Dale on the Issues

Slash Government Spending and Force Congress to Live Within its Means
 
I believe that one of the most immoral things that the federal government has ever done is to saddle future generations of Americans with mountains of debt.  Our children and grandchildren didn't incur this debt and yet, they will spend their lifetimes trying to repay it. 
 
Presently, every American man, woman and child owes $40,000 of federal debt...and when you factor in unfunded liabilities, that number jumps to an astronomical $175,000 per person.  In 2009, the interest alone on the federal debt was a record $800 billion!
 
Today, the United States owes Communist China almost $1 trillion dollars - a dangerously high amount that not only jeopardizes our financial well-being as a country, but also puts our national security at serious risk.  Many analysts are predicting that our current AAA bond rating will soon be downgraded, bringing about higher interest rates and hyper-inflation.  
 
It is time that the career politicians in Washington stopped trying to buy votes with taxpayers' money and learned to live within their means instead.  That is why I support Rep. Mike Pence's proposed Balanced Budget Amendment that limits government spending to 20% of the GDP.  I have also endorsed Rep. Todd Tiahrt's bill to place a moratorium on all federal earmarks.

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Reduce Taxes for All Americans
 
Presidents like John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and even Bill Clinton all understood one fundamental financial principle: the key to economic expansion is lower taxes.  That's why all three of these men pushed through tax cuts for all Americans.  The result was that during President Reagan's eight years in office, revenues to the federal government more than doubled because companies had more money to invest and hire more workers, and average Americans had more money in their pockets to spend as they saw fit.
 
As a candidate, I have signed the "Taxpayers' Protection Pledge" promoted by Americans for Tax Reform as well as the American Family Business Institute's "Death Tax Repeal Pledge".  

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Defend and Restore Traditional Family Values
 
Unlike some Washington bureaucrats and revisionist historians, I believe that America was founded on solid Judeo-Christian principles.  Likewise, our Founding Fathers understood that our unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness were endowed by God alone.
 
For these reasons, I believe strongly in the Sanctity of Life and the Sanctity of Marriage.

I am also a strong advocate for the nation of Israel and its right to defend itself.

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Institute Term Limits for all Federally Elected Offices 
 
Our Founding Fathers never envisioned anyone serving in Congress for 20, 30 or even 40 years.  Instead, they believed that public service should be a privilege, not a career.
 
I believe that 12 years - that's two Senate terms or six House terms - should be enough for anyone.  We need fresh ideas in Washington; not the same old partisan politics and endless gridlock.
 
I also believe that anyone who has served in Washington for 20 years or more - regardless of party - should pack their bags, come home and get a "real" job. 

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"Dale, what is your position on illegal immigration and do you support the new immigration law in Arizona? What about amnesty for illegals?"
 
That's a great question, or rather series of questions  Let me try to answer them in sequential order.
 
Yes, I support not only the new immigration law in Arizona, but also Arizona's - or any state's - right to enforce its own borders. In fact, the new Arizona law merely codifies at the state level a long-standing and much more stringent federal immigration policy. The problem all along has been that the federal immigration laws currently on the books haven't been adequately enforced and so, Arizona has felt the need to take matters into its own hands.
 
As for those who contest that the new Arizona law is prejudicial, I would counter by saying that the statute includes several direct prohibitions against racial profiling. In fact, under this new law, no one can be pulled over and required to provide their documentation unless they have first violated another law.
 
Illegal immigration is an economic issue as well as a matter of national security.  Simply put, America MUST secure its borders in order to keep our country safe from terrorists and others seeking to harm us. The money has already been allocated to do exactly that, so Congress should stop dragging its feet and do its job.
 
I also oppose amnesty or a "path to citizenship" for illegals. However, if they leave the United States, get back in line and agree to follow the proper immigration process, I support their right to apply for U.S. citizenship. 
 
That being said, there is no practical way to round up and deport the estimated 12 to 14 million illegals currently living in the U.S.  And so, I am advocating a three-part solution to America's immigration problem that I think is practical and workable.
 
