The Struggling Economy and Anti-Business Attitude in Washington DC

Our economy added no new jobs added in August 2011… the last time total payrolls were unchanged was 1945! Currently, the real unemployment rate is 16.1%, and over 25M citizens are out of work! Times are extremely tough, even here in Massachusetts. In July, a record 42M Americans received food stamps in the US. In our own backyard, the Belmont food pantry watched their needs for local families grow dramatically over the last two years, and 2010 Christmas dinner saw a record 125 families. Career politicians conjure up creative ideas to generate revenue (raise our taxes), but not how to create new jobs and therefore new taxpayers. I believe those 25M unemployed Americans want to work and become taxpayers- why won’t our government let them?

Career politicians have promoted legislative reforms, disguised as great sounding initiatives, which have severely eroded the ability of businesses to maintain and grow their payrolls. They say they are working to fix social security and improved our healthcare system with Obamacare, but they do not participate in either. Lawmakers have a special retirement plan and a premium healthcare plan- not social security and Obamacare. They are not personally affected by the jobs they destroy, doomed social security, and socialized medicine they force on the rest of us.

Congressman Ed Markey continues to push economically devastating legislation dressed as environmentally focused reform (Cap and Trade) and says ‘environmental regulations create more jobs’, but this is simply not true. The National Association of Manufacturers estimates new EPA regulations will eliminate over 800,000 jobs per year, totaling 7.3M lost by 2020. Recently, the Assistant Administrator of the EPA testified they do not take jobs into account when issuing new regulations. Not even a Presidential Executive Order requiring federal agencies to take job creation into account when issuing new regulations was enough to prevent the worst payroll report since 1945. We need actions that translate into new jobs! We need new leadership that considers the American economy and job creation first, and we need it now!

Overregulation by government agencies cost our economy $1.75T per year. Business owners say payroll tax exemptions for hiring the unemployed are more than offset by Obamacare costs, and new accounting regulations increased the volume of yearly tax forms by 9-fold. Small and medium sized businesses are the heart and soul of our economy, employing 60% of Americans. Crippling taxes and complex regulations are systematically ripping the heart from the economic engine that drives our nation’s prosperity. Is this acceptable to you? Because, it is not acceptable to me!

Rewriting the tax code with pro-growth policies enabling small and medium sized businesses to hire workers and reduce unemployment will revitalize our economy. Tax cuts for individuals will put money in the pockets of consumers and promote local economic growth. We need permanent cuts to corporate, payroll, and capital gains taxes to help rebuild the heart and soul of our economy and make the US competitive in the global business arena. In addition, lawmakers must balance our budget; cut spending; and stop the regulatory onslaught! These can be done now to grow our economy! We must get government out of the way, and get Americans working again!

Bring the Federal Government Back Down to Size

The current congress and administration has expanded government control into every aspect of our daily lives. Our civil liberties are being whittled away, our paychecks getting smaller and smaller, the American Dream is disintegrating before our eyes as the reach of the federal government gets bigger and bigger. The United States economy was founded on free market and individual achievements. We can no longer afford to sit back and watch Congress and the White House reshape our nation into a socialist state. We need to reject the liberal agenda and return to the principles our founding fathers established. Limited government, reduced spending trust in the free markets, and individual prosperity is the road map to restore the American Dream. American exceptionalism has long been the standard that all nations have aspired to. It is what made the United States of America the greatest nation on earth.

Healthcare Reform: Obamacare is NOT the answer

In 2006, liberals proclaimed Massachusetts RomneyCare (RC) as the epitome of healthcare reform, promising universal coverage and reduced healthcare costs. Four years later, studies show RC's total state, federal, and private costs total $8.5B. Massachusetts health insurance premiums are nationally the most expensive, we've lost over 18,000 jobs, and business reinvestment has dropped by $29M.

RCs dramatic effects on businesses include higher labor costs, job elimination, and reduced production. Businesses have been forced out-of-state, or flat out shut their doors as a result. RC effects trickled down to employees as lower wages, higher premium contributions, and uncertainty of job safety as companies struggle with realities of RC's 'reform'. Massachusetts residents pay for RC with higher sales and property taxes. RC has not bent the cost curve down, instead it added economic stress at every level and dramatically drove up costs. Is RC working in Massachusetts?

