirm that new citizens should be required to pass a test on American history in English.  Anyone (except tourists or foreign officials we decide to serve) who needs to deal with our government in any language other than English should pay translation costs and provide the service themselves.  There is no right to burden our governments with the requirement that anyone can demand government talk to them in the language they choose.  The Rasmussen poll reported that support for English as the official language was 85%. The Zogby poll had it at 84%. Why do Republican leaders find it so hard to side with more than four out of every five Americans? How many liberal Democrats like our current representative could explain a series of votes against English to their constituents? Remember, at 85%, there are no anti-English congressional districts no matter what the elite media says.

Achieve Sustainable Energy Independence. The country is eager for a straightforward new energy strategy for national security, environmental and economic reasons. The combination of $4 gasoline, watching Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Russia get more of our money, and concerns about the environment, come together to require real change.  The lack of evidence for man caused global warming needs to be accepted and erroneous efforts to control greenhouse gas emmissions rethought.  We need to assure that we do not repeat the disastrous bio-fuels mistake that is destroying rain forests and creating starvation around the world. Starting with a bill to immediately encourage the constuction of refineries, we must pass a bill to create state flexibility in exploring off shore with a 50% split in revenue so state legislatures and governors would have an incentive to develop environmentally sound methods of exploration and production.   We must remove barriers and obstacles to use of carbon based alternative fuels such as shale-oil.  We should support and encourage  clean nuclear power using new technologies that are safe and produce little waste, develop more clean coal solutions, incentivize conservation, provide tax credits so the auto industry can invest in the new technology and new manufacturing equipment needed to produce revolutionary new vehicles of the future, and provide deeper tax incentives for radically better cars ... taking care not to have government try and pick winners but instead focusing on freeing up the creative genius of our nation.      

Control the Courts.  Our courts are out of control and are subverting the concept of the "rule of law". Congress should take steps to preserve the right to say "one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, a right which is supported by 91% of all Americans. The American people feel deeply that our Declaration of Independence is correct in saying that each of us is endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. Beginning with the Supreme Court's 1963 decision outlawing school prayer, the courts have waged a 43-year assault on the core values of American liberty. It is time to return to a balanced Constitutional system.

There is no Constitutional case for five lawyers' on the Supreme Court being a floating majority which can rule our nation. Nor can they act as a permanent Constitutional Convention for the purpose of subverting the rule of law by judicial fiat. Taking issues such as abortion and property rights out of the hands of legislatures has damaged our constitutional balance. The American people would rally to the elected branches' taking steps to rebalance the Constitution.

The House should pass a bill permanently overturning the federal district court decision outlawing the words "one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. The House should pass a second law blocking the Supreme Court from reviewing the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance (a power of the Congress expressly granted in the Constitution). We must pressure the lawyers in the legislature to stop giving power to unelected judicial tyrants.

The American people are deeply opposed to local politicians' being able to seize a citizen's home or business. The Supreme Court's Kelo decision on eminent domain is one of the most unpopular in recent years and is also one of the most dangerous to freedom. Anyone who knows the history of local government corruption in America knows it will not be long before some corrupt developers engage some corrupt politicians and this power is exploited at the cost of most Americans. Members of the Black Caucus have been among the most vocal in pointing out that it is poor people who will be the victimized so rich developers and greedy politicians can make money off their homes and businesses. The House should pass a powerful bill returning the constitutional law to the pre-Kelo rules and blocking the Supreme Court from reviewing it.  This should become a model for further limits on the unconstitutional seizure of power by our courts.

Require Voter Identification. The American people overwhelmingly support (85% in one poll) having a voter ID card so we can be sure only legal citizens are voting. Passing a bill to require this in all federal elections would be a big step toward more honest elections.   We are starting to hear citizens express rage at the number of illegal aliens and criminal felons who are arrogantly voting when they are not permitted.  Nothing will destroy our nation faster than the people reaching a point where they feel the right to vote is not protected for citizens. If illegals can vote and our voting process cannot be trusted, citizens will stop respecting government and will resort to the corruption that is typical of governments in much of the rest of the world.  It is clearly starting to happen here in North Carolina.  This trend absolutely must be reversed.  The recent recognition of this power by the courts is a real step forward towards judicial sanity.

 

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