I decided to write a letter to the President, as it seems that congress no longer proposes legislation, but merely passes what comes from the President. I thought I would post it here if anyone else wanted a draft that they could use for themselves.
Alex Cresswell
3638 Ocee St
Houston, TX 77063
March 24, 2009
President Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC, 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to ask you to cut taxes. The budget that is now in congress is the largest ever budget proposed in this country, and it comes at a time that the economy can least handle the increase in government spending and taxes. What truly will support the growth of the economy are broad federal tax cuts across all levels of income. Consider this perspective, when the government raises taxes, in effect they are taking away the citizen’s choice of how to spend their money, and granting that choice to the government. It is well known that the beaurocracy of the government does not have the necessary oversight to see that this money is spent productively, and the needed oversight is just an added expense that further detracts from the real benefits that tax money can bring to the people. It is a far better policy to only take what is necessary for the government to maintain basic functions, and to allow people to choose for themselves what to do with their money, as they will make a better decision for themselves than the government ever can. I urge you to consider cutting back taxes to allow the citizens of this country to invest their own money as they know how to best do so, and place your trust in those who have elected you, just as we have placed our trust in you.
I am also writing to ask that you immediately cease with the corporate and bank bailouts. We have already gotten into a debacle over the bonuses paid out by AIG after receiving bailout money, and this is only a symptom of the problem. The involvement of the government into the success or failure of a corporation no matter how noble the intentions are crosses a fundamental line that defines a free market economy. We are now approaching a situation where the government has an interest in controlling corporations, which no longer leaves these corporations independent of the government, but now part of the government. Also the bailout money is further pushing this country into debt. The value of the US dollar is at risk today on the world markets, and with proposals by the UN to change it’s secure currency away from the US dollar, there is a real risk of hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is the rapid devaluation of currency, and the main cause is a rapid increase in the amount of money, which is not supported by growth in the output of goods and services. This is exactly the situation that we are in now. The government, through the Federal Reserve Bank is massively increasing the amount of money in circulation, and at the same time there is not supported growth in the output of goods and services. I urge you to put and end to the wasteful, unproductive, and costly spending that is the status quo of Washington and bring the change that you promised to this country.
In closing I wish you all the best with your term in office, and for an appropriate and timely recovery of the economy. I realize that the economic recovery will take time, and I hope that the policies of the government will support the growth of the economy and will not artificially prop up the economy by increasing taxation and government spending. I urge you to consider the suggestions of Dr. Ron Paul on economics, as I understand and agree with his opinions on the markets and economy.
Thank you for your service.
Sincerely,
Alex J Cresswell
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
What Do I Stand For?
I have decided to write a post about some of my opinions on popular topics that have been long-standing decision points for voters, so that you can make an informed decision based upon positions in the upcoming election. So I will continue to fill in the gaps weekly on where I stand on some important issues. I would like to start off with a big one this week, education. I have had several inquiries about my position on this issue, and I would like to respond to some of those.
First of all, just to get an idea of where things are, as a country our schools are not competitive in the world. We are ranked 21st in the world in terms of high school graduation, and 25th in standardized math testing. You can get the facts about the state of our public education system at EDin08.com. Now to narrow in a little more, Texas schools have been improving, we are headed in the right direction. Our schools have produced better results this year than last year in standardized testing. Ranking are available here.
"Statewide, about 46 percent of schools were exemplary or recognized this year, compared with about 37 percent last year. And 2.6 percent of schools were unacceptable this year, compared with 3.4 percent last year. Schools that are repeatedly rated unacceptable are subject to sanctions ranging from hiring private tutors to closure." Found here.
There is still more ground to take in this area. Parents who can't afford private schools are left with no other choice but to send their children to private schools, no matter how good or bad they may be. This is why I want to open up the choice for school districts to allow vouchers to fund children's education at private schools. This may not completely cover the costs of schooling at private schools, however it does open more options for parents who can afford to pay the difference between the tuition and what the voucher program provides.
A secondary issue that arises when a school voucher program is created is the question of the separation of church and state. I believe this does not cross that line. The choice is still left to the parents of whether their children are sent to a private school, and because no-one has to attend a religiously affiliated school without a choice to attend a public school, there is no violation of this primary safeguard. No-one is coerced into religiously affiliated school, and those that choose to, are allowed to go, and the funding that they would otherwise be paying towards public schools, is actually put to use for their choice instead.
