Issue Position: Spending and Taxes

Issue Position

Cut Spending and Lower Taxes

No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!"

- Ronald Reagan

Voters hear the mantra "cut spending, lower taxes" every election, but it never seems to work out that way. Why is that? Where is the sense of fiscal responsibility? What happens every time we have a budget shortfall? Our legislators seem to scramble for a new way to raise taxes. They then try to sell the new taxes by pointing out that schools or firemen or policemen or highway repair will suffer. It is high time that we reject this manipulation of our citizens by associating cuts with the services held most dear by our citizens. We need to show respect for our citizens and take a fresh approach to appropriating their hard earned dollars. We need to proactively find ways to reduce expenses, not simply react to an income statement that says we have a deficit. We need to adopt per capita spending guidelines that correlate the number of service providers with the number of service receivers. We need to find ways to cut taxes proactively so that we lessen the burden on hardworking families and the job providers for whom they work. Less taxes equals more freedom.

The road to fiscal responsibility starts with the campaign for elected office. Too often, campaigns throw money at problems when critical thinking and elbow grease will do. Hundreds of thousands of fundraising dollars are thrown at advertising campaigns on TV and radio despite the fact that only a small fraction of their prospective constituents reside within the listening audience of these broadcasts. In many ways, this is a reflection of how many of our representatives treat our tax dollars once they are in office. They seem to believe that if they throw enough money at a problem, somehow the objective in question will be obtained. Taxpayers and campaign contributors have worked too hard for the money that they provide to politicians for it to be spent so carelessly. In these times of financial hardships, these contributions to our political system need to be treated with the respect that they deserve.

Our campaign pledges to run our campaign in the same fiscally responsible manner that we will promote when in office. We will not spend more than we take in. In addition, we will ensure that the money that we do receive from our supporters will be put to use in a prudent, cost effective manner. We refuse to simply throw money at problems. We need to demonstrate that the funds entrusted to us will be used responsibly.

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