Tuesday, October 9, 2012

TRUTH ABOUT REPUBLICANS SURVEY RESPONSE



William L. Pressgrove
7849 W. 1700 S.
Cedar City, Utah 84720-4845
October 7, 2012
To reply to this survey, it is impossible to answer the questions solely with the responses provided.  This survey is just as lopsided in its presentation of reality as that of any of the Democratic positions.  I, therefore, choose to answer with this letter.  However, because there is no donation attached, I suppose that this will be trashed without being read.  I assure you, that many of my Republican friends will read it and that its impact will be felt.

To present the demographics; I am 63, married, self-employed (not an option on the survey), own my own home, and have a Masters of Education Degree.

1.      Do you believe that President Obama’s policies over the past three years have strengthened the U.S. economy?
a.       No.  President Obama, in my opinion, has been deliberately undermining the economy because, as a “New World Order” philosopher, he has to equalize the U.S. with all the third world countries.
b.      On the other hand, this philosophy has been the driving force behind both parties for the past eight decades.  Republicans in all branches of the government, although more slowly, have been advancing the socialistic programs that take away the freedom of choice from the citizens and sovereign of this country.

2.      The White House and its Democratic allies in Congress want to increase tax rates on individuals and families to pay for government that is more wasteful.  Do you support Democrats’ call for tax hikes?
a.       No.  The Democrats have stealthily added to the burden of all by their unilateral implementation of “ObamaCare”, in addition to QE1, QE2, and QE3 that diminishes the buying power of the dollars they still have left because of inflation.
b.      However, when the records of the Republicans as well as the Democrats are examined, there are only a handful of Republicans that have not added to the debt with pork barrel spending through the unconstitutional practice of earmarks.  Neither has there been a concerted effort by Republicans as a whole to support tax reform that would equalize the burden of running the government amongst all the citizens, i.e. “Fair Tax”.

3.      Do you support the Keystone energy pipeline as a way to boost American Job Creation, address high energy prices and reduce our dependence on Middle East oil?
a.       Yes.  I support the Keystone pipeline, but it doesn’t help us become energy independent because it too is a source of foreign oil, meaning that when it is completed, our dependence on foreign oil will shift from the OPEC countries to our neighbor to the North, Canada.
b.      As far as I have been informed, Republicans haven’t done anything to shift the subsidies received by the oil companies to programs that would ultimately wean us off of the need to use fossil fuels altogether.  Oil companies obviously make their money from finite sources of energy and should be the forerunners of research in alternate sources of energy so that when the fossil fuels run out, they will be able to stay in business.

4.      The American Action Network reports that in 2011 alone, the Obama administration imposed “$231.4 billion in regulatory burdens and 133 million paperwork burden hours” that threaten small businesses.  Do you support House Republican efforts to eliminate excessive regulation on job creators?
a.       Yes.  The current administration has attempted to reduce the U.S. to a third world country in this fashion.
b.      Government control of the Free Market system has been part of the agenda of every administration since Woodrow Wilson put in place the sixteenth amendment.  Republican administrations have aided and abetted this process in every administration they have controlled as well.  It appears as though the pot is calling the kettle black on this one.

5.      During President Obama’s time in the White House, Washington has racked up the three largest deficits in U.S. history.  Do you agree that out of control government spending harms long-term economic growth?
a.       Yes.  This administration has amassed a record for having deficits with no budget at all.  The only balanced budgets that have happened in my lifetime have been those in which the Social Security Trust Fund has been raided to make it look like the budget was balanced under President Clinton.
b.      Now I ask you, have the Republican administrations over the past 60 years managed to have a real balanced budget in which smoke and mirrors have not been used to make it appear more balanced than it really is?  Obviously not.

6.      Do you support House Republican efforts to cut discretionary government spending back to pre-”stimulus,” pre-bailout levels?
a.       No.  The discretionary spending should be the major portion of the government’s spending.  In order to make that happen, the entitlements or non-discretionary spending; i.e. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid should be phased out completely.  That would only leave the payment on the National Debt as non-discretionary spending.
b.      Both political parties have continued to perpetuate the “entitlement mentality” because it benefits them politically.  As long as the voting public is beholding to the government for any larges, they will vote for those who give them the most.  This skews the elections in favor of the party that offers the most, which turns us into a welfare state or socialistic country.  Republicans have been as guilty as Democrats except they have been doing it more slowly.

