Archive: Opinions

While the Republicans are licking their wounds, I've had some time to think about the past and future of the Republican party. Understand that I'm a conservative member of the Independence Party and a formerly a Republican.

What I'm hearing is that the Republican party needs to return to the Reagan vision.  Is this what Obama did?  Returned to the Carter or Clinton vision?  I don't think so.

 I don't think that the Republicans are going to get it until they lose another two Presidential elections and continue their slide in Congress.  Perhaps the old guard has to die of of old age before things truly evolve.

Re-chewing Reagan's message like so much cud isn't going to result in a Phoenix-like rejuvenation of the party.  Here's what the Wrinkled Old Party needs, in my opinion:

A farm, consisting of bright Republican Governors, Senators, Congressmen and Mayors that put their conservative agenda ahead of their loyalty to strict party marching orders.  Men and women who, driven by metrics, can prove that they have created jobs, driven down the state debt, reduced crime, reduced poverty, helped welfare recipients regain their pride and work ethic, and improved the education of their children. 

Leaders who have created opportunity and prosperity in a way that doesn't reward greed, corruption or sloth.  These are the conservative behaviors I want to see in Republican leaders.

On the economy-paying down the national debt, actually shrinking the Government payroll and with it federal spending and taxes, curtailing corporate welfare, getting the economy under control with reasonable, ethical, and anti-Ponzi-Scheme regulations on corporations and Wall Street (and working with governments around the globe to do the same).

On the domestic poverty front the answers are manifold, but they are consistent-look at the best private and charity programs that actually work where government has nearly always failed, and decide how to implement them nationwide without developing a new generation of Government employees and welfare dependents.

A compromise on abortion.  Conservative or Liberal, we should be able to agree that unwanted pregnancies and abortions are strongly undesirable.     However, some form of limit needs to be placed around Roe V. Wade that respects our country's love of life AND respect for choice.  For instance: no abortions where the fetus could survive outside the womb, yes to abortions due to incest, rape, danger to mother.  Combine this with adoption reform/abstinence education/condom availability and prenatal care.  On adoption reform, once the mother or parents give up the child, they shouldn't be able to get it back, ever.  This would hopefully encourage Americans to be less fearful of adopting American children.

The recognition that we are a country of God loving people, and in God We Trust.  Our values came from our Founding Fathers, who relied on their unwavering belief in God to define many of our values.  These values happened to be Bible-based, however, they are identical to those found in many other religions.  Pick your God-or don't-and who cares what His name is, but He better not be violent or encourage the breaking of our nation's laws.

Yes to state by state gay civil unions with all the legal benefits and liabilities of marriage...but No to gay marriage nationally.

A border fence at strategic areas plus a policy to get all current illegals registered into a guest worker program with a defined path to citizenship for those worthy of it(no amnesty program, and no to criminals) and a felony offense with jail time and deportation if you don't register.  Once in the guest worker program employers must pay minimum wage, pay taxes and contribute to Social Security.  So a guest worker won't look more attractive than an American for labor jobs. Corporations caught employing unregistered workers would get a severe fine and face felony penalties as well.

A state department policy that works to help the third world out of poverty by elevating the status and importance of women's education without being a welfare handout program.  Helping people help themselves out of poverty also reduces their propensity towards desperation and terrorism.

A foreign policy that is driven by national not corporate security, recognizes the strengths and severe weaknesses of the United Nations, works for a consensus solution to terrorism and is backed up by a brutally swift, efficient and task-flexible military which is further backed up with a strong nuclear deterrence force.

We also need a strong Constitutionalist president who doesn't believe in revisionism, and believes that the second amendment is the one that guarantees there will always be a first amendment.

I'm still looking for this in a Republican leader.

Regards,

Hugh Bahar
Lansing NY 14882