Putting Louisville First
“Putting Louisville First.” This is the central message of Jeff’s campaign, because Jeff believes that Louisville needs better representation in Washington. A Midwest native, Jeff has chosen to live in his adopted hometown of Louisville for over twelve years. His passion for improving this city has allowed him to create jobs and dedicate his time for Louisvillians through his involvement in numerous charities. Jeff’s foremost concern is ensuring that his legislation represents the best interests of the citizens of Louisville.
I have been a lifelong Republican and believe in smaller government, reduced taxes and a free market economy. Many of the problems we face today as Americans can be traced back to unwarranted government intervention. Today, members of Congress are again intervening in the free market system to regulate financial markets, overtake the Health Care industry and cripple our country with unsustainable debt; the likes of which we have never seen before. Unfortunately, government intervention often means that things will get much worse before they get better.
As your Congressman I will work hard to ensure the priorities of our government reflect the reality in which we all live.
- We must put America and Americans back to work. Full employment is not an option, it is a necessity.
- We must reduce our debt. Trillion dollar debt levels are unsustainable and will hinder our ability to make America strong again. The debt we do take on should be to grow our economy, not create additional entitlement programs.
- We must be safe. Whether it is the security of our financial markets, controlling our borders or winning the war on terrorism, we must ensure that Americans feel confident their country is safe and secure.
- We must be free. Our Founding Fathers created a Constitution and Bill of Rights that we must work to uphold for all Americans. No government or court should be allowed to take away our rights.
Above all, I will work every day to represent your interests in Congress, not my own or simply those of my party. Our government is formed by the people for the people.
Taxes
Taxes are the number one impediment to economic growth. We must reduce tax rates for individuals as well as corporations in order to put money into the hands of consumers and encourage businesses to invest, grow and create new jobs. New business without consumers who will buy will not create growth.
10 – 10 – in 2010
As our economy continues to sputter along with intermittent signs of recovery, Real Solutions need to be enacted in order to provide consumers and businesses alike the incentives to bring about real results and financial security. To this end, I am proposing a 10-10 in 2010 approach:
· Immediate 10% reduction in all discretionary spending at the federal level. Exclude SS, Military and Medicare. This would represent an immediate reduction in federal spending over the next year of $64 billion.)
· Immediate 10% reduction in income tax rates. This could represent $220 billion back in the pockets of Americans or an average of $628 for every man, woman and child.
I understand that Democrats in Congress and the President have already advocated a freeze in spending for 3 years. However, in the first few days after the “call to freeze spending”, the House voted to increase the debt ceiling by almost $2 trillion. Immediately after that vote the House approved a bill re-instituting a “Pay Go” provision that the Democrats abandoned less than a year ago.
The hypocrisy in these proposals is that the Democrats raised the debt ceiling while reinstituting restrictions on spending without a new financing mechanism – THIS MEANS NEW TAXES!
While I recognize that in today’s economy Americans will use some of this tax relief to bolster their savings or reduce personal debt, I anticipate that at least half or $120 billion would be spent back in the economy. This could translate into almost 1% growth in GDP. Growth in the GDP means job growth.
A 10% reduction in unemployment would mean 1.5 million new jobs. The revenue generated as a result of the increased employment would more than make up the shortfall in the national budget created by the tax rate reduction.
Everyone wins, Louisvillians have more disposable income, Louisville businesses see increase revenue and demand, increased demand means new jobs, new jobs means more prosperity across the board.
The Economy
America must develop new industries and jobs that will provide new and long-term growth for our economy. We can begin that process by implementing my American Energy Technology Initiative. This will create new industries and jobs that will be proprietary to the United States and stimulate economic growth now and for the long-term.
American Energy Technology Initiative
Becoming Energy Independent in 10 years
There is universal agreement that America needs to move from a fossil fuel based economy to some other renewable, inexpensive form of energy. A continued reliance on fossil fuels weakens our economy and supply and price is always uncertain and future growth can’t be based upon uncertainty.