7.      Do you support House Republicans’ ban on earmarks?
a.       Yes.  That would be a good place to start to true the elections.
b.      However, Republicans have been just as guilty as Democrats have for taking advantage of earmarks.  Take Ron Paul for example; he has voted against every appropriations bill that has had earmarks in it, at the same time he has been putting earmarks in the bills that he is sure will pass without his vote.

8.      Do you support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
a.       Yes.  The only reason is because it appears that politicians don’t have the integrity to propose a balanced budget on their own.
b.      At present this point is mute because Congress hasn’t had a budget in three years, which makes it very hard to balance it.  It appears that within the Balanced Budget amendment there needs to be a clause that says that if Congress can’t produce a budget on time or at a minimum produce a budget before the end of the year, then there should be a mandatory election to replace them in which they cannot be placed on the ballot.

9.      Do you agree that fixing our nations broken tax code will help job creators and make American manufacturers more competitive?
a.       Yes.  However, the only to fix the tax code permanently is to scrap it altogether.  There is no way to “fix” what we currently have.  It is part of the Communist Manifesto to have a “graduated” tax code. 
b.      The only way to make sure that each citizen pays his “fair share” is with a tax on consumption.  That way those who are poor will pay their share by paying the same percentage on their meager purchases as the billionaires pay on their purchases of yachts and other luxury items.  It would also increase the tax base because foreign visitors to our country would have to pay the same tax.

10.  Do you support the GOP’s plan introduced last year to remove government barriers to private-sector jobs—the Plan for America’s Job Creators?
a.       No.  Any plan proposed by the government to create “private-sector” jobs has strings attached to it.  This would place the government in a position to “pick and choose” which jobs would be created and that is unconstitutional.
b.      Republicans should know better than to propose such a plan.

11.  Is the media devoting enough coverage to the nearly 30 jobs bills House Republicans passed in 2011 that remain stuck in the U.S. Senate?
a.       No.  The media has not done its job in the past 50 years.  Main stream media has a liberal (socialistic) agenda and will not report honestly on anything done by the opposition party.
b.      However, I’m sure the Republicans would be just as happy as the Democrats are if the shoe were on the other foot.

12.  Do you agree that fundamental reform is needed to save critical health and retirement programs like Social Security and Medicare from future generations?
a.       No.  These entitlement programs infringe on my responsibility to provide for my family and myself.  These are the very programs that, through their inception and mismanagement, have placed us into the position we are in financially as a nation.  Our ancestors did not need them and we don’t need them now. 
b.      As harsh as it sounds, I would prefer to be responsible for my own health care and perhaps die early because I didn’t manage it well than to provide tax funds for abortions and deprive those yet unborn of an opportunity to have lived.

13.  Do you agree with the Republican position that any entitlement reforms should protect Americans currently 55 or older?
a.       Yes.  This is only because “well-meaning yet unscrupulous” politicians forced the programs on the people. 
b.      The programs should be phased out to allow those who have paid into them to receive a return on their investment.  However, those who have not heavily invested in the programs yet should have the opportunity to secure their own retirement and health care.  With the current tax code, they those who have invested in these programs should be given tax credits up to 10% of what they have invested until they have recuperated their investment.  With a new tax code of taxation on consumption, they should be given a yearly 10% lump sum of their investment until the entire investment is paid back.

14.  Do you support the immediate and total repeal of the ObamaCare health care law?
a.       Yes.  There is nothing more devastating to a country that to have the government in charge of health care for each citizen.
b.      If you can control what healthcare of each individual, there is nothing you can’t get him or her to do.

15.  Do you believe medical malpractice reform to stop junk lawsuits and lower costs should be a priority for healthcare reform legislation?
a.       No.  Just as ObamaCare is unconstitutional, so would any legislation of this nature be unconstitutional.
b.      The states are the ones responsible for the jurisprudence in their state and the federal government has no constitutional right to intervene.

