The issues facing our country are so numerous and complex that it’s going to require input and action from all of us to get the United States back on track. That’s why I want to hear from and represent you – my constituents – about what you think our nation’s top priorities should be, what needs fixing, and how to do it. Please contact me with your thoughts and ideas on how to change the system and recreate our American Dream. Here are my thoughts and ideas:
The Economy: The gap between the rich and poor in America has never been greater, according to a recent Brookings Institute report. The Sun Belt states are some of the hardest hit. I don’t believe in tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, as some other candidates are proposing. Instead, I believe in a Great Works Project that can jumpstart the economy by creating a sizeable number of jobs. I’m proposing that America dump our archaic asphalt road system for solar roadways that provide electricity directly to home and businesses and can power a fleet of American-built electric cars. Penn State is studying the technology to make these progressive roadways possible. I also support a Fair Tax and stimulus checks for our struggling lower and middle classes – our truck drivers, service workers, teachers, and small businesspeople who also are the backbone of America.
Transparency in government: The need for accountability, oversight, and government reform has never been greater – especially for working and middle class Americans. We need government that runs efficiently and is free of wasteful spending. Of particular concern is public education, law enforcement, and our courts. When I lobbied for four years in Tallahassee for the Jeffrey Johnson Stand Up for All Students Act, I observed the passage of frivolous bills and pork barrel spending. Florida and America can no longer afford waste and spend politics. We need to get back on track by streamlining the system. I will be a whistleblower and a red tape cutter. The reason we got ourselves into the present mess is a lack of sound regulation, enforcement, and accountability with our financial institutions. Our banks, mortgage companies, corporations, and small businesses are an important vertebra in the backbone of our country. With that bone out of alignment, our backbone nearly broke. Now we need to straighten it up and pin it back together with legislation and oversight to save billions in taxpayer dollars to rebuild America’s infrastructure.
Illegal Immigration: I talk with people on the street all the time about how they’ve lost their jobs to illegal immigrants. During this downturn in the economy, we need greater job security. Unemployment in America is high, and our government should be doing everything it can to get taxpaying Americans back to work. It’s not fair for taxpaying Americans to lose their jobs to illegal immigrants and then have to pay social services for them. This is such a controversial issue that Americans should be allowed to vote about illegal immigration on a ballot – and I know what the outcome would be.
Term limits – Serving our government is a privilege, not a career. I support term limits.
Safe Schools - I spent over 100 hours lobbying in Tallahassee for the Jeffrey Johnson Stand Up and Be Counted Act to provide regulations for safer schools in Florida. The Act passed in April of 2008. We need federal regulation to combat new forms of bullying such as cyberbullying and aggressive text messaging that have caused some children to commit suicide. Our teachers and administrators need greater protections from violence in our schools. Children in our schools also are being unnecessarily restrained by teachers. I support H.R. 4247, sponsored by Rep. George Miller of California, which would limit seclusion and restraint on violent and disruptive students: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/legislation/HR4247Seclusion_Restraint.pdfface
Our Veterans – Our veterans deserve special treatment and support. We need to build medical facilities specific to their needs that provide exceptional drug and alcohol programs and treatment programs for war-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Our country should invest in more research on war-related illnesses.
Afghanistan – The time has come to either increase the number of US troops to 70,000-80,000, as has been recommended, or bring our military personnel home. Our troops are stretched too thin and in too many directions in Afghanistan. Our lack of strong commitment or willingness to withdraw has left our back door dangerously open to terrorism at home and also abroad with our soldiers.
The Environment - We need a well-constructed environmental plan to protect our children’s futures that includes solar and wind energy. Let’s get our economy rolling again and create new jobs with government-subsidized solar panels and deep energy retrofits for homes and businesses. The United States needs to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on oil imports that draw us into conflicts overseas. We can work with environmentalists to minimize environmental damage while drilling off Florida’s coast. I support stiffer regulations on drilling in the Gulf and an investigation into the 27,000 old, capped wells. I support more mass transit. There has never been a better time to invest in rebuilding our roads and bridges.
Healthcare – All of our citizens deserve affordable healthcare and we are on the way to finding a solution to quality care for every American. Our children, especially, should never be without access to good medical care. We need to make sure our low-income elderly have the medicines they need. And we need to find a way to reduce the cost of liability insurance for the medical community.
Law Enforcement – Being a law enforcement officer is a privilege. Our officers need a better understanding of the importance of their work in protecting the Constitutional and civil rights of all Americans. That requires greater oversight and accountability within our judicial system. Our justices should be models and standard-bearers for society. Without a sound judicial system, the ship is adrift and law enforcement has no rudder.
Youth violence - The DARE program in our public schools is not enough to combat youth violence. We need to provide more after-school opportunities and positive role models throughout the community. America’s drug problem is out of control. We need to secure our borders with a strong military presence. I believe in preventative measures through drug education at younger ages and overall education that broadens opportunities to keep kids off the streets.
Farming – Recent statistics show that 1 in every 7 children in the US doesn’t get enough food to eat. One way to rebuild our country is to address hunger here at home by rebuilding our “breadbasket” through subsidies for small farmers. We need greater self-sufficiency and fewer imports.