Jobs

Experienced Businessman

As an entrepreneur who started a nationwide company that has created hundreds of jobs, I am uniquely positioned in this race to discuss how small business owners think and act.

Right now they are thinking that our Government has become a hostile force that attacks success and they are not acting because, in this environment, they can’t predict what the Government is going to do to them in the future.

Layoffs are a problem but the real problem is the lack of job creation.  If one part of the economy goes through a rough patch resulting in layoffs, other parts of the economy are normally expanding and providing job opportunities.  That is not happening today.  Job creation is at a historic low and those being laid off have FEW opportunities.  For every job opening today, six people are actively looking for it. 

Healthcare

Our healthcare system is the best in the world because it fosters
innovation and excellence, and consumers have real choices regarding
their medical care.  Most Americans like the coverage they have.  I
oppose the Pelosi-Connolly government run healthcare system.

Protecting Our Values

I believe America is the greatest nation in the world because of hard
work and freedom.  We are also a great nation because we have a strong
moral compass.  Traditional values like faith and family keep us
grounded and pointed in the right direction.

Pro-Life

I am pro-life and will vote pro-life.  I believe we must continue to
foster a culture of life for the unborn, aging and sick.  Taxpayer
dollars should never fund abortions.  We should have a ban on human
cloning.

Energy

When gas prices soared over three dollars a gallon, I proposed a comprehensive plan to lower gas and energy prices. We must end our dependence on foreign oil and put more money in your pocket for your family.

My plan includes: drilling for more oil and natural gas, expanding nuclear power and develop wind and solar alternative energy.

I oppose the Pelosi-Connolly Cap and Trade plan. It will destroy jobs, increase gas prices by over 60 cents and drive up the electric bill of families and businesses across our nation. And according to EPA staff it won’t have any impact on the climate. Instead it will set up an Enron-style system of energy speculation that special interests will use to gouge families.

Taxes

No New Tax Pledge

I believe your money is your money, and it is far better in your hands than it is in the hands of the government.  That’s why I have taken the No New Tax Pledge. 

Taxes should be low and broad based.  Our tax code shouldn’t pick winners and losers, and it shouldn’t punish success. 

The current IRS Code is thousands of pages.  Americans spend at least 7 billion hours and more than $200 billion complying with the current tax code.  The waste and lost productivity is immense.  In Congress, I’ll support rewriting the current federal tax code to make it simpler, fairer, and supportive of making America the best place in the world to do business.

We must be careful reworking it because we don’t want career politicians and special interests rewriting the tax code to their benefit while American families are forced to pay more.

Spending

Freeze Government Spending

The Federal Government spends too much money.  We cannot continue to run up trillion dollar deficits and multi-trillion dollar national debt.  Continuing down this path will debase our currency and turn us into a debtor nation.

We need to immediately freeze government spending and return all unspent TARP funds to the Treasury.

I support a Federal Balanced Budget Amendment as well as a constitutional amendment to give the President the line item veto.  Career politicians in Washington are spending addicts.  They are incapable of controlling spending. 

Congress

Congress is broken. The politicians continually put special interest lobbyists first. Look at every major problem and you can see Congress siding with special interests against working families. Energy reform—lobbyists get earmarks. Stimulus bill—the connected power players get paid off. Health care—each lobbyist exempts their group from a change that helps families. We need to stop electing Congressman who think their job is to put their snout in the taxpayers trough.

Veterans

A Strong Commitment to America’s Service Members: Present and Past

America owes a debt of gratitude to the veterans who have sacrificed much to protect our country during the current Global War on Terror and for past wars.  We must provide for our service men and women and their families while they serve, and we must provide a seamless transition to them as they return to civilian life.  Lastly, we must also honor and never forget the service of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and do not return.

Valuing the Service of Reservists and Guardsmen

Our countries reservists and guardsmen have been an invaluable and critical part of the Global War on Terror as they have served and fought side-by-side with active duty members in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Since the role of reservists and the guardsmen has changed, we must also update and improve their benefits to reflect the critical role they play in protecting our country and for their sacrifices.

Illegal Immigration

I am 100 percent opposed to illegal immigration. We need to secure our borders for security and economic reasons.  We need to build a wall, both physical and virtual. People who want to come here must follow the rules. I oppose amnesty for those who have broken the law and entered our country illegally. When someone is arrested for the committing a crime, the police should check their immigration status and turn them over to Federal authorities. We must be tough on those who break our laws.

But we must remember that we are a nation of immigrants and people who come here legally to work and contribute to our nation should be welcomed, particularly highly educated, highly skilled individuals who can make valuable contributions to our economy.  We need to encourage the young, highly educated people that come here to study to stay here and contribute to our economy. 

National Defense

Peace Through Strength

Like Ronald Reagan, I believe in peace through strength.  We want peace on our terms, not on the terms of our enemies.  We must maintain the strongest military in the world.  Our military has been the greatest force for good the world has known. 

We face a dangerous world.  From terrorism to rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea to the potential for chemical, biological, or even nuclear terrorism, the greatest deterrent we can provide is a strong United States military.  Now is not the time for nuclear disarmament, as the administration is attempting to do.   

That includes giving our men and women deployed overseas the tools they need to complete their missions, and preparing for the battlefields of the future with the most advanced weapons systems possible. 

Social Security

More than 50 million retired Americans, widows and those with disabilities depend on Social Security.  It is essential that we protect Social Security and the benefits promised to those who depend on it.  The solvency of Social Security is partly a demographic problem and partly a spending problem. 

First, we must stop spending and raiding the Social Security Trust Fund to finance out-of-control spending.  Our options run out if we don’t control spending.  Gerry Connolly’s votes for trillions in new reckless spending are a serious threat to Social Security. 

Second, benefits should be protected for those who depend on Social Security.  We cannot break the contract we have with seniors who have retired or are nearing retirement age.