16.  Do you believe that ObambCare’s tax increases, cost hikes and mandates are making it harder for employers to hire and invest?
a.       Yes.  But why ask this question if you want people to answer that they want ObamaCare repealed?
b.      Any time government interferes in the affairs between employer and employee, it is overstepping its constitutional authority.

17.  Do you believe you can receive the same quality health care and accessibility to quality care through a federal government run health care system?
a.       No.  The federal government has no business trying to intervene in the affairs of its citizens in any regard.
b.      The Federal Government’s job is to intervene in international cases and to prevent states from abusing each other in the area of commerce.  Nothing not specifically authorized in the Constitution under Article 1 Section 8 is the responsibility of the Federal Government.

18.  Do you support the House-passed No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act to permanently ban taxpayer funding for abortions across all federal programs?
a.       Yes.  Funding for taking the life from an unborn child is totally egocentric.  It says that one who is living is more important that one who hasn’t had the opportunity to do so yet.  The unborn are totally innocent of any wrong doing yet they are being exterminated by those who think their life is more important.
b.      Doesn’t government have the responsibility to protect “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”?  Under the Declaration of Independence, don’t the people have the responsibility to replace any government that doesn’t protect those rights?

19.  Do you support allowing parents to send their children to the school of their choice be it public, parochial, or private?
a.       Yes.  Again, there is no provision for any government intervention in education.
b.      Wasn’t our education system better when the states had to compete for citizens?  Wasn’t part of that competition the schools that were offered in those states?  Let the states compete for a larger tax base by providing better schooling for the children.  “No Child Left Behind” means that those who excel have to be slowed down to allow those with lesser abilities to reach a passing level (many of whom have learned to game the system and just wait until they are passed to a higher grade out of necessity).

20.  Has the Obama Administration done enough to counter Iran’s drive to acquire a nuclear weapon?
a.       No.  There have been so many loopholes in the sanctions that have been placed on Iran that they have been able to stay afloat in spite of them.
b.      Have we forgotten that the country is run by an Ayatollah of the Muslim faith?  Does anyone in our current administration (many of whom are also Muslims) realize that Iran doesn’t have to tell the truth to the American government because we are considered “infidels” and the Quran states that it’s proper for Muslims to lie to infidels?

21.  Is stopping illegal immigration and border violence a matter of national security?
a.       Yes.  This administration has ignored existing laws to increase the Latino voting bloc.
b.      Remember, agents Ramos and Campean went to jail under President Bush.  He desire for the Latino vote in his last election.  They were guilty of something that in any other case would be considered worth a letter of reprimand, not prison time.  So who is guilty of not enforcing the border and immigration laws?

22.  Are you committed to helping ensure that in 2012, Republicans retain a majority in the House so no matter who wins the White House, conservatives have a voice in Washington D.C.?
a.       Yes.  I will support Republican candidates for Congress and the Senate.
b.      My support for Republicans is not so much because they are Republicans, but because it will slow the process toward socialism some.  Maybe the Republican Party will see the light and forsake ALL their tendencies toward socialism by the next election.

23.  Do you believe the Republican House Majority elected in 2010 is doing a good job fighting on your behalf for policies that help create jobs?
a.       Yes.  To the best of their abilities and understanding, Republicans are fighting for jobs.
b.      The government’s job is to get out of the way and let the private sector grow and supply the jobs.  Haven’t you been listening to your own presidential candidate?

An additional question:

24.  Do you believe that the Republican House should have impeached the President immediately after they took office on grounds of his violation of his oath of office because of his subversion of the Constitution with his Executive Orders?
a.       Yes.  Why wasn’t it done and what makes you think that the American public should have confidence in Congress that can’t even present an impeachment indictment for a president that is obviously subverting the Constitution?

Here comes the real reason for the survey.  No, I will not donate to any Republican cause.  If I choose, I will support specific candidates but not the party as a whole.  There is NO party in this country that represents a true return to the Constitution and its strict construction ideology. 

I am incensed that your party thinks I’m so dumb that I would answer these questions just the way the party wants me to.  And that, I would donate to any party that thinks their members are so gullible as to blindly answer these questions and then throw money behind the group without knowing specifically what that money is being used for.  Just because someone tacks a party name to their own, doesn’t mean that they support the parties views.

Sincerely,


William L. Pressgrove