STRONG FAMILES: GROWTH & LIVELIHOOD
Strong families are the cornerstone of a strong society, and issues that affect families directly are the “bread and butter” issues we all talk about around the kitchen table:
GOOD JOBS & GROWING ECONOMY
Families are stronger when people have good jobs, and get to keep more of what they earn. I will focus especially on maintaining tax cuts and on expanding jobs, particularly in those counties with rural economies built on the timber and fishing industries, where economic recovery has lagged behind the rest of the state and nation. I will emphasize free markets, lower taxes, and deregulation while still achieving proper stewardship of our natural resources.
HEALTH CARE QUALITY, ACCESS & CHOICE
Strong families are healthy families, but even healthy families get sick. And when they do, they need access to high quality health care and prescription drugs that are made affordable NOT through socialistic government programs, but through competition and transparency of costs and outcomes to the consumers. I will fight to reclaim and maintain choice of health care providers and insurance plans.
EDUCATION QUALITY & CHOICE
Strong families are those whose kids get a solid education that prepares them for life as responsible, self-sufficient adults. Families are strengthened when they have choices about where and how their kids are educated. Parents are the real experts and authority in their kids’ lives, and government needs to respect and reflect that. Schools are for education, not indoctrination, and competitive options are key to success. I will push public schools to return to the “basics” where they have failed or gotten derailed, while also championing homeschooling and vouchers as viable choices to be upheld.
STRONG COMMUNITIES: SAFETY & SECURITY
Protecting our national security and the safety of our citizens is government’s primary job. Safeguards to achieve this protection are:
UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR OUR MILITARY, VETERANS, & LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
These are the people who put themselves at risk, today and in the past, to keep the rest of us safe and secure against all threats foreign and domestic. They have always had our backs, and we need to have theirs. We owe them actual and sustained support, not just lip service. Law and order must be maintained for people to survive and to thrive.
PRESERVING SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
An individual’s right to keep and bear arms is enshrined in our Constitution. Guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens often save lives by levelling the playing field between innocent victims and their would-be violent intruders or attackers.
CURTAILING HOMELESSNESS
The alarming, tragic trend of spreading homeless encampments poses a danger to individuals and neighborhoods everywhere. It must be addressed from the standpoint of alleviating human suffering while protecting the health and safety of local communities. Recent lawsuits have hijacked the policy debate, and hamstrung municipalities’ ability to effectively cope. I will work to untangle the complex web of social and legal issues to best allow communities to take self-protective action as they work to implement compassionate solutions.
STRONG COUNTRY: CONSTITUTIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
America is an exceptional country because of its brilliant Constitution aimed at preserving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The “American Dream” of freedom and prosperity is unique in its appeal the world over, and understandably so. Yet for that dream to endure, we must uphold our sovereignty through:
BORDER SECURITY
A country without borders is no country at all. Building the wall and securing other ports of entry by land and sea are all essential in the fight to stop the flow of illegal aliens who subvert the process of legally immigrating to this country. Cutting off illegal immigration is key to curtailing the drug and sex trafficking industries, as well as the infiltration of criminal gang members – all of which pose serious threats to America that we can’t afford to ignore.
COMMON SENSE IMMIGRATION & DEPORTATION POLICY
We, as a sovereign nation, get to decide who we want coming to live and remain here. Immigration is a privilege, not a right. It carries with it responsibilities, and must occur according to our country’s laws and rules. Criminal behavior of any kind on the part of illegal immigrants, and especially violent criminal offenses, must not be tolerated and should be grounds for immediate deportation. Police must be encouraged to cooperate with ICE in honoring detention requests and removing criminal aliens from our streets and from our country.
ELECTION INTEGRITY & PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP
Free and fair elections are essential to the survival of our Constitutional Republic. Only U.S. Citizens should be allowed to vote in U.S. elections, but sadly, that is increasingly not the case now. Voter registration fraud is a growing problem, made worse by recent changes in election law that provide for same-day voter registration. We need a more robust system for requiring proof of U.S. citizenship (not merely residency) in order to vote in our country.
