"The most significant threat to our national security is our debt," Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, August 27, 2010


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Leadership Series: In Three Weeks

It is not in our pay grade to even suggest a person or persons for whom we would encourage you to vote. It would be insulting to you the reader/supporter of these essays and this website and it would be highly presumptuous of TheFundamentals. So, we hope you vote three weeks from today and we hope you vote for candidates who will do more than just give lip service to our fundamentals of personal and financial responsibility; self imposed term limits until we can get the real thing; balanced budgets and a renewed commitment to the privacy and absolute minimization of government interference and intrusion into the lives of responsible, taxpaying citizens.

We do think it is reasonable to share with you how we intend to make our election choices. Our criteria are in the form of the following questions which we will either pose to candidates seeking our vote or we will answer based on their statements and past actions. Here are our criteria:

1. Will you introduce legislation to amend the US constitution to establish a 12 year term limit for cumulative time in any national elected office and campaign vigorously for its passage in congress and ratification in your state? Yes or No?

2. Will you introduce legislation to amend the US constitution to require that each two years, congress must balance the budget of the United States in total, for all components and all obligations, unless overridden by a two thirds majority in both the senate and congress? Will you campaign vigorously for its passage in congress and ratification in your state? Yes or No.

3. Prior to the ratification by 2/3rds of the states, will you abide voluntarily by the 12 year cumulative term limit time period and vote down any budget that does not comply with the wording of the above balanced budget amendments? Yes or No?

4. Will you vote to prohibit the Federal Reserve from purchasing and holding US Treasury securities for a term greater than 12 months and that any such purchases must be brought to zero in total during any calendar year? Yes or No?

5. Will you introduce legislation to make it illegal for any federal employee or agent to lie, mislead or in any fashion prevaricate in any way with any citizen of the United States, subject to termination without pay benefits and pension? Will you introduce legislation to eliminate any federal law which enables the prosecution of any citizen for lying to any federal employee or agent unless that citizen has been found guilty of some other felonious act? Will you further vigorously support similar legislative acts within your state if not presently existing? Yes or No.

6. Will you vote to make it much easier for state, city and other municipal entities to file for bankruptcy? Will you provide a bankruptcy route for these entities which permits them a realistic alternative to correct the financial misdeeds and promiscuity of the past 40 years? Will you introduce legislation to permit these entities to file bankruptcy, lobby for its approval and work diligently with other legislators to get this done? Yes or No?

7. Will you commit to vote against any further increases to the debt limit which is set by the US Congress? Yes or No?

8.  Will you commit to introduce and support legislation requiring that the well accepted concept of "loser pays" apply to all federal litigation and also support legislation to limit non economic damages in federal lawsuits?  Will you support similar legislation in your state if not already existing?  Yes or No?

If our candidates get more than one No vote and less than five Yes votes we will not vote for them even if it means not voting for anyone except candidates that are not affiliated with either PIP (Party in Power) or POOP (Party out of Power.) If we cannot determine their position and they will not give a Yes or No answer, we will record them with a No vote for that question. Our questions are specific and the performance of the winning candidate can be readily measured. TheFundamentals believes that candidates must be willing to take Yes or No positions on fundamental issues and be evaluated based on their performance on these issues.

We know that our list of questions is biased with our viewpoint. We know that you may well have other questions and issues that are much more important to you. We hope you will confront and do your best to question your candidates with your questions and issues.

We would like to hear from you with your questions and issues because we have a strong feeling that you will have some real good observations and we withhold the right to modify our seven questions with your better questions/issues.

Please vote on November 2, 2010.

No comments: