On The Issues - The Economy

Greetings again! This blog series promises to be quite lenghty so please bear with me. I will create a seperate entry for each of the issues we will cover. The issues are The Economy, Energy Policy, National Security/Immigration, Foreign policy/Iraq, Healthcare, Education, Ethics/Civil Rights.The following information in bold is take directly from the candidates web pages. I have elected not to name the candidates until a seperate blog to be presented after all of the others, not that the enlightened among us won't be able to figure it out. All that said lets begin with the issues, the economy:

The Economy

Candidate 1: The government cannot continue spending at this rate if America is to remain competitive in the global marketplace. The new administration's number one job will be to drastically reduce spending by limiting federal outlays to only the government's legitimate functions, as provided in the United States Constitution.

Candidate 2: Implement a 21st century economic agenda to help ensure that America can compete in a global economy, and ensure the middle class is thriving and growing. He will increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development; modernize and simplify our tax code so it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans; and implement trade policies that benefit American workers and increase the export of American goods.

Candidate 3: A pro-growth, pro-jobs strategy to get our economy back on track. His strategy includes taking the near-term actions needed to provide immediate help to American families while also taking the longer-term steps necessary to secure America's economic prosperity and leadership in the world.

My Take: Candidate number one immediately jumps to criticism of government and the current administration, this is nothing new. Candidate 1 then states we need to reduce government spending to those things regulated in the constitution. I think it'd be interesting to take a look at what the constitution says they should be spending our money on....

Article I Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States of America

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish post offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof

END OF ARTICLE

Ok so just a few notes of things I don't see here. I don't see anything about healthcare, I don't see anything about retirement accounts, I don't see anything about random bridges to nowhere, I think you get my drift. But hey I do see that the consitution gives them the right to declare war, and to spend money on that. I guess they got that part right! Number 1 comes out of the gate requesting that the government take a huge step back and re-evaluate their role. Fair enough yes?

Candidate number 2 steps out quickly by declaring his policy the economy of the 21st century ensuring that America can compete in the "global economy". I dunno about any of you but I think I prefer the idea of participating in the global economy, though I am not so sure about the idea of a competition...competition seems to lead to war and disagreement, which does nothing to save money or promote economic success. Candidate 2 is also the only person to say the name of the "middle class" which means what exactly? I always thought we were all just Americans but no matter I suppoes we are divided into classes in some way or another. He promises growth and prosperity to the middle class but no words for the upper or lower classes. I guess all of the votes are in the middle class, and of course in America majority rules. The next bit talks about investing in research and education and energy. Investment is good but I don't recall anything in the constitution about this except for the rights of patents and copyrights...which of course are not good for the common person and likely unfair so i'm not sure where candidate 2 is going here. Candidate 2 then claims he'll simplify the tax code again so the "masses" can benefit and change trade...for the benefit of many...Candidate 2's economy looks to be one in which the congress passes money to tons of people, but where does all of that money come from? Oh yes...higher taxes!

Number three begins by saying he is pro-growth and pro-jobs...thank goodness. Imagine a candidate that came out and said he was anti-growth and anti-jobs. I don't think that candidate would do too well do you? I like what number 3 has to say from here talking about short-term solutions to solve the problems we have now while focussing on the long-term. Notice a huge difference here between 2 and 3:

2: ensure that America can compete in a global economy

3: secure America's economic prosperity and leadership in the world

Hmmm so 2 thinks we need to compete and 3 thinks that we are world leaders and that we should work to maintain our place on the top....what do you think?

The Bottom Line: Candidate 2 is the only one who talks about taxes, candidate 1 is the only one who talks about cutting government spending, and number 3 seeks to afirm American economic dominance. Heres how I think this shakes down in the end.

Candidate 1: Government must spend less!
Candidate 2: Government must take in less (from some) and spend more!
Candidate 3: Government must (do something) to maintain American dominance.

It is my opinion that Candidate 1 wins this section of On the Issues. Next up is Energy!