September 7, 2010
Issues
Below are a few issues that motivate me to represent the people of the 10th Congressional District.
Reforming Government
Taxes, Economy & Jobs
National Debt
Health Reform
The War on Terror
U.S. forces in Afghanistan
Social Security
Immigration
Environment
Energy Independence
Social Values
Crime & the Death Penalty
2nd Amendment Rights
Reforming Government
I believe our political system in Washington, D.C. is broken. In recent years, too many members of Congress have violated the public trust.
From bailouts and giveaways, to ethical scandals, improper influences of special interests, backroom deals and partisan bickering, Americans are not getting what they need or deserve from their government.
We need to restrain the federal government to its legitimate Constitutional functions. Our Founding Fathers were most concerned about the possibility of an overly intrusive and powerful central government, and sadly, their fears are becoming true.
I am a firm believer in self-imposed term limits for all elected officials. At the core of my political philosophy, I will support a limited and ethical government; one that looks toward public service instead of self-service.
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Taxes, Economy & Jobs
I am a strong believer in a responsible free enterprise system that lower taxes, promotes opportunity and encourages economic growth. Our American economy functions at the highest level when our citizens have more of their income to spend, and businesses have money to invest and add jobs. While there are many worthwhile programs that are underfunded, government does not need, and quite frankly, does not deserve more of your tax dollars. Government should focus on being efficient stewards of the money it already collects and redefine the priorities to meet the needs of the American people.
I have been a fiscal watchdog in the state legislature fighting against bigger government, higher taxes and wasteful spending.
The key to job growth in Massachusetts and the rest of the Nation is not government bailouts. Government should be responsibly regulating where necessary and a partner where appropriate. Small businesses are the key to quality employment opportunities.
I support proposals of tax reductions and tax simplification. I am committed to legal reform measures that will protect small businesses from the effects of frivolous lawsuits.
America does not need more government programs and handouts to create jobs; we need to look to innovative entrepreneurs who will create the opportunities of new and expanded companies. This is the American story, which I believe we need to refocus on.
Millions of Americans are struggling to live within their means, pay their mortgage, and raise their children while Congress increases America’s national debt on almost a daily basis. This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Both parties have failed us in the past. I believe we need to focus on the $12 trillion dollar debt we are passing off to our children and grandchildren. I believe action is needed now and would support Constitutional Amendments requiring a balanced budget and providing the President with a line-item veto power.
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Real Health Care Reform
I firmly believe that all Americans deserve quality health care coverage; but to be clear, I am opposed to the health care legislation passed in Congress and signed by President Obama. I know that this Bill will raise taxes, increase government spending and lower the quality of care we receive, especially for our senior citizens.
The legislation signed by the President is a dangerous step toward socialism and one that does not reflect the real reform that is desperately needed in our health care system. A primary reason why our health care costs are so high in this state and will be even higher if the Federal proposal passes, is that it mandates that certain types of coverage be included in every policy. The new health program would do nothing to reduce or eliminate these mandates; and furthermore it does not allow for real consumer choice of insurance products as such policies must meet government approved requirements. Government has also failed to reform the opportunity to purchase health insurance across state lines, reduce administrative burdens on health care providers, and has made no attempt to reform our medical and tort liability system.
It has been several years since the Massachusetts Legislature passed a law mandating that everyone in the Commonwealth be required to purchase health insurance coverage and all businesses with ten or more employees must provide health insurance coverage or face an assessment (tax). I was one of only two Legislators to vote against the Bill. Now, the President and Democratic Members of Congress are pushing a quasi-universal health care measure in Washington, D.C.
From my point of view, health insurance is a tool and benefit that employers use to attract the employees they wish to employ. Government programs for certain low income families is appropriate, but let us be clear, we are already doing so. Such programs should be evaluated and modified where necessary, but Federal government control is not the solution to the costs of health care.
During the debate on this issue in 2006, estimates of the cost of this program were unrealistic and I believe everyone knew so. However, it was politically correct to pass this mammoth social program without considering how much it would cost. My fear was then, and is now, that we have grossly underestimated the long term cost of this program and there will be many unintended consequences that will far outweigh any perceived benefits. It should also be expected that when the new tax on businesses is not enough to fund the program, the Legislature will be forced to raise taxes again to make up the difference as we just did with Governor Patrick’s $1 billion tax increase. Our Federal deficit is running in the tens of the trillions. How much more are we willing to place on the backs of future generations?
The real lesson from the 2006 Massachusetts "universal" mandated coverage law is that without real (as opposed to political) reform, costs will continue to increase, which is likely to lead to tax increases followed by price controls and bureaucratic rationing.
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The War on Terror
The War on Terror must never be micromanaged by Congress or become a partisan battle. I will support the President as Commander and Chief and pledge to unconditionally support our men and women in uniform.
A working and aggressive intelligence plan is our best and first line of defense. I believe America must increase the resources of our human intelligence capabilities and integrate technical and human sources. Congress should ask the tough and necessary questions of the President and the agencies he oversees, but not attempt to interfere with the mission of protecting our home land or supporting our military commanders.
Veterans
I strongly believe as a Nation we always must recognize the sacrifice of all of our veterans, military members and their families.
Service members, both past and present, and their families deserve high-quality health care. We must always remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice; their families must be assured meaningful financial assistance. It is the solemn duty we owe, and honor we give to those who bravely served so that we all may be free.
Returning veterans must also have access to education benefits, job training, and a wide variety of employment options. I will support and push for a bipartisan expansion of the GI Bill for private colleges and education benefits. In addition, I will encourage private businesses to expand their outreach to the veteran community, especially disabled veterans. Of course this must be a partnership with the many local and private veteran groups already doing such great work.
