Posted in politics and current events

I've been watching the debate on health care reform with great concern.  This article  from the Washington Examiner does an excellent job of challenging conservatives to fight for real solutions instead of defending the insurance companies.  Here are some excerpts along with my thoughts.

"Insurance companies lobby for big-government regulations, subsidies, mandates, and tax-code distortions that funnel them money, keep out competition, and stultify innovation. These policies preserve the employer-based health-care system that mocks the idea of free-market competition. Then they cry "unfair competition" when government threatens to encroach on their government-protected monopolies."

One, seemingly unrelated, change we could make is to pass the fairtax so that all health care spending is made with pre-tax dollars.  This would eliminate the disadvantage that workers who must buy their own health insurance have under the current tax system.   We certainly could change the income tax system to remove this disadvantage but other advantages of the fairtax would stimulate the economy and provide more spendable income to the average American family making healthcare and all of the other expenses of living more affordable without tax subsidies or additional regulations.

"This is an industry that thrives on government protection. But still many conservatives and Republicans stand up for it and speak as if we have an obligation to protect it. We don't.

Shadegg agrees: "I don't think that they are our friends, and that we ought to be protecting them."

While a government insurance option should be opposed, we should not defend their right to exist, but instead we ought to be threatening their near-monopolies with a force as powerful as the federal government: the free market."

Free market loving conservatives need to pressure our representatives to offer real free market solutions instead of defending the insurance companies.  Gov't should be neutral in the battle for companies to make a profit.  Companies must provide a service or product at a price people are willing to pay without gov't forcible limiting people's choices.  What would a true free market health care industry look like??  Here are some possibilities the article's author offers for our consideration.

"A freer market might yield a more retail-oriented health-care market in which insurance is used more as insurance--guarding against large, unexpected expenses--and less as a way of pre-paying for health care. Such insurers would have to actually compete on price and on quality of service. Current law disadvantages such plans.

Alternatively, a freer market could yield more Kaiser Permanentes: you buy in at a set price, and they provide all your health-care needs, giving the company an incentive to actually keep you healthy at the lowest cost."

There will always be those who can't afford things they need and that includes health care but opening the industry to true free market forces can make it affordable for the vast majority of working Americans.  Our current system where health care is unaffordable for even middle class families isn't sensible and makes it harder to confront the issues facing the least fortunate among us.

Posted in politics and current events

For the next few weeks I'm going to be blogging on why I'm not voting for the other Republican candidates.  I will not be discussing Guiliani as I think I've covered my concerns about him in previous posts.  I may cover them all or I may just cover some but I'm starting with Romney.  For this I'm going to start with a link to a youtube video on his abortion record.  Buckle your seatbelts, you might get whiplash! You can't trust Mitt, part 1 abortion    He went back and forth so many times on abortion it's hard to understand how anyone can trust him on either side of the abortion issue.  As a strong advocate for the unborn this is a make or break issue for me.  End of story!  I can't vote for Romney.  He also has a horrible record on judges.  This is a biggie as a president's judge nominations have an impact that can outlive that president.  Here's an article that discusses his choices as Governor.  CONSERVATIVE VOICE: On Judges: Huckabee or Romney?   Add to that his recent claims that his father marched with MLK jr.  and a very Clintonion moment in which he examined the meaning of "saw" and he lacks the trustworthiness required for a president.   Here's a reference for that.   ROMNEY DEFENDS MLK MARCH REMARK   Over all, I'm comfortable with my decision not to vote for Romney. 

Posted in politics and current events

I've added a new link on the right!  Scroll down to my links list and check it out.  You can get several and pass them out or just get one for your car.  Let's get the word out!

Posted in politics and current events

He's only 3 points ahead of Guiliani which is a statistical tie but that's really good for a candidate with very little money.  He's ahead of both Romney and McCain by a larger amount and both candidates have a lot more campaign money then he does.  Here's a link to the day by day results.  Daily presidential polling history  After you've checked that out head to his website, see my links, and see why I support him! 

Posted in politics and current events

For those of you who worry that Huckabee can't beat Clinton, rest assured!  It's possible.  Rasmussen Reports polled voters and found if Huckabee ran against Clinton in the general election 46% would vote for Clinton and 43% would vote for Huckabee.  When you realize that Clinton has a whole lot more money then Huckabee does that bodes very well for him!   Also, don't forget, he's the only candidate of either party that has run against the Clinton political machine and he has won, four times!  He knows what to expect.  Here's the link to the Rasmussen Reports article:

Rasmussen Reports: Huckabee vs. Clinton

Don't give up on supporting a real conservative because you're afraid he'll lose!  Join me in supporting Gov. Huckabee and defeat the Democrats in 2008!

