There is a recognition in America that our current tax system is broken. Tax policy is harming our nation and sabotaging the free enterprise system in the process. In the last generation, Ronald Reagan showed that when tax laws become riddled with loopholes, tax rates can be reduced by eliminating all the loopholes. We currently have a tax system in which a plumber who works hard and makes $100 thousand pays more than a rich man who inherited his wealth pays when he earns $100 thousand off investments. Is this fair?
Neil Boortz wrote a book about a proposed "fair tax" and it became a national best seller. His system is not about lowering taxes, it is about making them fair. That seems to be the major opposition in some quarters, where rigging tax exemptions is the focus. Some people obviously benefit from our current system where some pay no taxes at all. Why is anyone surprised these people would oppose making the system simple and fair. That would mean they would have to share in the tax burden.
While recognizing that you have to focus to accomplish anything in life, I am concerned that two other problems need to be addressed at the same time. There is recognition that a huge portion of our taxes are simply wasted, due to corruption and indifference. Some of the corruption is caused by an excess of zeal in giving a helping hand. What the courts have ruled as entitlements are given out frequently with no requirement that the citizen receiving the benefit contribute at all to paying for the help. That leads to indifference to the costs to government. It also leads to a second problem, motivation for the greedy to get in on the largess and bribe congressman for special deals. Some of these bribes are hidden as campaign contributions.
That corruption and waste, while two different problems, is the unintended consequence of a single motivation. Wanting to make the recipients feel indebted to the congress who votes them the helping hand. In too many cases we give out more than we have in tax dollars and fund the difference by borrowing.
Cutting taxes while spending money in excess of tax receipts is simply passing the costs on to our children. This generational warfare must end. There needs to be a real focus on fair taxes, reducing waste and eliminating special interest payoffs, so more help reaches the needy.
In program after program there is more than enough money to do the job. The problem is that government bureaucrats misdirect and waste so much that the spending does not accomplish the goal the people want. Rather than fix the waste and corruption, more money is thrown at the goal. In most cases this does not accomplish what is needed.
We need special focus on give away programs liberals will fight to protect. We must avoid using the unintended consequences of a helping hand for the needy becoming a free ride for the greedy. Citizens must start punishing officials who contribute to waste by participating in "earmarks" and other forms of pork. Let the country see who is really committed to effective government with lower taxes and who is committed to wasteful government with higher taxes.
However being right on tax policy, the standard Republican refrain, is not enough. All three problems need to be addressed in a balanced effort. Lower and fairer taxes. Eliminate waste and corruption, so more help reaches the needy. More effective spending.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Dean Stephens Announces Candidacy
Dean Stephens announces his candidacy to represent the Republican Party for the U.S. Congress, North Carolina, First District.
There is a significant need to change the direction of our nation. The American people are unhappy with the partisan war over every issue that comes up, especially the key issues of education, border security and national freedom. The demand for more government by Democrats and less goverenment by Republicans is a distraction. There is no reason this partisan war cannot be replaced by agreement to seek Effective Government instead.
Our public education system is failing the poor and ending chances for those who have always benefitted most from the American Dream.
Our culture and langauage are under attack from a new type of immigrant invader who demands that we make room for them whether they are here legally or not, taking the opportunity and jobs that belong to our citizens.
A world wide Islamo-fascist movement, fed by injustice of the dictatorships of the middle east yet funded by these same dictatorships, has set as its goal the destruction of western culture and our freedom. It is fueled by religious dogma that is not amenable to discussion but demands capitulation and worship of Allah.
Our local congressional leadership with its one party rule is failing the people of the First District on these and many other interests. We need a new beginning. Just as socialism has failed in every country where it has been tried, the socialist domination of our region has failed the people of the Inner Banks.
We need a new beginning based on hope promised by the American Dream.
Any questions may be directed to the campaign by calling (252) 325-3125 or emailing dean@deanstephens.com
There is a significant need to change the direction of our nation. The American people are unhappy with the partisan war over every issue that comes up, especially the key issues of education, border security and national freedom. The demand for more government by Democrats and less goverenment by Republicans is a distraction. There is no reason this partisan war cannot be replaced by agreement to seek Effective Government instead.
