Introduction

I have created this document to describe my positions on areas which I thinkmight be of general interest. I will leave them here as one large document except for myposition paper on Campaign Reform. That is posted here and canbe reached by clicking on its hyperlink, either in this paragraph, or on the home pages.

 I do not intend to change the content of these documents because I learn thatsome of my positions are not popular. Conversely, I do not intend to adhere to a positionwhich I come to believe is just flat out wrong, just to avoid changing my mind. One of mybest characteristics is that I'm a pretty good learner, and willing to admit when I thinkI've made a mistake. But I will have to tell you that I've thought about what I've writtenhere, and I don't think I'm likely to abandon any of these positions completely.

That said, I would be astonished to learn that any reader would agree with thesepositions, 100%. I hope that each reader will realize from this document, that I do havepositions, intelligently arrived at, and that I am confident enough of my reasoningability to be able to attack unforeseen problems with thoughtful representation of thecitizens of the Sixth District of Georgia.

I start this summary with a paragraph on Integrity, because I believe that is theend-all and be-all of any meaningful discussion of qualifications of a public servant. Thebiggest section deals with Campaign Reform, because I believe that it is essential that Ifocus my energy on the area I consider most important and campaign reform is it. We haveto find some way to elect 'representatives', not politicians adept at packaging themselvesand meaningless messages. The other issues have been listed alphabetically, not to suggestthat they are all of equal importance, but simply to make it easier for readers to findtheir individual hot buttons.

Integrity

Integrity is not a goal - you have it or you don't. If you don't, nothing yousay really means anything. It is no use asking questions of one who lacks integrity, forthe answers have no permanence, and consequently no significance.

Affirmative Action

This is simply a program to solve a problem. When I was in grade school, we gotthree typhoid shots a year to protect against typhoid fever. As I understand it, thatproblem has been solved and the mass inoculations have been stopped.

When everyone can honestly say that the problems Americans recognized when they firstcreated Affirmative Action have gone away, we should end Affirmative Action. Not before.

Balancing the Budget

In an enterprise as complex as the Federal government, there will always be anopportunity for the unscrupulous to play with numbers to achieve their private objectives.We need to augment good accounting practices with honest, selfless public servants whowill not try to use numbers to cover their tracks, and bring new highways home to theirown districts while ignoring the needs of the whole nation. We also need to recognizethose proposals which sound good, such as the balanced budget amendment, but which aresimply the politician's equivalent of the magician's pointing at an empty hat, whilehiding a rabbit in his or her sleeve.

Of course we should not spend more than we take in. And we should constantlywatch our expenditures so that we can reduce them appropriately - and after that reducetaxes on our citizens. In fact, we should always have a balanced budget . . . but I see nological reason to require that the 12-month year be the period for such balancing efforts.The retail industry, for example, uses a 13-month year for their accounting; actually,it's still 364 days, but it's 13 four-week months.

We must be prepared to go into debt in emergencies (such as World War II, maybeHurricane Georges) for the good of the country. But we must manage our money prudently sothat the country is strong enough to sustain such temporary deficit spending situationswhen they occur.

Business Mergers

Four of the top five business mergers of all time have occurred in the past fewmonths, with no detectable concern or comment from Congress. If you think the two mergersthis past year that helped NationsBank grow to its present size mean that your individualchecking account is going to get better service, you need to take a ride in tourist classsomewhere on Delta, and see the changes that the lack of meaningful competition in its hubhave made in that service.

The House has just passed a bill which would let banks merge with insurance companies,even brokerage houses. This combination would entangle government guarantees on bankdeposits with the money used for speculative financing the other two industries practiceregularly. We don't seem to have learned anything at all from the Savings & Loandisaster.

No matter how philosophically pure the notion of a free economy sounds, we will be introuble until we get our lawmakers to pay attention to the real world. Instead of relyingon vested-interest lobbyists for their data, or expecting that big business will regulateitself, and act in the best interests of its consumers and the economy at large, ourCongressmen need sufficient business experience to be able to propose necessary, but notoverburdening regulations.

I think we should require all members of Congress to ride tourist class for a while,and see if they really think the airline industry is better now that it's been deregulatedfor 20 years.

Crime

We don't have enough money to lock up all the criminals for as long as it takesto teach them, and those watching them, that committing future crimes will not beacceptable. We must find some Constitutionally- and fiscally-acceptable means of teachingcriminals a better way to earn a living.

If this means education in the "3 Rs" sense, then we need to invest more inpublic schools, and in remedial programs in the prisons. If it means demonstrating byexample that a moral, crime-free life is more enjoyable for all, we need to start settingthat example right now. We all need to set that example now. A good way to startis to become more active in our democracy to make sure that the leaders we elect,represent our view of family values and morality.

