A response to Richard Barnes' blog on nhinsider.com
Economic Stimulus Impact?
ECONOMIC “STIMULUS” --
GOOD AFTER THE MORNING AFTER?
The “economic stimulus” package thrown together by the President and Congress has been rushed through the House. It now proceeds to the Senate. The stimulus is analogous to a “quickie.” Will the Senate, whose members are enabled by 6 year terms to take a longer-term, sometimes wiser view, improve the quick fix? Not likely, but let us hope for more delayed rather than instant gratification.
Any short-term package needs to be crafted so that it does not adversely affect the economy’s long-term prospects. Is it more than Congress’ usual over-reaction to events and media hype? What’s needed so that the stimulus amounts to more than bribing people to spend their own tax money, adding the bill to the already huge overhang of the federal deficit? What more far-sighted ingredients have been left out?
We live in a new age – of entrepreneurship, innovation and science-based economic development – an age in which conventional economic approaches may not work. What about more entrepreneurial approaches?, such as…
1) Treating the economic downturn as an opportunity, not just to spend but to invest – to begin to work down another huge overhang – of the country’s unmet “infrastructure” needs for roads, bridges and public facilities? This would also add millions of jobs to the stimulus mix. Federal dollars should go to state and local governments that have projects ready to go.
2) Beginning to solve the Social Security problem, also basically an investment issue – by beginning to invest some of the Social Security funds into new, growing business enterprises. New, young and small enterprises are the greatest sources of job creation and economic growth.
3) Providing greater incentives for private investment in new, science and technology-based enterprises, such as:
Further cutting the tax rate on capital gains; and
providing tax credits for patient money placed in new or early-stage venture investments.
After all, a fundamental economic problem faced by our country is not consumption; it is investment. We suffer from over-consumption and under-investment. We’ve let foreigners finance our overspending. We’ve put our country at risk. China is holding billions of dollars of our currency and additional billions of dollars of our bonds. When you next go to Walmart or Hallmark, look at where the goods you buy are made. Most are made in China. So, when you try to put the Congressional rebates to work, at least try to buy American.
Peter Bearse, Ph.D., International Consulting Economist, Fremont, 1/31/08
OPEN UP POLITICS & IMPROVE HOW CONGRESS DOES the PUBLIC'S BUSINESS
Here is a baker's dozen of PRIORITIES --
1. A “None of the Above” option on ballots.
2. An independent Citizens Ethics Committee to monitor the ethical behavior of Members of Congress.
3. Independent redistricting committee
4. Tax incentives for political volunteerism
5. Term Limits: To serve no more than 5 terms in Congress.
6. Free media time and money expenditure limits for campaigns
7. General (no strings) revenue sharing from federal to local level;no “earmarks”
8. Independent committees & studies to evaluate government programs.
9. “Sunset” provisions in all bills that authorize, establish or re-authorize programs.
10. Re-establish the “Golden Fleece Awards” for the most wasteful government programs & projects.
11. A Commission to focus Congress’ attention on long-term issues
12. Testing programs on a limited scale before at the state and local level before making them national.
13. National I&R (initiative and referendum)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
As a man who has been an elected official of local government [LG] in two very different municipalities in two very different states, I am a great fan of LG and a believer that "all politics is local." Thus, I will look to an advisory committee of LG officials in the Congressional District to help me keep up with LG needs. I will fight to meet these needs by pushing for a return to General Revenue Sharing from the Federal government to LG's. This approach gets us away from legislator's attempt to shoehorn "earmarks" into the federal government -- a process that relies on relationships with lobbyists and helps to corrupt the Congress.
HEALTH
As a candidate who has lost three women in his life to cancer, whose wife is now threatened by it, and who has struggled with a lifetime of asthma, I have an abnormal concern for health issues.