Our public education system is failing the poor and ending chances for those who have always benefitted most from the American Dream.
Our culture and langauage are under attack from a new type of immigrant invader who demands that we make room for them whether they are here legally or not, taking the opportunity and jobs that belong to our citizens.
A world wide Islamo-fascist movement, fed by injustice of the dictatorships of the middle east yet funded by these same dictatorships, has set as its goal the destruction of western culture and our freedom. It is fueled by religious dogma that is not amenable to discussion but demands capitulation and worship of Allah.
Our local congressional leadership with its one party rule is failing the people of the First District on these and many other interests. We need a new beginning. Just as socialism has failed in every country where it has been tried, the socialist domination of our region has failed the people of the Inner Banks.
We need a new beginning based on hope promised by the American Dream.
Any questions may be directed to the campaign by calling (252) 325-3125 or emailing dean@deanstephens.com
Defend America From "Terrorism"
Terrorism by Islamic radicals, called Islamo-fascists by many, is a real threat. Congress should hold hearings on their activities across the movement and across the world.
This war against Islamo-fascism is currently in a critical stage. We must end that our nation is being torn apart by the politicizing of a war (for the first time since the civil war). Especially since it is a war we did not start. When democrats claim that we invaded Iraq without justification it is because they do not accept that this is a war against a movement not confined to Iraq or Afghanistan. They see each war as a limited fight. In reality each front is a fight against one tentacle of a huge octopus. The historical focus on war as against nations and not movements is a serious mistake democrats are making that will lead to our defeat.
The American people are prepared to believe we face extraordinary threats from a nuclear Iranian regime actively seeking to develop nuclear weapons and a Pakistan dictatorship which already has them. Actions in Iraq need to be recast in terms of their impact on Iran and Pakistan and their willingness to give nuclear weapons to the Islamo-fascists. A weak America in Iraq will be unable to stop Iran and Pakistan Islamo-fascist supporters. Stopping Iran and Pakistan is literally a matter of life and death.
There have been reports on the claim by some elements of the Islamo-fascist movement that they will set off 7 nuclear bombs in American cities at some point. This is not an idle threat. It is the type of threat that fueled the multi decade attempts to bring down the World Trade Center. Unless we recognize the direction of the next dramatic phase in this war, we will be dealing with a partisan war over our nation in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.
Our soldiers understand what we are fighting for. They understand that the fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan are needed to reduce the threat. They see we must fight there or once again fight in the streets of America, as happened on 9/11. We must support these brave men and women. As noted recently by numerous writers, we should stand in awe of the courage of these young people. They are proving that our nation still has an amazing ability to produce the finest citizens who can ever be found, those with the character and courage to risk their lives for the freedom of us all. God bless them.
Congress should hold hearings on the scale of the Iranian and Pakistani threats, the statements of their key leaders and the requirements for action. We must control these dictatorships and the Islamo-fascist movement before they succeed in killing millions of Americans. Everything about Iraq should be debated within this larger and much more dangerous context. Make the fight against the Islamo-fascism movement a referendum for Elections. Make the support of the goals of our forces, defense of our freedoms, the determining factor for Elections.
This war against Islamo-fascism is currently in a critical stage. We must end that our nation is being torn apart by the politicizing of a war (for the first time since the civil war). Especially since it is a war we did not start. When democrats claim that we invaded Iraq without justification it is because they do not accept that this is a war against a movement not confined to Iraq or Afghanistan. They see each war as a limited fight. In reality each front is a fight against one tentacle of a huge octopus. The historical focus on war as against nations and not movements is a serious mistake democrats are making that will lead to our defeat.
The American people are prepared to believe we face extraordinary threats from a nuclear Iranian regime actively seeking to develop nuclear weapons and a Pakistan dictatorship which already has them. Actions in Iraq need to be recast in terms of their impact on Iran and Pakistan and their willingness to give nuclear weapons to the Islamo-fascists. A weak America in Iraq will be unable to stop Iran and Pakistan Islamo-fascist supporters. Stopping Iran and Pakistan is literally a matter of life and death.
