We need to Be Not Afraid to tackle the tough issues. We must address these tough issues, otherwise your and my kids and grandkids will bear the burden. In good conscience, we cannot let that happen! 

We may not agree on everything. "When everyone agrees, someone is not thinking." George Patton

 Let's Rededicate Ourselves to Our American Ideals

Climate Change

I accept the scientific evidence that our changing climate is real, caused by humans burning fossil fuels and that it is urgent that we do something about it. Iin the long run,it will be a bigger issue than Covid-19. Now is the time to act.

     Hotter       Hurricanes   Forest Fires         Floods

Is a Conservative Approach to Slowing Climate Change Wishful Thinking?

What if:

·         there was a way to address climate change where individuals and businesses could choose what climate mitigating options to choose from without the government telling us what to do, based simply on the relative prices of the options?

·         this could be done without most people, and especially lower income people, being any worse off financially?

·         this government policy would induce other countries to do the same so the policy would not disadvantage American businesses?

·         this policy would actually grow the economy, create jobs and leave Americans healthier?

·         And without increasing the federal national debt?

Wishful thinking?

No. There is a market driven, revenue neutral policy option that conservatives should like.

In the last Congress it was H.R. 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act which involved a tax on carbon with all of the proceeds paid back to the people (less a small administrative fee) and a border adjustment mechanism to prevent manufacturers from countries without an equivalent policy from taking advantage of our manufacturers.

Studies indicate that it would cut carbon emissions by 40% within 12 years, so it would be effective, create jobs, grow the economy and be healthier because of a reduction in many other pollutants connected with the coal, gas and oil industries.

Other countries are already beginning to do this which will put the U.S. at a disadvantage unless we do this as well. How the money would be distributed has already been done with the government response to Covid. The collection of the funds would be administratively simple with the collection points being a small number of mines and refineries or distribution points.

Current administration and Congressional proposals current stalled in Congress consist of mandates, standards and subsidies. Why not give the free market a chance instead?

3554 economists and 48 other prominent economic officials or advisors supported carbon taxes as the best approach to saving our planet from devastating changes in climate which will include not only rising temperatures, but stronger hurricanes, droughts which induce more forest fires and heavier rainfall causing floods.

Doesn’t the Russian invasion of Ukraine dramatically show that we must reduce the world’s reliance on fuel sources from countries ruled by autocratic dictators such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Russia?

Immigration Policy

 Our immigration policy is broken. This can be fixed by a combination of:

o   Secure borders, without which no immigration policy makes any sense. But that does not necessarily mean a wall.

o   Strict enforcement on hiring illegal aliens using E-verify

o   A robust guest worker program so employers who rely on the immigrants for workers can continue to be competitive.

o   A path to permanent legal resident status for those brought to the U.S. by their parents when they were children, i.e., the "Dreamers". Perhaps even citizenship for most under certain conditions.

o   A path to permanent legal resident status for the bulk of the 11 million other illegal aliens in our country for those who have been here a long time and have otherwise not run afoul with the law. Let's face reality - we are not going to deport 11 million people.

o   Swapping the lottery immigration quota for skilled workers we need here to help our economy

Reaching agreement may not be easy, but it is possible, if one is willing to put the good of the country ahead of politics.

The only reason at least providing for the "Dreamers" is that immigration is too attractive as a political campaign issue that those opposed to immigration are not willing to have it solved.

Social Security:

·         Our Social Security System is projected to be insolvent by 2033. This is not an insolvable problem, if our elected officials have the guts to tackle it. All it takes are very small tweaks on five variables:

o   The retirement age.

o   The payroll tax rate

o   The income level at which payroll taxes stop being collected.

o   The taxation of Social Security benefits for higher income people

o   And the cost of living increase being indexed to the cost of living for retirees, rather than the Consumer price index.

·         You could solve this problem yourself, in about 15 minutes, if you visited the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget website and use their program there. Reaching agreement may not be easy, but it is possible, if one is willing to put the good of the country ahead of politics and everyone is willing to give a little.

Medical Care Costs

Medical care costs have been out of control for many years. Our current system is broken. The cost increases are like a health insurance tax that we pay for without having a vote. We have ceded control of the system to the health insurance companies, the pharmacuetical companies and the medical care providers. It is past time to eliminate the complexity and reduce the costs. We have choices, but again, few are popular. Nonetheless, we must act to avoid crisis.

Controlling Our Healthcare Costs: Statement of the Problem

Reasons for Increases in Healthcare Costs

Solutions for Rapidly Rising Healthcare Costs

Value Added Tax

Eliminating Poverty:

Thoughts on Universal Basic Income

 (see blogpost)

Racist? Guilty as Charged?

Previous Issue Thought Pieces:

Note that as I learn more about the issues, sometimes my conclusions change. Facts Matter!

·         Free Market Economics: Problems and Solutions 

Capitalism has enabled more people to escape poverty than any other economic system. Socialism and communism have proven to be failures. However, problems lurk beneath the economists' assumptions.

·         The Looming National Debt Crisis - What are the Tradeoffs?

·         The Full Truth About my Stance on Climate Change That the climate is changing is acknowledged by most folks. What to do about it, if anything, is the question.

·         Skeptical about Climate Science? It is smart to be skeptical.

·         Very Good Article About Saving Social Security 

·         It’s Time to Reconsider and Either Confirm or Modify the War Powers Act.  The killing of the Iranian General by drone strike in 2020 renewed the debate about the War Powers Act.

·         The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Undergoes Needed Scrutiny  The Department of Justice’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s Report on 2016 FBI Spying (“the IG report”) has raised new concerns about the tension between our privacy guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment and security.

·         We are in an Undeclared War, Whether We Like it or Not  Russia, China, Iran and N. Korea have meddled in our economy, our Internet and computer infrastructure and even elections. Cyber and space warfare is currently a reality.

·         I Agree with Trump Pushing Back Against China, Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding’s 2019 book, “Stealth War: How China Took Over While America’s Elite Slept” raises very serious concerns about China’s rise and its underlying intentions. In this blog post, I outline several actions Trump has taken to counter some of China's action, but are they enough?

·         Agreement with China on Tariffs Needed I agreed with President Trump that push back against China is needed. My hope is that agreement may be reached soon, as the negative impact of the tariffs imposed and/or threatened is hitting our farmers disproportionately.

·         Possible Answer to the “College Affordability Crisis” Here is a way to make college more affordable for students and taxpayers, and reduce frequency and severity of the "student debt crisis"