The War on Terror must never be micromanaged by Congress or become a partisan battle. I will support the President as Commander and Chief and pledge to unconditionally support our men and women in uniform. A working and aggressive intelligence plan is our best and first line of defense. I believe America must increase the resources of our human intelligence capabilities and integrate technical and human sources. Congress should ask the tough and necessary questions of the President and the agencies he oversees, but not attempt to interfere with the mission of protecting our home land or supporting our military commanders. We must have a plan for victory in Afghanistan, and one which does not foreshadow a withdrawal date.
Social Security will be running permanent deficits starting in 2016. After that point, the federal government’s ability to pay benefits will depend primarily on the Social Security Trust Fund. According to consensus estimate, the Fund will be gone by 2037. To add to the financial mess, Congress has actually spent the money that was supposed to be saved and replaced it with government bonds, which with the growing national debt could pose a problem on their own. It seems like every campaign, politicians made a lot promises to reform Social Security, but little gets done. If elected to Congress, I would support changes in the benefits for future retirees (not anyone currently receiving benefits). This would include raising the eligibility age. We must also get aggressive with the fraud and abuses of the Social Security Disability system. I will also support adding government workers into the system to ensure a more healthy cash flow and ensure fairness. Reforming Social Security is important, but of equal importance is the need to address the entire retirement savings system at large in order to allow Americans to better prepare for retirement.
Education
Accountability and standards are an important part of our public education system. I have been a strong supporter for the choice of charter schools and reforms to the funding formulas. I also believe we need to invest in all of our children, from our special needs students to our gifted and talented learners.
Regarding the Federal Government’s role in education, I believe that much of the bureaucracy in our schools stems from unfunded mandates and unnecessary intrusion of the Federal Government. Most decisions regarding how to educate our children should be made at the local and state level.
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Immigration
We, a nation of laws and government should not adopt policies that encourage illegal immigration. I oppose amnesty. Congress has failed to enact any meaningful legislation, while tens of millions of illegal immigrants remain in the United States. Because immigration is indeed a complex problem, we need a comprehensive plan.
First and foremost, we need to SECURE THE BORDERS! We need to secure the borders not only with the use of “virtual technology”, but with a genuine commitment to build a physical fence along the southern border. The use of technology should also play an important role in detection and apprehension.
I will fight all efforts to reward illegal behavior with any form of amnesty. Simply stated, amnesty policies are bad public policy and send the message that immigrants are better off breaking our laws rather than respecting them.
We need to invest more financial resources to enforce immigration laws. In addition to more manpower and resources for federal law enforcement authorities, this also means providing local and state police with the authority, tools and resources to enforce all of our laws, including the federal immigration laws.
I believe we need to enforce our wage and hour laws on employers who continue to hire illegals. Employers who are caught employing illegal immigrants should lose any ability to contract with the government and face penalties large enough to serve as a deterrent against the financial attraction of employing illegal immigrants at sub-market wages.
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Environment
I support common-sense based environmental protection policies that will help to reduce pollution and preserve and expand our open spaces and recreational locations. In an effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, I support the appropriate development of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, nuclear, geothermal and improved hydroelectric facilities. I strongly oppose a national cap and trade program because of the higher costs that families and businesses would incur.
Protecting our environment is paramount; yet I firmly believe that our government must protect private property rights by cooperating with landowners’ efforts while providing incentives to protect fragile environments, endangered species, and maintaining the natural beauty of this great Nation.
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Energy Independence
Energy costs have grown to a level that many Americans are struggling to keep up with. America’s long-term dependence on foreign fossil fuels threatens both our national security and our economy.
Each year, the United States spends some $700 billion in foreign nations to import foreign sources of energy, many of whom wish to destroy our freedoms and way of life. If we are to remain a wealthy Nation with opportunity for our citizens, we must have more domestic energy supply sources and improved conservation.
I believe that by working with all the various interests, we can build a future around domestic energy sources that are diverse, reliable, and cleaner. We can strengthen our national security, create a pathway to growing prosperity, and preserve our environment.
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Social Values
Abortion – I hope we can agree that there are too many abortions in America. As a Pro-Life person, I support efforts to provide women considering abortion with resources and education to enable and empower them to choose life, including pregnancy care centers and programs which can increase adoptions. I support parental consent and notification requirements. I also believe there are people of good will on both sides of the issue and we ought to work together to support and promote adoption as an alternative to abortion.
Marriage - I personally believe marriage is between a man and a woman. As a strong believer in the 10th Amendment, it is my view that individual states are free to make their own decision as long as they are consistent with the voters will at the ballot box. It is my opinion that the Federal government has no role in defining the definition of marriage.
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Crime & the Death Penalty
As a former police officer, the issues of public safety are very important to me. I am a strong believer in rehabilitation and diversion programs for those individuals who are first time offenders (especially juvenile offenders); however, when criminals refuse to accept treatment programs or become habitual offenders, I believe in mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes, including assaults on children and certain narcotic offenses.
I believe there are some crimes that are so heinous that they deserve capital punishment. Our Government should have the ability to impose the death penalty in cases where it is justified, such as murder committed in an act of terrorism, certain criminal murders including premeditated murder.
I believe the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is in place to protect Americans from an overreaching government; however, some today wish to use these protections to protect terrorists. I do not support the efforts of some to provide civil trials for enemy combatants, and furthermore, I do not support bringing detained terrorists into the United States for trial. It is my belief that military tribunals, including due process are the appropriate method of determining the future detention of a suspected terrorist.
I support the Constitution and all of its Amendments. I believe that citizens have the right to keep and bear arms as a basic Constitutional liberty guaranteed under the Second Amendment. I also believe in and support the safe and responsible ownership of firearms.
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This is only a partial list of the issues that are important to me and is not intended to encompass all of the issues I hope to have the privilege of working on in Congress.
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