There have been reports on the claim by some elements of the Islamo-fascist movement that they will set off 7 nuclear bombs in American cities at some point. This is not an idle threat. It is the type of threat that fueled the multi decade attempts to bring down the World Trade Center. Unless we recognize the direction of the next dramatic phase in this war, we will be dealing with a partisan war over our nation in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.
Our soldiers understand what we are fighting for. They understand that the fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan are needed to reduce the threat. They see we must fight there or once again fight in the streets of America, as happened on 9/11. We must support these brave men and women. As noted recently by numerous writers, we should stand in awe of the courage of these young people. They are proving that our nation still has an amazing ability to produce the finest citizens who can ever be found, those with the character and courage to risk their lives for the freedom of us all. God bless them.
Congress should hold hearings on the scale of the Iranian and Pakistani threats, the statements of their key leaders and the requirements for action. We must control these dictatorships and the Islamo-fascist movement before they succeed in killing millions of Americans. Everything about Iraq should be debated within this larger and much more dangerous context. Make the fight against the Islamo-fascism movement a referendum for Elections. Make the support of the goals of our forces, defense of our freedoms, the determining factor for Elections.
Parental Choice And Education Excellence
It is clear the the path to a great education system requires we tie Education Funding to Competition and Accountability.
A major result of the No Child Left Behind legislation has been the revelation that a number of schools systems are crippling and destroying our children's education. When the North Carolina school system only graduates 60% of entering freshman on time, it is clear the children are being cheated. The American people strongly support reforms designed to save and educate the children. The first step would be to insist that federal funds only go to school systems which require teacher competency and accountability, which provide competition and which can prove they are educating the children.
The Friedman Foundation has recently done a study that is simply astounding in its conclusions. The economic cost to our society of public school failures are in the multi-billions of dollars for each class, just in North Carolina alone. Their estimate is $8.5 billion per graduating class over their lives. A decade of continued failure will cost the state of North Carolina $85 billion during our lifetimes. This does not mean that we need to spend more money on education. Other studies have proved the problem is not how much we spend but how much we waste. It is not that our teachers do not want to teach but that they are not allowed to teach effectively. Our schools are not focused on teaching but on promoting an egalitarian philosophy of tolerance and diversity. Unfortunately our children are often tolerant but can't add. They embrace diversity, but can't identify the flaws in an illogical premise. We used to expect our children to speak and write English effectively. Today they are promoted from one grade to another when it is clear they can do neither.
In our black majority district, support for education reform will not happen until members of the African American community accept that change must include recognizing which Party has caused the problem. The case that blacks must accept change to fix this problem has been articulated by Bill Cosby. I know what that change needs to include. Angela McGlowan has written a great book, "Bamboozled", in which she makes a powerful case for conservative blacks to return to the party which has always supported them. In her book, the third chapter is about school choice and the consequences for the education of our children of the "soft bigotry of low expectations." She talks in her book about the attacks that are focused on anyone who dares to point out the problems, ". . . our politically correct culture has made it all but impossible to have a candid dialogue about the state of academic achievements by blacks . . . "
We must change the course of education in America and our district. Of our 23 counties, not one school system is in the top quartile of education measurement. 14 of our counties are in the bottom quartile. That is 2-1/2 times the number that should be there based on normal statistics. What is a crisis for America and North Carolina, is an even bigger crisis here in our area. Talking honestly about the problems is a must.
The liberal courts have sabotaged classroom discipline. The unions have protected teachers who cannot teach. Our best and brightest educators have been paid higher wages to move into central administrative organizations that think about teaching but never actually teach. They promote fads and nonsense that does not and will not work. They too are protected from competition by tenure and unions. The liberal couts and teacher unions are protected by the Democrat Party at the cost of our son's and daughter's education. The wishes of parents are ignored.
Our nation is based on competition. The excellence of free enterprise and its ability to provide us with the highest standard of living in the world is competition. All year long our society shows its love for and admiration of the competition that is inherent in sports. We would not tolerate the elimination of competition from baseball, football or basketball. Yet in the area that touches every family most, the education of our children, we have allowed for bureaucrats to eliminate competition. We don't really need No Child Left Behind to tell us our public schools are failing. Parents already knew this.
