America needs the right leadership
By Bruce Poliquin
If there’s anything that unites the American people, it’s their distaste for Congress.
This month, the Associated Press polled Americans about what they thought of their representation in Washington. Five percent — 5 — approved of the job the U.S. House and Senate are doing.
Every day, voters are fed up with the whole bunch — Democrats, Republicans, and so-called Independents alike. Clearly, the crop of career politicians in Washington would rather bicker and kick the cans down the street than work together for the betterment of We The People.
Our elected officials in Washington face critically important issues that must be addressed. Millions of struggling Americans look for jobs but can only find part-time work, if any at all. Reckless spending of our hard-earned tax dollars has piled up a $17 trillion mountain of debt that smothers our economy and kills jobs. Rising taxes to pay for huge government programs like Obamacare pulls more money from the pockets of our hurting families and small businesses. The high cost of gas and heating oil swamp family budgets because Washington doesn’t allow the full development of our oil and natural gas resources here at home.
The right leadership in Washington can fix these serious problems. When we do, America’s resilient free market economy will soar. More and better jobs will be created for all Americans, including Mainers right here in Aroostook County. Fatter paychecks, lower taxes, less welfare dependency, and lower energy and health insurance costs will help our deserving families enjoy more secure lives with greater freedom.
Unfortunately, our problems are now much bigger than just electing the right public officials — those with plenty of business experience and a proven record of fiscal reform. To set ourselves on the new path for better lives, we must force our spendthrift representatives in Washington to do what’s right by giving them no other choice. We should elect individuals who are committed to making structural changes to how our government operates.
For example, if honored to serve as your next Congressman, I will push for a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. Our founding document has been amended 27 times. We should do it again.
By law, 49 states require their legislatures to match annual spending with tax revenues collected. (Vermont is the exception.) Our federal government hasn’t even passed a budget in five years, let alone a balanced one. Washington simply spends every hard-earned federal tax dollar it collects from us, and then borrows how ever much more it wants to wastefully spend.
Career politicians have proven they cannot control their appetites to spend our money and pile up debt. They must be forced to balance the federal budget every year via a 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This will give confidence to business owners that America is a promising place to invest, grow their companies, and hire more workers.
Term limits is another fundamental change for which I will strongly advocate as your next Congressman. Term limits will finally put an end to elected office as a career path to perpetual power rather than an opportunity to serve We The People. Our Founders understood the dangers of an ever-expanding and intrusive government furthered by long-time, self-serving career politicians.
To me, among the most disappointing products of the Washington mess are the Cadillac retirement and health insurance benefits bestowed upon politicians and bureaucrats by themselves. These generous benefits are paid by the taxpayers who do not have access to those same perks. This is completely unfair.
As your next Congressman, I will fight tirelessly for all Americans to be treated fairly. That means public officials, their staffs, and all federal employees live by the same rules and receive the same pension and health insurance benefits as the rest of us. That new reality will help save the insolvent Social Security and Medicare programs with lightening speed.
All of these structural changes should be designed to achieve one thing: to create a more responsible, frugal, and fair government that better represents its customers, We The People. Doing so will enable us to better pursue our happiness and live more prosperous lives with greater liberty.
Bruce Poliquin, a Republican from Georgetown, is a candidate for Maine’s 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