First, any illegals willing to self-identify would be required to pay a substantial fine. Doing so would also bring them out of the "shadow economy" and allow the government to start collecting taxes on their previously unreported incomes. Second, the fines would be placed into a "Patriot's Program" to teach them proficiency in English, civics and U.S. history. Upon their successful completion of the program, they could then apply for permanent legal residence (not citizenship) and their minor children could seek to become naturalized citizens.
 
Any illegal immigrants arrested and convicted of a crime would be immediately deported to their country of origin upon the completion of their prison sentence.  

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Dale, do you support school choice and what is your plan to reform our educational system?

Another excellent question and one that I’m very glad to answer! 

When I think about education, I consider two very important factors.  The first is that our children are our most precious treasures as well as the greatest “natural resource” that America has.  Second, competition breeds excellence in every area of life, including education.

That’s why I strongly support the idea of school choice.  Failing schools shouldn’t be rewarded with a locked-in clientele, and children suffering in underperforming schools shouldn’t be relegated to receiving a substandard education simply because of where they live.

Whether it is through vouchers, tax credits or a combination of the two, we simply must provide some relief for families that choose to send their children to private or parochial schools.  Currently, there are 200,000 children attending Catholic schools in New Jersey at an annual cost of $2 billion.  With property taxes going through the roof - and remember, approximately 60% of local taxes go to support public schools – Catholic school parents are being forced to make an impossible choice.  If we don’t find a way for these parents to afford a parochial education for their children, we must be prepared to accept an influx of 200,000 new public school students at an annual cost of $2 billion… and which one of us is prepared to pay that bill?

I am not saying that parents who choose to send their children to a private or parochial school shouldn’t have to pay that 60% of their local property taxes.  However, what I am saying is that we need to offer them some type of tax relief because their children are not utilizing the public school system. 

The same goes for senior citizens, single adults and couples without children.  Certainly, they should have to help pay for the public schools in their towns because a good school system elevates everyone’s property values.  However, I believe that some type of discount must be provided for people who don’t have children enrolled in the public school system.

As for the overall education system, I believe that we need to stress the following three academic areas: basic skills (math, reading comprehension and verbal/written communication); science and technology; and American history/civics.  In this global economy, I also think that every student should be encouraged to learn a foreign language beginning in the first grade, when such an acquired skill comes more easily.

Finally, I support merit pay for outstanding educators and the elimination of tenured positions for new teachers. I also believe that many of New Jersey's 660 school districts should consider merging or at least consolidating services so that the multiple layers of administration could be eliminated.  

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Question #3 – Dale, what is your plan to improve the economy and create more jobs?

The national unemployment rate is currently just below 10% and New Jersey's jobless rate has soared to a catastrophic 9.7%.  Both figures are unacceptable and prove that President Obama's promise that unemployment would stay below 8% if we hurriedly passed the stimulus bill was both misleading and extremely naive. 

The truth is that nothing kills jobs like high taxes and over-reaching government regulations.  Period.  And now we are another $860 billion in debt with nothing to show for it.  In fact, the failed stimulus plan increased our national debt by a whopping 23% to more than $13 trillion.

Vice President Biden claims that the stimulus bill "created or saved" 3.6 million jobs.  Well, everyone knows that over half of those supposedly "created" jobs were nothing more than part-time and temporary census positions.  And Mr, Vice President, how exactly does one count "saved" jobs?  I mean, who is kidding who here, sir?

Even if we take the Obama administration at their word and accept their "fuzzy math", the federal government still spent a mind-boggling $239,000 for each created or saved job.  Ask any small business owner how many new jobs he or she could create or save with that amount of money and you're sure to get an answer higher than "one"!

Speaking of small businesses, they create approximately 80% of all new jobs, so how about lowering the corporate tax rate which is currently the second highest in the world?  That would make American companies more competitive internationally and provide business owners with the capital they need to expand and hire more workers.

And while we're at it, how about lowering the income tax rates for ALL Americans so we have more disposable income to better care for our families and better fuel the economy.  The bottom line is that we all work hard for our money and as such, we should all be able to keep more of it.

Reduce individual and business tax rates - and simplify the tax code in general - and watch America's economic engine take off and produce like never before!