A Legacy of Hope
Legacy
Ronald Reagan once challenged voters with a simple question: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Today, I think it makes more sense to ask is the future better off than it was a few years ago?
Like so many Americans, I think our country is headed in the wrong direction. I want to create a better world for our children and grandchildren while honoring those who sacrificed so much for our sake.
Lower or Eliminate Budget Deficits
Keep the Promises to our Senior Citizens and Veterans
Restore Faith in our Democratic System
Lower or Eliminate Budget Deficits
National Debt Clock
Jefferson
Deficit spending is simply a way of making our children pay for our spending today. That's just not fair. We can buy what we want, but we can't leave the bill for our children.
Deficit spending is also a way for politicians to make short term gains without facing the costs of their decisions. That's cowardly.
A few years ago, a Balanced Budget Amendment to the US Constitution was proposed to prevent deficit spending altogether. The fact that such a drastic measure was considered is proof we have elected the wrong people to office. Responsible members of Congress should not need a Constitutional Amendment to force fiscal responsibility. Safe-guarding the future is just part of the job.
It's absolutely vital that people elect responsible leaders. Maria Cantwell has done nothing to shrink the huge budget deficits. In fact, she's approved every Republican request for an increase in public debt. That debt has become a huge burden for ourselves (just paying interest) and for our children.
Voters cannot expect things to change if we don't change the people who vote on budget issues in Congress. If you're committed to protecting future generations from runaway deficits, take a stand and vote Bruce Guthrie for US Senate.
Keep the Promises to our Senior Citizens and Veterans
Seniors
The looming retirement of millions of Baby Boomers means there will soon be fewer workers paying into the Social Security System for every person making withdrawals from that system. This is a fundamental problem that cannot be ignored.
For years, Social Security has had the luxury of budget surpluses because more people have been paying into the system than collecting from it. But that will change in 2017. In fact, Social Security surpluses have been shrinking for years. Assuming current benefits remain steady, in 2017, the Social Security Administration will have to begin paying benefits out of savings, rather than current receipts.
None of this means that Social Security is insolvent, but its huge financial holdings are mostly U.S. government bonds. We've been lending Social Security surpluses to the federal government for spending on current projects, like the War in Iraq.
Had Social Security diversified its investments, rather than relying so heavily on government bonds, we could have expected our savings to grow with the economy. Instead, we're stuck with a bunch of IOU's.
At a time when the government is already spending hundreds of billions more than it's getting in tax revenue (see comments on deficit spending), we must now find a way to repay the billions borrowed from Social Security Trust Funds. That's just not going to happen without serious policy changes.
Most politicians offer one of two solutions: cut benefits, or increase taxes. Neither of these ideas is acceptable.
We can maintain full benefits if we get our priorities straight. By ending the War in Iraq, cutting corporate welfare, and making a few short-term sacrifices, we can ensure that America will meet its promises to seniors.
Veteran
Similarly, it is essential that we meet our promises to Veterans. It's simply unacceptable for America to renege on its prior commitments to those brave men and women who've given so much to our nation. It is essential that we re-allocate resources so that promises to Veterans are kept. It's that simple. If that means cutting spending elsewhere, that's what we have to do.
Past generations sacrificed greatly because they wanted their children to inherit a better, more prosperous America. Today, we must honor that sacrifice by fulfilling our obligations to our aging population without leaving future generations in despair. If you agree that America can live up to this challenge, vote Bruce Guthrie for U.S. Senate.
Restore Faith in our Democratic System
For decades, Americans have become increasingly cynical about their political system. Is there any wonder? Wide-spread corruption, rising corporate influence, unchecked Executive power - all perpetuated by politicians in both the old parties. To the average citizen, the government has become intrusive, out-of-touch, and unresponsive. Disenchantment has grown to the point that more than half the voting age population consistently stays home on election day.
Faith
If we are to leave a free and peaceful America to future generations, we have to engage the present generation in the political process. To do this, we must confront the glaring problems in our system. If elected, Bruce Guthrie will fight to restore faith in our democracy by pursuing the following specific agenda:
* Ensure Fair and Open Elections
* Investigate and Prosecute Corruption at All Levels of Government
* Restore the Constitutional Checks and Balances on Government Power