ObamaCare (OC), whose epitaph read “we won't know what’s in it until we pass it", was modeled after RC. If OC was so enticing, why did all three branches of government refuse to enroll? OC's price-tag is an estimated $2.3T financed in part by over $500B in new taxes, and $529B in Medicare cuts. Incredibly, OC also includes a 3.8% home sales tax, and a 3.8% annual tax on investment income of individuals making over $200,000 and families making over $250,000. As witnessed firsthand here in Massachusetts with RC, nationally OC lead to a 9% jump in employer-provided health insurance premiums this year, and estimates predict 1.6M jobs will be eliminated if OC is not repealed and defunded.

Healthcare reform should focus on reducing costs and expanding access in a responsible way, not with tax increases and debilitating cuts to vital programs. Three reforms can be invoked immediately without devastating economic consequences; Tort reform would result in a 5-9% cost reduction and savings of $60-108B each year, without affecting quality of care. As an added benefit, total physician malpractice premiums would drop by $6.3B. Allowing purchase of insurance across state lines promotes competition and resulting moderation of mandatory benefits could reduce premiums by 20-50%. Lastly, a subsidized “public option” providing coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions would allow broader coverage of those citizens who need it most. We need to start by repealing and defunding OC, then take rational and responsible steps to eliminate waste and fraud to accomplish the goal of reducing healthcare costs.

Immigration

As the son of a legal immigrant I understand the gifts legal immigration brings to our nation. It is illegal immigration which strains resources and threatens citizens in many states. We need to enforce federal laws, strengthen our borders to crack down on illegal immigration, and streamline the process to make legal immigration more accessible to those who can help us grow and prosper. Immigrants must respect our laws and not be given amnesty.

Why are illegal aliens gravitating to Massachusetts? Because the liberals say “technically, it's not illegal to be illegal in Massachusetts.” This sentiment is also reflected at the federal level, with the senate pushing the DREAM Act which would have given amnesty to illegal aliens. In an internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service memo President Obama discussed ways to bring about “meaningful immigration reform absent legislative action,” without a Congressional vote.

Let's be clear, under our existing federal immigration laws illegal or 'undocumented' aliens are breaking the law. Amnesty to reward illegal behavior should never occur and so called 'anchor babies' should not be allowed. Politicians continue to manipulate the law and prevent its enforcement. Until the existing law is enforced, illegal aliens will ravage our society and be rewarded by a duplicitous political agenda. We will continue to be haunted by “…it is not illegal to be illegal in Mass” until we take action to enforce our laws!

Energy

Congress should be helping America develop its natural resources, and thus reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Alternative fuel sources will eventually replace oil and natural gas, however technology must first catch-up with the ambitions of “going green.” Right now renewable fuel sources are very expensive and cannot match oil and natural gas affordability, versatility, portability, energy efficiency, or ease of use.

Oil fields within the United States have the capacity to reduce our foreign oil dependence by ~20%. Utilizing domestic resources and encouraging alternative energy strategy development are two necessary and complementary strategies our nation needs to adopt to maintain its economic growth and national security. We should establish a time frame for a gradual transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources as the technology becomes available in an affordable and integrative manner.

The Second Amendment

I believe in, and fully support, the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the Constitution entitling law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms for “all lawful purposes.” This includes, but is not limited to: self-defense, sport, competitive shooting, hunting, recreation, and collection. I believe the Constitution outlines the conduct of government and supersedes all state laws, executive orders, and treaties to the contrary.

Education

We should return control and oversight of education to the state and local governments where it belongs. Federal funds could be utilized far more effectively if the management was returned to states.

National Defense & Terrorism

The federal government’s top priority is to protect American lives. We need to focus on strengthening our sovereignty and ending involvement in other areas which are not authorized by the Constitution… we need to focus on growing our economy and not on nation building. Governments sole purpose for existence is to protect “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” against all foreign and domestic threats.