What about the loss of funding that public schools will have? There is also a hidden benefit to this program. Students that choose to attend private schools will actually reduce the burden upon public schools. This means smaller classes, and more attention from teachers for the students that remain. Another important fact to notice is that the same amount of money per student will continue to be spent on public schools as is already spent. There is really no drawback to public schools from a school voucher program, and the benefits are all very attractive. Parents who can't afford private schools, due in part to the already high tax burden in America, will now have the opportunity to send their children to private schools at a reduced cost with a voucher program, and those children who remain in private school will enjoy the benefits of smaller class sizes, and more teacher attention. This is a win-win choice, and Texas would benefit from a school voucher program.
As always I invite your questions, and I acknowledge you for being someone who is making an informed choice for this coming election. I continue to be surprised and impressed at the public involvement in government in Texas, and I look forward to working for you.
First of all, just to get an idea of where things are, as a country our schools are not competitive in the world. We are ranked 21st in the world in terms of high school graduation, and 25th in standardized math testing. You can get the facts about the state of our public education system at EDin08.com. Now to narrow in a little more, Texas schools have been improving, we are headed in the right direction. Our schools have produced better results this year than last year in standardized testing. Ranking are available here.
"Statewide, about 46 percent of schools were exemplary or recognized this year, compared with about 37 percent last year. And 2.6 percent of schools were unacceptable this year, compared with 3.4 percent last year. Schools that are repeatedly rated unacceptable are subject to sanctions ranging from hiring private tutors to closure." Found here.
There is still more ground to take in this area. Parents who can't afford private schools are left with no other choice but to send their children to private schools, no matter how good or bad they may be. This is why I want to open up the choice for school districts to allow vouchers to fund children's education at private schools. This may not completely cover the costs of schooling at private schools, however it does open more options for parents who can afford to pay the difference between the tuition and what the voucher program provides.
A secondary issue that arises when a school voucher program is created is the question of the separation of church and state. I believe this does not cross that line. The choice is still left to the parents of whether their children are sent to a private school, and because no-one has to attend a religiously affiliated school without a choice to attend a public school, there is no violation of this primary safeguard. No-one is coerced into religiously affiliated school, and those that choose to, are allowed to go, and the funding that they would otherwise be paying towards public schools, is actually put to use for their choice instead.
What about the loss of funding that public schools will have? There is also a hidden benefit to this program. Students that choose to attend private schools will actually reduce the burden upon public schools. This means smaller classes, and more attention from teachers for the students that remain. Another important fact to notice is that the same amount of money per student will continue to be spent on public schools as is already spent. There is really no drawback to public schools from a school voucher program, and the benefits are all very attractive. Parents who can't afford private schools, due in part to the already high tax burden in America, will now have the opportunity to send their children to private schools at a reduced cost with a voucher program, and those children who remain in private school will enjoy the benefits of smaller class sizes, and more teacher attention. This is a win-win choice, and Texas would benefit from a school voucher program.
As always I invite your questions, and I acknowledge you for being someone who is making an informed choice for this coming election. I continue to be surprised and impressed at the public involvement in government in Texas, and I look forward to working for you.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
What kind of government allows this absurdity?
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5908047.html
Licking is now categorized as an assault? This is absurd. Police powers have grown out of control. This government is no longer in service to the people, but the people serve the will of the government. I pledge to make a change in the culture in Austin, to have the government be in service to the people to put an end to this culture of government rulership. This is America, where we celebrate freedom and liberty, and we will return to those values. Please pass this along.
Licking is now categorized as an assault? This is absurd. Police powers have grown out of control. This government is no longer in service to the people, but the people serve the will of the government. I pledge to make a change in the culture in Austin, to have the government be in service to the people to put an end to this culture of government rulership. This is America, where we celebrate freedom and liberty, and we will return to those values. Please pass this along.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Ron Paul on the economy
This couldn't be put any better. The economy is declining due to the increased debt, and the US Government just printing up more money. The state government has the same syndrome, however Texas is one of those states which maintains a balanced budget, but we are still spending over $127.5 billion dollars on welfare and education, while our education system is 21st in the world, and other countries that are performing better in education spend only a fraction of what we spend.
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