Posted in politics and current events

If Guiliani wins will you vote for him in the general election?  I won't and neither will a lot of other people I know.  Several prominent evangelical leaders met in Salt Lake City.  They agreed that if Guiliani wins the primary they will support a third party or independent candidate.   Their decision has been criticized by some conservative pundits but I think they're right.  I think far too many conservatives have been supporting Guiliani in the primary because they're afraid no one else can win.  They're so afraid of another President Clinton.   Someone on a message board made a very wise observation about our political choices.   "As a Christian, I should be doing things out of faith not fear."  Are we supporting a candidate that opposes everything we believe in because we're afraid??  As a long time observer of politics in this country, I've come to a few conclusions.   We survived President Clinton and we'll survive another Democrat.  Do I want one??  Absolutely not but I won't be ruled by fear.    Do we really think that our God isn't big enough to handle Hillary Clinton as president?  Is He so weak that a bad president will destroy His plans?  I'm supporting Huckabee in the primary (see my link for more information about his campaign) and I believe that if he wins the primary he has a chance at the presidency.  The country is frustrated and ripe for change.  That means a Republican candidate will have to work very, very hard to win in 2008.  That doesn't mean it's impossible.     I will sometimes plug my nose and vote for a candidate I don't like but when there is little or no difference between the Republican and the Democrat (and there won't be if Guiliani gets the nomination) then why not vote for someone else?   What are we afraid of?  If the past is any indication, in our country, a Democrat in the White house will likely lead to a Republican takeover in Congress in 2010.  That means he or she will only have two years to pass his/her agenda with a cooperative Congress.  Even with a Democratic majority the minority still has the filibuster in the Senate and we can stay on our congressional reps. to make sure they understand the political consequences of supporting the liberal agenda.  If Guiliani wins, the Republican party will take a giant leap to the left leaving conservatives with no major party to support.  We must send the message to the Republicans that we want the party to stand with us for real conservative principles.  If the Republican party looks just like the Democrats then what's the point.   They need to remember how the GOP got its start.  The Whig party refused to oppose slavery.   When opposition to slavery reached critical mass they had no party to join so they started a new one.  The GOP is still here.  Have you seen any Whig candidates lately?  

Posted in politics and current events

Do organizations like Sierra Club, Greenpeace and others care about the world's poor??  This movie suggests that they don't.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wth_p4p0rfY  The filmmakers'  blog contains a wealth of quotes from wealthy environmentalists who insist the the world's poor are happy the way they are and that to allow development would somehow deprive them of their culture.  Mark Fenn of the World Wildlife Fund shows off his $35k yacht and then talks about how happy the people in Fort Gauphin, Madagascar are in their current lifestyles.  "Fenn claims the mine will change the "quaint" village and harm the environment. He says he feels "like a resident," his children "were born and raised" there, and the locals "don't consider education to be important" and would just spend their money on parties, jeans and stereos."  http://mineyourownbusiness-blog.blogspot.com/2007/06/investors-business-daily-recognise.html   The "quaint" village of which he speaks is 300 miles away from where he lives and raised his children.  It's a place with no indoor plumbing, little power and dirt roads.  The people eke out a living of less then $1000 a year and are decimating the local rainforest with slash and burn subsistence farming.    If poverty is so enjoyable and stress free why doesn't Mr. Fenn give away his yacht and move into this wonderfully "quaint" village.  Check out the links I've posted here and then decide who's really interested in helping alleviate poverty in this world.  Are you angry yet??  I am.

Posted in politics and current events

As many of you have know, I'm a very strong advocate of the Fairtax bill.  I believe that it is a fair, balanced, effective alternative to our current Federal income tax system.  The most recent update in my e-mail featured an editorial crediting the Scientologists with the Fairtax.  Sheesh!  Those who profit off of the current draconion tax system will stop at nothing to discredit any alternatives.   Here's the rebuttal from the founder of Americans for Fair Taxation: Link here

 It is apparently getting so difficult to defend the current income tax system that its guardians must use smear tactics to slow down its best replacement. Bruce Bartlett ("FairTax, Flawed Tax," editorial page, Aug. 25) is the latest status quo defender to use fiction to slander the FairTax plan.

The FairTax was developed many years ago, totally independently of any other proposal, group or movement. It is a product of more than $20 million of advanced economic research, as well as detailed conversations with citizens as to their preferences defining the best possible national tax system. Many groups and individuals have agitated to replace the deeply flawed income tax system, including, apparently, the Church of Scientology. As a founder of Americans For Fair Taxation, I can state categorically, however, that Scientology played no role in the founding, research or crafting of the legislation giving expression to the FairTax.

Mr. Bartlett is equally wrong about many other aspects of the FairTax. We are disappointed but hardly surprised by such distortions about it coming from the very economist who once opined that the income tax system just needed a little "tweaking."

Leo Linbeck
Chairman and CEO
Americans for Fair Taxation
Houston
Imagine a world where all of our homeschooling supplies were purchased with before tax dollars.  How about a world where the government doesn't know where you work, how much money you earn or how you spend it??  How about a world where those who make less then the poverty level pay no taxes, not even social security but where the wealthy can no longer avoid taxes by depositing their money in foreign countries.  Would you like to see manufacturing jobs move back to the USA?  This will remove the tax benefits of overseas manufacturing for corporations.  These things and more are benefits of the fairtax proposal.  I encourage everyone to check it out.  Once you've read the proposal you'll likely join me in advocating this change!