A clear choice between those who want to save the children and those who want to save the bureaucrats would mobilize the country in favor of dramatic education reform based on competition. This competition must take the form of Charter Schools and Equal Opportunity Scholarships; with control of their children's choices by the parents. This should include home schooling for those parents who don't have access to other adequate options for their children.
Parents must be in charge. Parents should have options for educational excellence. Each school choice should compete for the parents support! How much of and for how long will you give up your share of that $85 billion that the Friedman Foundation identified as being stolen by school failures.
A major result of the No Child Left Behind legislation has been the revelation that a number of schools systems are crippling and destroying our children's education. When the North Carolina school system only graduates 60% of entering freshman on time, it is clear the children are being cheated. The American people strongly support reforms designed to save and educate the children. The first step would be to insist that federal funds only go to school systems which require teacher competency and accountability, which provide competition and which can prove they are educating the children.
The Friedman Foundation has recently done a study that is simply astounding in its conclusions. The economic cost to our society of public school failures are in the multi-billions of dollars for each class, just in North Carolina alone. Their estimate is $8.5 billion per graduating class over their lives. A decade of continued failure will cost the state of North Carolina $85 billion during our lifetimes. This does not mean that we need to spend more money on education. Other studies have proved the problem is not how much we spend but how much we waste. It is not that our teachers do not want to teach but that they are not allowed to teach effectively. Our schools are not focused on teaching but on promoting an egalitarian philosophy of tolerance and diversity. Unfortunately our children are often tolerant but can't add. They embrace diversity, but can't identify the flaws in an illogical premise. We used to expect our children to speak and write English effectively. Today they are promoted from one grade to another when it is clear they can do neither.
In our black majority district, support for education reform will not happen until members of the African American community accept that change must include recognizing which Party has caused the problem. The case that blacks must accept change to fix this problem has been articulated by Bill Cosby. I know what that change needs to include. Angela McGlowan has written a great book, "Bamboozled", in which she makes a powerful case for conservative blacks to return to the party which has always supported them. In her book, the third chapter is about school choice and the consequences for the education of our children of the "soft bigotry of low expectations." She talks in her book about the attacks that are focused on anyone who dares to point out the problems, ". . . our politically correct culture has made it all but impossible to have a candid dialogue about the state of academic achievements by blacks . . . "
We must change the course of education in America and our district. Of our 23 counties, not one school system is in the top quartile of education measurement. 14 of our counties are in the bottom quartile. That is 2-1/2 times the number that should be there based on normal statistics. What is a crisis for America and North Carolina, is an even bigger crisis here in our area. Talking honestly about the problems is a must.
The liberal courts have sabotaged classroom discipline. The unions have protected teachers who cannot teach. Our best and brightest educators have been paid higher wages to move into central administrative organizations that think about teaching but never actually teach. They promote fads and nonsense that does not and will not work. They too are protected from competition by tenure and unions. The liberal couts and teacher unions are protected by the Democrat Party at the cost of our son's and daughter's education. The wishes of parents are ignored.
Our nation is based on competition. The excellence of free enterprise and its ability to provide us with the highest standard of living in the world is competition. All year long our society shows its love for and admiration of the competition that is inherent in sports. We would not tolerate the elimination of competition from baseball, football or basketball. Yet in the area that touches every family most, the education of our children, we have allowed for bureaucrats to eliminate competition. We don't really need No Child Left Behind to tell us our public schools are failing. Parents already knew this.
A clear choice between those who want to save the children and those who want to save the bureaucrats would mobilize the country in favor of dramatic education reform based on competition. This competition must take the form of Charter Schools and Equal Opportunity Scholarships; with control of their children's choices by the parents. This should include home schooling for those parents who don't have access to other adequate options for their children.
Parents must be in charge. Parents should have options for educational excellence. Each school choice should compete for the parents support! How much of and for how long will you give up your share of that $85 billion that the Friedman Foundation identified as being stolen by school failures.
Control the Borders Against Economic and Cultural Invasions.
We are currently experiencing two invasions of people hostile to the American Dream.