>To say that overlooking our leaders' misdeeds would not teach the wrong lesson toour children ignores everything we've ever learned about inspiring good, crime-freebehavior.

Fiscal Responsibility

There should be no more wiggle room in our Federal budget. Our Congressmen needto follow the following credo: if we have a surplus, we need to do what a prudent familywould do - pay off debts, the most expensive ones first. If that's Social Security, do it.Think of the country and the future . . . not just yourself and the next election.

We need to re-separate the Social Security Trust Fund and the General Fund and see theFederal government's financial picture as it really is, not just the way politicians wantus to see it so that we'll elect them again.

Foreign Affairs

We can't lead while we ignore our international commitments, such as our United Nationsdues. We can't lead when our policies are so skewed as to appear biased, as in the MiddleEast tinderbox. And we can't lead when we force our moral principles to take a back seatto greed for lucrative business deals.

If America just wants to be a 20th-century business looking for suppliers andcustomers, then we should go into the world-wide marketplace and push and shove and try toget the best deals we can. If, on the other hand, our diverse heritage and history provokeus to feel some obligation (and perhaps capacity) to lead the nations of Earth toward whatwe see as a better situation, then we need to re-earn our position at the front of thepack of nations, and work constantly to maintain that position.

Gun Control

I am in complete support of the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment, however,has been intentionally misconstrued to suggest that we, the people, have an unbridledright to carry around Saturday night specials and other pistols with no value other thanas concealed weapons for threatening others.

The Second Amendment says: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to thesecurity of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not beinfringed." No one has yet interpreted that as retaining unto the people the right tobear flame throwers or grenade launchers. In my opinion, a "well regulatedMilitia" would be like the Army, issuing pistols and other hand arms only to officersand others so occupied with carrying other equipment as to make a useful weaponimpractical.

Pistols are last-ditch weapons. They as likely to injure the shooter as the target.Show me a hunter who hunts deer with a pistol, and I'll show you a very hungry hunter.Show me someone who uses an automatic weapon to hunt, and I'll show you a hunter with acraving for crunchy hamburger.

I expect several of my opponents may well pander to those who are looking for a way toignore the benefits we've already seen from a five-day waiting period, and a records checkfor prior criminal behavior. Scaring the public into believing the gun control lobby islooking for extreme control disserves us all. When Newt Gingrich delivered his eulogy forthe two brave Capitol policemen killed in the line of duty, he should have admitted thathe was the same man who has opposed gun control for years; during his last session hewould not even let the gun trigger-lock bill come up for a vote.

Medicare

The time when the medical budget analyst could decide what treatment iscost-justifiable is over. There can be no rationing of the medical services one receivesbased on one's ability to pay. Our researchers bring us medical miracles every day; wecannot let those miracles be distributed only to people who can pay for them dollar fordollar.

Of course, our lawmakers have already taken care of their own medical coverage.Laissez-faire economists say a growing economy is like a rising tide, raising all boatsequally. We need to apply that metaphor to health insurance, and make sure that Congressgives the rest of the country as high a level of health-care coverage as it gives itself.

Nuclear Testing and Disarmament

It is clearly in the US's best interest to fight nuclear proliferation.Unfortunately, the only weapon we have to convince others that such a policy on their partis also best for them is our moral persuasion.

We have lost much of our moral strength in the world community through our actions,real and reported. If we are uncomfortable as mere bystanders in this proliferationenvironment, we need to re-establish our leadership role in the world community. One doesthat, not by making big speeches, but by setting an example of leadership.

Reproductive Rights and Responsibilities

If it takes the government six months of study and a traffic-engineering reportto decide whether or not to extend the green time on the traffic light at a busyintersection, I don't think they have sufficient skill to decide what to do inside awoman's body. I don't think the 10th Amendment delegates any rights in this matter toeither the Federal government or the individual state governments. Some things are clearlynot solvable by legislation, some responsibilities not assumable by government..

What we really need to do is build a moral and social climate where there is much lessneed for any woman to have to make such a decision. Unless there is some undebatablereason why the woman is incapable of making that decision for herself, she should besupported in making the decision that is best for her, based on her values and her beliefs- and her range of choices should not be narrowed by a lack of economic or politicalpower.

School Prayer

I think that prayer in schools is an excellent idea - if some way can be foundto make sure that each religion practiced by students or their family members can beappropriately represented during common worship, without any concern of ridicule orembarrassment. We would also need to provide a period during which those who do notbelieve in a God would be able to contemplate their personal beliefs.

I am not aware of any present restriction prohibiting this kind of prayer on anindividual, private basis. I suspect that any law attempting to restrict such prayer, orto mandate some other communal prayer in this arena would be quickly shown to beunconstitutional

Social Security

There can be no social security when one group in our society is insecure -whether that group be the present elderly, or the actuarial bulge called the baby boomers,or the unfortunate few whose life savings are evaporated by catastrophic illnesses and therelated medical bills. We must find a way to bring everyone to the table of our societalbounty.

