Contract with America II

1. Tax reform => Institute either a flat tax or a consumption tax. Taxes should be fair and non-discriminating by using only ONE tax bracket (17%). Give low income families (below $25,000) a tax break (they pay no taxes). Give families a $5000 deduction per child up to two children (so as not to promote overpopulation). Reward those who save by NOT taxing interest earned on savings. Eliminate tax loopholes for businesses.



2. Social Security => Make it optional. Begin the difficult transition away from Social Security by slowly removing it from the system. Promote savings in 401(k) and IRAs instead. Increase the retirement age to 70. Make Social Security unavailable for those who simply do not need it (income above $75,000).



3. Foreign Policy => Develop a strong foreign policy. Do not let the U.N. make all the decisions or have command over U.S. troops and operations. Given the track records of both the U.S. and the U.N. it is clear that U.S. leadership and direction only benefit the whole.



4. Political Prisoners => Demand the release of U.S. prisoners in Iraq. The United States has already lost the advantage by not applying quick and decisive action against Iraq. Continuing policy such as this will only weaken the U.S. in the view of other world threats such as Iran, Libya, and North Korea. We need to apply severe economic sanctions or military threat and show not only Iraq but the world that the U.S. will do everything in its power to assure the safety of its citizens and allies.



5. Abortion => Educate people on abortion. People today think of abortion as a form of birth control and a way to cover their own mistakes. We need to hold people responsible and accountable for their actions. Bring MORALITY back into the schools and homes. I once saw a video of an abortion called, "The Silent Scream", which if anyone saw they would rethink LIFE. We can not allow innocent children to be murdered because someone chooses to not take responsibility for their own actions.



6. Crime => Eliminate probation and get tougher on sentencing murderers and rapists. Murderers should receive the death penalty and rapists should spend the rest of their lives in prison. A murderer loses all of his rights just as he took someone else's rights away. Light sentencing on these people is further punishing the victims.



7. Punishment => Make prison life more difficult. Prison is meant to punish, not to give criminals access to cable TV, weights, magazines, and other luxuries that they might not have outside of prison. Make them work 40 or 50 hours per week in prison and make them realize that it DOES NOT PAY to commit a crime.



8. Drugs => Educate people on the consequences of drug use and get tough on drug related crimes. Increase fines, increase jail sentences, and confiscate property of drug suppliers. Get to the kids young so that future generations may be more educated.



9. Modernization => Equip the government and the military with the newest technology just as any company that wants to stay in business must do. If it is too expensive from one supplier, use the same private suppliers available to anyone else for the best price possible.



10. Goals => Set a goal like Kennedy did to get us back in space. Build a space station by 2005, land on the moon by 2010, and on Mars by 2015. Goals like this could ignite our economy by generating new technology and jobs. Build a real SDI to defend against future threats from current and upcoming nuclear threats.



11. Vigilance => The dragon may be dead but many snakes abound. Former Soviet Union weapons are finding homes through the "black market" and direct sales such as those made to Iran. We should fear and respect these new threats as much as we did the Soviet Union. The Cold War may have seemed to melt away but it may soon begin to boil. Find a way to keep other countries from developing nuclear weapons and don't send Jimmy Carter to do it.



12. Reform => Congress shall take a 10% pay cut with NO increase until the budget is BALANCED. Reform congressional pensions and perks. Reform campaign financing.



13. Race => Eliminate discrimination and apply true "equal opportunity employment". Get rid of Affirmative Action (it is reverse discrimination). Affirmative Action will not heal the wounds of the past. Instead it will perpetuate the conflict and open new wounds until the end of time.



14. Welfare => We cannot continue to give money away to people who are unwilling to work and unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. We cannot continue to give our hard earned money to non- citizens. There is a need for welfare but it should be temporary. Our current situation grows dependency generation after generation.



15. National Debate => Give the people the chance to tell you what they think is important. During each election put 10 items in the voting box and have us choose the 3 that are most important to us. Then you know what we want. If 90% of the voters choose item number 5 then I would think that would be a clear message to you. The liberal media could not argue a democratic vote.