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| By Joe Citizen |
America is in serious trouble. There are many problems today that must be solved and done quickly. These are not Democratic or Republican problems. These are not liberal or conservative problems. These are American problems. We have a serious spending problem producing a debt that gets bigger and bigger each day. There are over 13 million of Americans out of work. We have a failed energy policy in this country that threatens our national security. What is our government doing about these problems? To many Americans, it seem nothing. A "common sense" approach is needed to solve these problems. This is something that is lacking in Washington. Some think that government is not the answer to these problems, but government is the reason for these problems.
The government needs money to operate. Most Americans don't mind paying taxes. They just want to pay their fair share. For years there have been many discussions about reforming our current tax system. Some groups have proposed a simple flat tax. Another plan is the Fair Tax which would replace the federal income and payroll tax with a national sales tax. This sales tax would also replace the gift, estate, capital gains, self-employment, and corporate taxes. It also includes a rebate to ensure that no American pays any federal taxes up to the poverty level. This plan calls for the repeal of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. It allows Americans to keep 100 percent of their paychecks (minus any state income taxes), ends corporate taxes and compliance costs hidden in the retail cost of goods and services, and fully funds the federal government while fulfilling the promise of Social Security and Medicare. Supporters of the Fair Tax claim that it would lower the tax burden on both the low and middle income families. They also claim it would also raise as much, if not more, revenue as the income tax.
America has had an energy crisis since the late 1970's when we had gasoline rationing, high prices and long lines at the pump. For 40 years, our government has done little to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. The Democrats do not believe we can drill our way out of this energy crisis. Drilling is the only way out of this crisis. While the supply of oil is just a part of the solution to the energy crisis, it is the most important part.
The government does not want to allow the free market to expand the supply of oil from known reserves or build new refineries. They believe this will hurt the environment. Most Americans think we can drill for oil and protect the environment.
President Obama recently told Brazil that we will help them develop its offshore resources so we can one day import its oil. Are you kidding me? We have a 7-year ban on offshore drilling on both coasts, on Alaska's continental shelf and in much of the Gulf of Mexico. Obama wants to develop Brazilian offshore oil to help their economy create jobs, while our workers are left unemployed in the face of rising energy prices by an administration that hates fossil fuels as a threat to the environment. This only increases our dependency on foreign oil.
Winston Churchill once said that Americans always do the right thing after they have tried everything else first. By allowing our government to stand in the way of the American oil industry for nearly 40 years with high taxation, more rules and regulations, we have complete the "everything else." It is now time for us to do the right thing. Drill here, Drill now!
Unemployment is the most important problem facing our nation, according to a recent Gallup poll. The unemployment rate is at 9 percent with about 14 million Americans looking for work.There are also more than 8 million people working part-time but would rather be working full-time. Another 1 million people have quit looking for a job because they don't think there is a job out there for them. While many economists believe the economy will slowly add jobs this year, the unemployment rate could remain higher than average for several years.
What should the government be doing to help create jobs? First of all, government should encourage job growth by putting into place conditions that allow businesses to thrive. This means less regulations, lower taxes and business friendly policies. For example, lower taxes on small and large businesses will generate economic expansion that will create jobs and make America more competitive.
Free trade agreements will increase the number of exports, which will increase the amount of production. More production will require more workers. This will create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
If the government would remove some of the obstacles to our energy industry, we could expand our production for oil and other energy sources. Increasing exploration and production will create jobs and encourage economic growth. It will also help us break our reliance on foreign oil and enhance our national security.
Another problem facing our nation today is illegal immigration. This is not a complicated issue. Why can't our government solve it? The Democrats and Republicans are doing nothing more than trying to get votes, not help the country. Most Republicans want to kick everyone out. Democrats want to make them all citizens. Neither is possible, fair or responsible.
We need to secure the borders - the southern borders - where most of the illegal immigrants come from. Punish the businesses who employ the illegals. Create a guest worker program that requires all illegal immigrants to register. Give them a pathway to citizenship. Let them work and pay taxes and contribute to our country. Immigrants are what helped to make this a great nation. They are usually the people who work the hardest to achieve the American dream.
Most illegal immigrants who come here illegally looking for a better life end up being used by employers. They don't get the right to demand a decent wage, get protection of safety regulations, work long hours and get few, if any, benefits. They are forced to live the life of a political slave to wealthy businessmen who just want cheap labor. We should reduce government regulations and make it easier for good people to come to this country legally and we all benefit - except the greedy businesses who want to keep this supply of cheap labor.
Finally, our founding fathers believed in a higher power when they formed this great nation. It was no accident that the Declaration of Independence stated that all men are created equal and that they are "endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights." In the early years of this nation our government added "In God We Trust" to all of our currency. In the 1950's we added the words "under God" to our pledge of allegiance. In recent years, many have tried to push God out of our nation little by little. It is not "political correct" to mention God or Jesus ... it might offend someone. President Obama has omitted the phrase "endowed by our creator" several times when reciting the Declaration of Independence. In the U.S. Open golf tournament earlier this month, NBC opened their coverage with the Pledge of Allegiance that omitted "under God" and had to later issue an apology. Were these done by accident or were they intentional? I don't know ... you decide.
We are facing many problems at home and abroad. Have we forgotten the lessons taught by our founding fathers? We cannot continue to prosper as a free nation without the blessings from God.
We must never forget what Francis Scott Key wrote in the Star Spangled Banner. We are all familiar with the first verse, but in the last verse Key wrote the following:
"And this be our motto: In God is our Trust."
"In God is our trust," was shortened to "In God We Trust" and became our National Motto in 1956. This message is vital to the future of our nation. But there are many who are trying to remove it, and if they are successful, our nation will fall!
See more of Joe Citizen at Hub Pages here .................................... http://joecitizen.hubpages.com/hub/5-Simple-Solutions-to-Americas-Problems
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