The time to ignore the financial future of the Social Security system is gone. We mustbuild an accurate fiscal model, which reflects our current and future expectations oflongevity and productivity, and provide all our citizens a life of appropriate,affordable, respectable quality. There is no excuse for delaying any further; to do sowould simply make implementation of the solution even more painful for those who mustsupport it. We need to look at the regressive nature of the Social Security system,particularly as it applies to the artificial caps on income taxed. We need to eliminateinequities in the various systems most of us would see as retirement plans; these systemsshould work in concert with Social Security.

Tax Reform

A flat tax certainly sounds good to anyone who has ever tried to deal with the1040 Form, even the short form. But if we are to be taxed only on what we spend, thatcreates a huge benefit for the wealthiest among us.

Under a sales tax play, if Mr. Forbes and I each decide to go on a banana-split diet,paying a flat tax on the items we consume, then I guess we would wind up eating about thesame number of banana splits during the course of a year. But I somehow suspect that theportion of my income which the government collects as tax would be greater in my case thanin his. Who got reformed, and who slipped on the peel?

This is an example of a regressive tax, one that hits harder on those who can afford itless. When we consider Social Security as well, our tax structure now is clearlyregressive. That's just not fair.

Taxes - Make Them Focused, Feasible, and Fair

There is no justification for tax laws that no one can read, much lessunderstand, completely. We can't afford to leave the present mess as it is - or to replaceit with a system not well considered, either - no matter how seductive a flat tax, anational sales tax, or some other simplistic, meat-ax solution might seem at first.

A fair progressive tax - one that really makes 'haves' pay a reasonably greater sharemore than 'have-nots' - is a good idea. The tax code should have protections built in tohelp each citizen maintain a stable, affordable, healthy family life. But we should plugup all the special-interest loopholes . . . and clear away many of the well-intentioned,'social engineering' clauses that serve only to complicate the already onerous task oftrying to pay our taxes.

The 10th Amendment and the Role of Government

Our government can't solve every problem we encounter in our society. But ourgovernment can - and should - serve to protect its citizens from the excesses brought onby huge conglomerates motivated chiefly by their own power and profitability.

This applies to monopolistic computer companies, airlines with no serious competition,mega-merging banks, financial institutions - even labor unions , if any exist, whoexercise monopolistic power over an industry. Individual representatives in Congress mustbreak out of their slavery to these giant interests and their hired lobbyists, and standup for the genuine interests of the people who voted to send them to Washington.

Tobacco Regulation

We need to solve the health problems associated with past and future tobacco usein a straightforward manner. We should not look to kick the industry around while they'redown - but neither should we look to them for data on what is appropriate, since they havea long track record of lying about the effects of their products.

We need to make sure that our representatives are representing us, not earning theircampaign contributions from big tobacco.

Tuition Aid to Private Schools

To the extent that private schools serve as a pace horse in the race towardbetter education for all of our students, their continued success may be assisted throughpublic funds, possibly by reducing the parents' obligations to support public schools.Many parents with children in private schools do support public schools.

There are clearly some major pitfalls here, though. Some private schools are created toavoid a distasteful national policy. The flight from public schools is not an unmixedadvancement in education. We should not encourage elitism, or segregation, perpetuatedthrough private school systems.

We must find some way to restore a sense of accomplishment in our teachers . . . butletting those who can afford private schools use them to escape the duties of society andcitizenship, much less subsidizing that escape, is not in the best interests of ourcountry.

Welfare

I talked recently with a proud woman, who told me that she felt so bad when shewas on welfare that she went to the supermarket at 4:00 a.m. to use her food stamps, sothat no one she knew would see her.

I think I understand what she was feeling then, and what she felt as she was telling meabout this. We all have some fault in this matter. There is nothing inherentlyembarrassing or disgraceful about needing some help sometime. As far as I know we all camefrom a nice comfortable womb where our every need was met. Wasn't that the ultimatewelfare state?

We need to change our thinking about welfare...first, toward the recipients, who haveenough immediate problems not to have to put up with our condescending attitudes towardthem. The "them" is us - if not now, then probably someday, unless we manage tobeat the odds.

But we also need to be more eager to open paths for these fellow citizens to get out ofthe box they and we have put them in. It is enormously difficult to find a job, and keepyour children in school, when you can't afford a telephone to look for work, and the onlypublic transportation is a mile and a half away from your house, and so grudginglyfinanced that the schedules require an hour's waiting on each end. And how do you leave amessage for a future employer if you don't have a telephone for him or her to call backto?

Our society needs some re-working to make it easier for the poor to become less so. Andthat's not just for them - after all, as I said earlier, the "them" is us.