The costs of prescription drugs and hospital treatments have risen out of sight. To paraphrase a line from an old folk song, it's getting to the point that health is a thing that money can buy, so the rich can live; the poor and middle class can die. As a Member of Congress, I would fight to get health costs under control. My efforts would include:
> Greater support for preventive medicine & public health.
> Urging less reliance upon brand names'; more on generic drugs.
> Much more information that provides performance benchmarking of hospitals and other health providers.
> Actions to save Medicare while building-in incentives for cost reductions.
As with all other major issues, I would set up citizens' committees to provide information, advise and counsel on this key issue rather than depending on pharmaceutical company and other industry lobbyists.
EDUCATION
I am a product of a local public education system, a proud graduate of Gloucester (MA) High School, Class of 1959. But a lot has changed in 50 years, and not for the better in the field of education. The system is largely broke. It may take an educational revolution to fix it. In the private sector, competition spurs innovation. Public schools need to face the stiff wind of competition before most of them will begin to change. Thus, I support school choice, vouchers and home schooling. I also support the performance benchmarking features of "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB). But the incentives that NCLB provides to "teach to the test" are not good because young people need to learn critical and creative thinking as well as the 3R's.
See the "Failing Our Kids" cartoon in the "LAUGHaLOT" page.
GLOBAL WARMING and CLIMATE CHANGE
This is an issue that will (must) occupy our attention for generations to come. The scientific evidence is solid. It was first reported by major media 30 years ago. Why has it taken almost a generation for Congress to pay the issue any serious attention? One reason, apart from the short-term-itis of American politics, is that the committee structure of Congress is not organized to deal well with long-term, cross-cutting issues. This has got to change. To start some serious debate on the issue in NH, I wrote an "op-ed" piece that debated the merits of two major proposals: A carbon "cap & trade" system vs. a carbon "tax" [actually, a fee that rises with the volume of carbon emitted into the atmosphere by polluters].
Yet, the most important steps to be taken are by ourselves. OUT magazine, for example, published an article several months ago featuring 179 things that people can do to reduce their carbon impact and so help fight global warming & climate change. Many others have followed. What will you do?
See the cartoon on "Bush vs. Science" in the "LAUGHaLOT" page.
THE REAL #1 ISSUE - BECAUSE IT AFFECTS ALL OTHERS,
IS: WHEN & HOW WILL THE GREAT AMERICAN CITIZEN MAJORITY COUNT FOR MORE THAN BIG MONEY, LOBBYISTS, POLITICAL PRO’S & OTHERS AMONG THE POLITICALLY SELF-INTERESTED??
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE! – TO RECLAIM YOUR POLITICS!! [Audio: Copland’s “Fanfare…”]
You don’t have to be a political “pro,” a big campaign contributor or a star on Sesame Street to “count.” All you need to do to make a difference is to contribute what any citizen can afford – 3 things: (1) Your precious vote, plus (2) bits of time invested to help a candidate who is committed to empower you rather than himself – to enable you to “make a difference” on those issues that will affect the lives of your and your family long after the campaign is over, plus (3) a money contribution in whatever amount you can also afford, so that the campaign can provide the tools you need to help spread the message: “It’s time for American citizens to reclaim their politics and…
A Congressman whose goals are focused on the #1 issue, not on the next election or joining the Washington club, will organize his congressional office VERY DIFFERENTLY from the incumbent and her predecessor. He will devote the money he receives from the U.S. Government (your tax money!) to EMPOWERING HIS CONSTITUENTS. Here are some ways:
BETTER REPRESENTATION: This Member of Congress (MoC) will vote to represent the views of the majority of the residents in OUR Congressional District. The first obligation of the Representative of the “First in the Nation’s” First CD is to represent his constituency, not go to Washington for the sake of his personal views.
STRONGER LEADERSHIP…would be provided through speaking out on the issues before Congress, loud & clear, plus…
Defining issues & fighting to get attention paid to issues that Congress is ignoring;
Mobilizing support on issues through the Internet;
Calling on the GAO (Government Accounting Office) to investigate issues; and
Asking the tough questions -- no B.S.
