Sharing Thoughts and Ideas - 2019 and newer

Q & A: 1)  How would you change taxes and why?  A: See Playing Robin Hood Politics 2) What do you believe needs to change in federal spending policies and what specific actions would you support?  A: We will need to re- prioritize  defense spending away from bases and hardware to more attention to cyber and space warfare. See   We are in an Undeclared War, Whether We Like it or Not . Regarding our "safety net" programs, we need to tighten the eligibility requirements for Social Security Disability, as many people with multiple ABILITIES are eligible because of a single designated disability. For example, a bad back does not prevent a person from using their head in a knowledge industry. 3) What steps would you take to strengthen the US economy? A: Following the doctors' motto, "First do no harm." Instability and uncertainty cause people to delay spending and businesses from investing, which slows the economy. So, try not to have any big potential ch

Q: Do you support increased taxes on billionaires and multi-millionaires? Why or why not? A:  Maybe, some, but VERY reluctantly .... Raising taxes on billionaires and multi-millionaires is being proposed by Democrats (and particularly  the Democrat Presidential candidates and the " progressives") for the following reasons: 1. They perceive more taxes need to be collected to reduce the federal budget deficits or to enable more spending and wish to avoid losing votes by raising middle class voters' taxes, as there are far fewer votes to lose with fewer billionaires and multi-millionaires. 2. It is politically expedient to play the "class card" in politics.  "Don't tax me, don't tax thee. Tax the man behind the tree." is an old political statement. 3. The wealth gap between the "rich" and the "poor" has grown in recent years. The tragedy of the Great Recession caused by the mid-to late first decade of this century

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which established Medicare Part D, included a ban on Medicare Part D from negotiating directly with drug companies to set prescription drug prices. In theory, if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) could negotiate with pharmaceutical companies, the agency could leverage its purchasing power to pay less for drugs.   H.R.2000 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2019 , ( known as the “Medicare for all that want it”, introduced on April 1, 2019 and co-sponsored by Representative Craig contains a clause deleting the current ban.   But,  would lifting the ban actually save any money? “ Allowing the Secretary only to negotiate prices - without providing another tool to reduce prices - would not save a meaningful amount. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that giving the Secretary authority only to negotiate prices will not generate significant savings unless the Secretary can also remove

  A few weeks ago, President Trump spoke to a roaring Minnesotan crowd at the Target Center. The crowd cheered as he championed his strong economic achievements, which includes cutting our taxes and slashing needless regulations for businesses. Under his leadership, we have seen some of the greatest unemployment figures in a generation. The national unemployment rate is at an impressive  50-year low ,  marking one of the strongest economic comebacks in American history. And the stock market has had its   longest bull run   in history, reaching an all-time high. But there’s one thing that could threaten all of the hard work President Trump has put in to rebuilding our economy and his chances of reelection: tariffs. President Trump has taken a bold stance against China to hold them accountable for their unfair trade practices, hacking of our government agencies and businesses, and stealing trade secrets and to force China to play by the rules. And while I applaud him for doi

Candidate Pledge of Civility I believe all Americans value Prosperity, Liberty, Equality, Family, Faith, Love and Respect, Community, Contributing to Others, Opportunity to seek the American Dream, Success and Doing the Right Thing. These values unite us as uniquely American, meaning we are more similar than we are different. We all come from different backgrounds and experiences, however, which give us unique perspectives on issues of public interest. This causes us to view these values differently in terms of which are more important than others. Thus, it is not surprising that we would have differences of opinion on not only which are the most important issues to address, but also, what are the best approaches to address those issues. I will make a conscious effort to: ·          be civil in my public discourse and behavior, ·          acknowledge the good faith, good intentions and common values of people with whom I may disagree, ·          be respectful of o

·     “The global order that endowed Washington with such extraordinary privilege is changing fast. As China continues its rapid ascent, the United States’ relative power erodes and with it the ability to set the terms of the international system. On issues ranging from defense to technology, trade, climate policy, North Korea, and Iran,  only the support of U.S. partners  can now steady the balance of power. U.S. strategists and policymakers have sought to enlist that support by invoking China’s nefarious activities on the global stage—the debt-trap diplomacy of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, the  militarization  of the South China Sea, and China’s chilling use of digital surveillance. They paint a picture of an increasingly shuttered world that runs on conspicuous Chinese coercion. This narrative bears more than some truth, and in it the United States is the only alternative or retort.” The Usurpation of U.S. Foreign Policy , By  Mira Rapp-Hooper , Foreign Affairs,   Octo

What it Means to Be an American Rick Olson November 11, 2019 The United States of America is an exceptional country with ample opportunities for success. We are a nation of immigrants where people of different nations and faiths forged a common identity and made this country great. Ronald Reagan spoke of America as the city on a hill, a city “teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace”. My wife, Linda, and I toured New York City the Labor Day weekend before 9/11. We went to Ellis Island a small  island  in New York Harbor , through which over twelve million immigrants entered the United States f rom 1892 to 1954. We listened to tapes of narrators reading diaries of some of the immigrants, and what came through was that America was the land of hope. All four of my grandparents immigrated from Finland to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from 1890 to 1910. They came with the hope that their children and grandchildren would have a better life here t

Immigration – Unsolvable Issue or a Political Football? Rick Olson January 15, 2019, published in the Prior Lake American Last Saturday I moderated a second National Issue Forum on immigration. It is interesting to see where people from all across the political spectrum find common ground and where they differ. While the sample is small and certainly not randomly selected to create a fair representation of the U.S. population at large, it has allowed me to draw some tentative conclusions. Everybody appears to agree with “having 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. is not a good thing”. Where they differ is whether (1) the undocumented should be legalized in some manner or (2) the people here illegally should not be here at all. But all wish this issue be resolved. Few believe that the approximately 700,000 children brought here as youths by their parents illegally should be penalized. Many believe that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”)

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