One of them you may not have heard of. Though it is a strong and active movement, the American press simply ingores it since it conflicts with the agenda of the Democrat Party. It is called Aztlan after the Aztec rulers of Mexico when Cortez first arrived there. The Aztlan movement in Mexico believes that our borders mean nothing and they have the right to come to the United States. They plan, as they have publicly proclaimed, to take over and seize a major portion of the Southwest to make it a part of Mexico. One of their most active supporters is a racist and criminal organization called The Race or La Raza, which has as its motto, for the race everything - for others nothing. The press only refers to Hispanic's as seeking jobs, as if it is only economically driven, but it is really a politically driven invasion.
The second is the movement supported by radical elements within Islam called Islamo-fascism. The Muslim people are denied freedom, except for the very small elite who participate in oil revenues. The Muslim countries are dominated by dictators who withhold fair economic treatment for some. There is thus a Muslim diaspora which is spreading across the globe composed of people who are unhappy in these nations. A large number of these people believe in the Islamo-facist movement also fueled by the injustices within the dictatorships of the middle east. This movement dreams of inflicting sharia law and a worldwide Caliphate on all the peoples of the earth. They are enemies of their dictators but blame them on us.
Though economically and politically driven these two groups are determined to retain their culture and inflict it on us when they come here. Only control of our borders will restore our soveriegn right to determine our own destiny. Our own court system helps with this cultural separation by granting rights to illegal alliens among us.
It is impossible to accomplish "comprehensive" immigration reform as long as big corporations, sweat shops, farmers and Democrats see amnesty as furthering their interests. Amnesty plays into the hands of the Mexican and Muslim invaders who want to change America . . . not be a part of America. The American people overwhelmingly want the borders controlled. There is no justice in making America’s poor compete with the world’s poor for our jobs. Every act of terrorism reminds us that having the borders uncontrolled makes us more vulnerable to attack from those who have no respect for our culture. We must ensure that the United States can control our border.
One of them you may not have heard of. Though it is a strong and active movement, the American press simply ingores it since it conflicts with the agenda of the Democrat Party. It is called Aztlan after the Aztec rulers of Mexico when Cortez first arrived there. The Aztlan movement in Mexico believes that our borders mean nothing and they have the right to come to the United States. They plan, as they have publicly proclaimed, to take over and seize a major portion of the Southwest to make it a part of Mexico. One of their most active supporters is a racist and criminal organization called The Race or La Raza, which has as its motto, for the race everything - for others nothing. The press only refers to Hispanic's as seeking jobs, as if it is only economically driven, but it is really a politically driven invasion.
The second is the movement supported by radical elements within Islam called Islamo-fascism. The Muslim people are denied freedom, except for the very small elite who participate in oil revenues. The Muslim countries are dominated by dictators who withhold fair economic treatment for some. There is thus a Muslim diaspora which is spreading across the globe composed of people who are unhappy in these nations. A large number of these people believe in the Islamo-facist movement also fueled by the injustices within the dictatorships of the middle east. This movement dreams of inflicting sharia law and a worldwide Caliphate on all the peoples of the earth. They are enemies of their dictators but blame them on us.
Though economically and politically driven these two groups are determined to retain their culture and inflict it on us when they come here. Only control of our borders will restore our soveriegn right to determine our own destiny. Our own court system helps with this cultural separation by granting rights to illegal alliens among us.
It is impossible to accomplish "comprehensive" immigration reform as long as big corporations, sweat shops, farmers and Democrats see amnesty as furthering their interests. Amnesty plays into the hands of the Mexican and Muslim invaders who want to change America . . . not be a part of America. The American people overwhelmingly want the borders controlled. There is no justice in making America’s poor compete with the world’s poor for our jobs. Every act of terrorism reminds us that having the borders uncontrolled makes us more vulnerable to attack from those who have no respect for our culture. We must ensure that the United States can control our border.
Campaign 2008
This is the opening post to my campaign 2008 blog. We will be posting thoughts on the future of our region, state and nation.
Please feel free to respond with your comments, but please keep it clean. We are a family friendly campaign.
Please feel free to respond with your comments, but please keep it clean. We are a family friendly campaign.
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