My Hot Button Issues
Okay, you convinced me. I'm not going to tell you which presidential candidate is getting my vote. However, I thought it would be a good exercise for me to write out which issues are most important to me. So, more for my sake than yours, here they are...
Election Issues Most Important To Me (in no particular order)
- Economic policy -- It makes no sense to me that we complain about our jobs going overseas, yet we have among the highest business taxes in the world. It makes no sense to me that politicians don't see how higher taxes on small businesses will impact consumers and employees. It makes no sense to me that we "return" tax money to people who don't pay taxes. It makes no sense to me that we penalize success through wealth redistribution.
- Energy -- For more than 20 years we've been hearing politicians tell us what we can't do because it will take too long. Well, if they'd started 20 years ago, we wouldn't be in this predicament. It is important to me that the government keeps this front and center, and that all forms of energy are explored. God expects us to care for this planet, but He also gave it to us to have dominion over...to live off the land. So if there are natural resources available from God, and he has given us the brains to figure out how to harvest those resources--we should do it!
- Supreme Court Appointments -- There have been too many examples in recent years of judges who legislate from their bench rather than interpret the constitution and the law. It is important to me that our president does not make selections based on politics.
- Education -- a parent should be able to choose where they send their child, and if a school is failing, be able to move their child (with the federal funding dollars) to another school. Teachers should be rewarded for outcomes and effectiveness, not tenure.
- Protecting the Weak -- there are people who can't help themselves. The elderly; diabled veterans; the unborn; children in poverty; those with special needs. I support the candidate who recognizes and supports the many grass-roots organizations who exist to help the helpless.
- Military -- I support the candidate who wants to keep our military the strongest in the world. Not so we can kill, but so peace can be sustained. The terrorists should be stopped before they get on American soil, and our borders should be secure. When a dictator is killing hundreds of thousands of helpless people abroad, we should step in to help the helpless, regardless of whether there is a clear and present danger to the United States.
- Spending -- I'm tired of an out-of-control spending congress. President Bush never saw a spending bill he didn't like, and the congress for years has spent more money than they have without care for the future. The American people follow their lead and spend more than they make. It's going to take a President who is willing to be very unpopular for awhile to turn this around.
I'm sure I left one of your hot-button issues off this list. But, this list comprises what will be on my mind as I go into the polls tomorrow.
Oh, I will tell you one guy I'm voting for: Luke Puckett. He's running for 2nd District U.S. Congress seat in Indiana. I've known Luke for nearly 25 years, and have high confidence in his integrity, values and core beliefs. Plus, we sang together in a quartet back in the day!