CONSTITUENT SERVICE -- BETTER & MORE PERSONAL: My staff will help me translate your problems into legislative solutions as well as provide help one-on-one. Personal calls and letters would be answered, personally, NOT with stock replies or form letters.
MORE RELIANCE UPON THOSE OLDER, WITH EXPERIENCE & WISDOM, less upon young hotshots seeking to use jobs in Washington as a stepping stone for their careers. My Congressional Office would not only help the elderly, it would hire them and engage them as volunteers in the District.
WASHINGTON BROUGHT HOME!...via a smaller office in D.C., more staff in the District; more time in the District, less time in Washington. I would devote a much greater share of my office budget (including my own salary) to increasing outreach, information and help to constituents.
A 2-WAY RELATIONSHIP: We will be working together to make a difference. This Congressman will rely on local and independent sources of expertise, information & advice, not Washington lobbyists. Local issue committees would serve as sources and sounding boards. Town Meeting democracy would be ongoing via the Congressional Office Website (COW). Come milk the COW whenever you like, even if you can’t make any of the many “Meet Your Congressman” Town Meetings that I would hold in your community!
TIME OVER MONEY! – Your time, my time, the signatures of our mortality, how valuable it is! As your Congressman, I will devote time COMPLETELY to your service, not to fundraising for the next campaign. If my record does not earn your confidence, vote me out in 2 years! If you want a people-based politics rather than the money-based politics of a corrupt Congress, help me out so I can help you out.
ACCOUNTABILITY! – You will know, via my Congressional Newsletter, website and reports back to the District, just how my time and your taxpayer money are being invested, and where your taxpayer dollars are going.
CONGRESSIONAL WEBSITE: One that rocks! – A website with all the bells and whistles needed to inform and engage YOU!, including direct access to an incredible variety of informational resources, materials you need to mount campaigns or initiatives of your own, blogs and links with others that share your concerns, announcement of events in and out of the district, PLUS the Congressman’s own blog and commentaries on issues and Congressional business – THE INSIDE POOP!, with no holds barred!
OTHER ISSUES
For a “To Do List” of action-options on other major issues – what I can do, what you can do and what we can do together -- continue below on:
Ø Iraq & Global issues
Ø Economy [including Social Security reform]
IRAQ
ON IRAQ: I was opposed to our invasion of Iraq long before it happened. But current NH CD1 Rep. Carol Shea-Porter & other Democrats have bad, next-election & poll-driven attitudes towards withdrawal, expressed by the line "Let's get out now." We can't fight the Iraqi's own battles, nor can we totally withdraw immediately. To do the latter would totally cancel what we have accomplished in Iraq and dishonor the sacrifices already laid down by thousands of American fighting men & women. We need to maintain some military bases in Iraq as insurance that Islamic fascists will not take over the country and provide a base for worldwide terrorism. We need to gradually withdraw our troops from combat.
The President's War of Choice has accomplished much but threatens to weaken us greatly if continued. It is time to declare victory and pass responsibility to the democratically elected, sovereign Government of Iraq. We cannot afford to let Iraq distract us any further from problems we face at home [e.g., deteriorating infrastructure] and abroad [e.g., China]. We should maintain 2-3 major military bases in strategic areas of Iraq [e.g., Kurdistan and a Sunni province] and build on successes of the surge as insurance against Iraq becoming a terrorist haven as we gradually withdraw our troops from the front lines of battles that Iraqis will be fighting for a long time.
Your comments, questions and suggestions? Go to the Questions or Commentary page(s) or use the E-mail option.
THE ECONOMY
We're losing our competitive edge and living beyond our means. China is eating our lunch and buying our debts. So China is now in position to buy our industry & weaken us further. WAKE UP AMERICA!
Go to www.politicalcommunity.us & look in the Commentary section for:
July, 2006 – Science & Competitiveness
