State
of the Union
The
focus of both the media
and the Congress this
week is upon the State
of the Union address
delivered by President
George W. Bush. The
address contained four
major segment:, the
economy, social issues,
Democrat issues and
homeland defense.
First
the President dealt with
economic issues. Some of
these have dramatic
effects on families and
social conservatives.
The President's economic
plan can best be
described as a return to
Reaganomics, the concept
that fewer taxes create
more jobs and greater
personal income and thus
create greater tax
revenue for the
government in the long
run.
To
create jobs the
President would
accelerate the tax cuts
passed by Congress last
year and make permanent
some that have a
"sunset" such
as the "death
tax." Many believe
the inheritance tax was
killed last year, but
this is not true. The
exempt amount increases
over the next few years
until the tax vanishes;
then in the year 2011
the law passed by
Congress to eliminate
the "death
tax" expires and it
returns to about a 60%
tax rate.
The
President also wants to
eliminate the tax on
dividends paid by
corporations. This would
stop the madness of
corporations trying to
force up the value of
their stock by any
means, even by fraud as
did Worldcom and Enron.
Corporations would be
forced to pay out
dividends because
stockholders would want
the payout rather than
the increase in share
value.
The
second part of the
speech focuses on issues
of compassion such as
fixing the Medicare
system. The best idea is
to allow those on
Medicare some choice
about the system they
want, and that is what
President Bush proposes.
Some could keep the
current system, others
could pay a little more
for better services and
or prescription care.
Those who could not
afford prescription care
would get it free. While
I support compassion
please ask yourself this
question: What would you
have for dinner tonight
if someone else was
paying? When medical
care is completely free,
people run to the doctor
every time they have a
cold. When they have to
pay at least something
for the doctor they go
buy some aspirin first.
We must be compassionate
but measured, and I
believe the President
plans on that approach.
The
compassion theme
continued with the
President's support of
the Faith-Based
Initiative to give
religious organizations
an opportunity to
provide community
services with federal
and state assistance.
Please
note that I did not
include the President's
AIDS program for Africa
in the
"compassion"
department of the
address. I believe the
President is a
compassionate man who
does believe in helping
others. There were
several items added to
the speech, however,
that were
"Democrat"
issues and this was one
of them. Supporting this
huge $40 billion program
to fight AIDS in Africa
takes the air out of the
homosexual lobby and
undercuts one of the
main anti-Republican
themes used by the
media. More than 300,000
American men each year
are diagnosed with
prostate cancer yet
there is virtually no
federal research funding
even though it is the
number two killer of
men. I would think our
government could spend
some of our tax money on
the diseases that are
killing our taxpayers.
The
AIDS situation in Africa
may be an area better
served by the
Faith-Based Initiative
rather than by $40
billion in drugs. The
epidemic can be stopped
in Africa by abstinence
and the motivation to do
that comes from the
Bible, not a pill
bottle.
On
that same note of taking
over some of the
Democrat issues, the
President talked abut
the environment and
promised a hydrogen
(fuel cell) car within a
decade. For this the
President offered
federal funds of $720
million. Ford Motor has
already invested about
double that amount in
Ballard Power and they
still don't have a
viable fuel cell car. I
believe GM is into this
for over $2 billion.
Don't hold your breath
waiting for delivery of
your fuel cell powered
car. (I sold my Ballard
stock.)
Critical
social conservative
issues other than the
Faith-Based Initiative
were summed up in one
paragraph of the
President's speech which
I reprint below:
"By
caring for children who
need mentors, and for
addicted men and women
who need treatment, we
are building a more
welcoming society -- a
culture that values
every life. And in this
work we must not
overlook the weakest
among us. I ask you to
protect infants at the
very hour of their birth
and end the practice of
partial-birth abortion.
And because no human
life should be started
or ended as the object
of an experiment, I ask
you to set a high
standard for humanity,
and pass a law against
all human cloning."
In
this single paragraph
President George W. Bush
placed those moral and
ethical beliefs
Americans hold so dear
in the forefront of the
fight for human dignity
and liberty. The
President stood firm
against both
partial-birth abortion
and the cloning of human
beings.
At
the same hour of his
State of the Union
message I faxed to the
White House two letters
thanking the President
for his strong stand on
these important social
issues of cloning
and partial-birth
abortion. (See
letters at
www.rfcnet.org). In my
letter to him on cloning
I said, "During
your State of the Union
address you made it
abundantly clear to the
American people that a
moral imperative exists
to reject the
destruction of human
life as it is brought
forth from the
womb."
Everyone
who finds abhorrent the
practice of the
destruction of human
life should write to the
President and thank him
for his firm stand on
this issue.
The
first Senate hearings on
human cloning were
convened by Senator
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
the very next day and
there was powerful
testimony against
cloning by Congressman
Weldon (R-FL).
Majority Leader Bill
Frist, who like
Congressman Weldon is a
doctor, also stands
against cloning.
Lastly
the President dealt with
the issue of terrorism
and Saddam Hussein.
Since the media reported
on this aspect far more
than on what the
majority of the speech
was about, I will not go
into much detail other
than to revisit the
concept of "just
war." The
President presented a
factual summary of why
war on Iraq would be
"just."
Unfortunately the left
does not understand the
concept of a
"just" war.
Senator Ted Kennedy
stated that unless we
are actually attacked we
have no justification to
use armed forces. Oddly
he had no problem with
Bill Clinton bombing
Serbia to assist the
establishment of a
Muslim state in Europe.
The Muslim state that
Kennedy so supported for
Kosovo is now a major
training ground for the
Islamic terrorists who
plague Europe.
The
"ground war"
now begins in the House
and Senate to move
forward with the agenda
of President George W.
Bush. This organization
and I will be there to
fight for the passage of
social conservative
legislation including
the ban on cloning. I
will detail the battle
beginning next week.
I
have a new video, Future
of Our Youth,
that was not due to be
released until next
month; however, it is
now available. The video
was shot at a speaking
engagement about one
year after 9-11 and
contains many of my
thoughts on that event.
I was passing the
Pentagon when American
Flight 77 crashed into
it and I discuss with an
audience of teenagers my
experiences that day. I
also deliver a message
to them about their
future in a changed
America. The video is
$19.95 including postage
and handling. Click
here for details.
William
J Murray, Chairman
Religious
Freedom Coalition
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