America must move to a new energy platform with energy source(s) that are next generation, inexpensive and created with technology that is proprietary to the United States. In other words, an energy industry that creates new and incremental jobs in America that cannot be shipped overseas and technology that is not easily replicated. There are five key elements to this plan:
1. Harvest close-in technology for an immediate 10% reduction in our overall energy demand – Congress needs to offer tax incentives to both consumers and industry in order to drive demand for this technology. This will also create new jobs both in bigger companies and in new cottage industries that are working on this idea today.
2. Provide incentives to our schools to begin or expand programs focused more on math and science with a specific emphasis on development of new and inexpensive energy sources
3. Bring together energy industry leaders, both in the public and private sector, to form an oversight panel. This panel will focus on ideas generated in our educational system as well as concepts developed by consumers. Over the first three years of this process we should identify as many “testable” ideas as possible. Our Universities and private industries will be given grants to take these ideas from concept to the lab and develop testable models.
4. In years four through six these testable models will be developed and taken to small market test to determine overall feasibility and economics. Any technology developed will be patented as “American” technology and will be available to those industries who participate in the process and program. No one industry or company shall develop a monopoly or competitive advantage over this technology, yet all will share in the benefits.
5. Years seven through ten will be spent on expanding test markets, fine tuning of the technology and expanding applications for this technology where feasible. If we are able to broaden the applications, the end result will be a better economy.
Year 10 is the dawn of the new Energy Age in America.
We will have inexpensive, renewable, self-generated and supported energy and technology that will fuel our country through the duration of this century and beyond.
Think about JFK’s challenge to put a man on the Moon within a decade. No one knew how we were going to do it, but we did. This is the kind of thing that made America great and will keep us great.
National Debt
$14.3 Trillion debt levels are unacceptable and unsustainable. Government must reduce spending immediately to stem the tide of “Debt Growth”. Reducing spending while stimulating economic growth will both diminish the need for debt and provide the revenue necessary to reduce our current debt. We must not pass this debt on to our children and grandchildren.
Defense
One of the primary responsibilities of government is to provide for the national defense.
We must take a strong stand against nuclear proliferation with countries like Iran and N. Korea. Terrorists present a very real threat and the best defense is a great offense. We must aggressively pursue and neutralize terrorist threats wherever they are located.
Card Check
Card check eliminates the rights of the individual to a secret ballot, puts government in a position to dictate to business the terms and conditions of union agreements and will allow unions to incorporate “thug” tactics to force workers to unionize. The process for forming unions has worked for decades and there is no reason to change the process.
Life
Our elected officials must ensure that we preserve and protect life including the unborn.
Education
We lag behind the rest of the industrialized world in critical areas such as math and science. We lack the discipline and commitment to ensuring our youth are well educated and possess the skills and disciplines to strengthen our country. Government must work with the states to promote more rigorous educational standards and find creative ways to stimulate the educational interests of our youth.
Small Business
Small businesses are the “growth engine” for our economy and account for 70% of all of the net new jobs created in America. Government must stimulate and nurture small business growth and creation instead of tax and regulate. The job of Government is to ensure an environment that is conducive to growth and expansion and stay out of the way.
Second Amendment
I support the Second Amendment rights of Americans. There are already more than 20,000 laws and regulations relating to gun ownership today and we do not need more government regulation and control.
Health Care
A more effective and affordable health care program for Americans is in everyone’s best interests. Government can and should promote more competition among health care companies by eliminating barriers. 85% of Americans today are covered with a Health Care plan that meets their needs. Taxpayers should not bear the burden to trying to expand coverage to the remaining 15% without insurance or risk the unintended consequences of health care legislation that would threaten our current system.
Immigration
There is no doubt that we must work to effectively “seal” our borders so that the only people who enter our country do so legally. We must ensure that we provide the proper resources to our Border Patrols and Border States so that they may do this.
I am against any type of amnesty program for those who are here illegally today. I do not believe we should provide any benefits such as social security to anyone who is not a citizen of this country. We must do a better job of identifying those who are here illegally and forwarding that information to the INS for action.
There is a reason that people want to come to America. We are the land of opportunity and success. We have a process for assimilating those people and we must adhere to that process. This applies to EVERYONE coming to this country.