Good Day!

All of those considering attending the RATOWITZ FOR CONGRESS fundraiser on September 30 might be interested in checking out David's outstanding platform, which is posted in full below.

We look forward to seeing all of our old friends and meeting MANY new compatriots next week! It's a small investment in support of a true liberty candidate right here in Illinois District 5!

RSVP @ Meetup and also join our Facebook Group, which includes details on the Kickoff Fundraiser.

RATOWITZ FOR CONGRESS Campaign Kick…

THE ECONOMY
Growth and prosperity in America are born of the ingenuity and hard work of individuals. Every dollar spent by government is one fewer available for circulation in the free marketplace – where productive jobs are created. In my view, a vigorous economy can be restored by shrinking government with deep, across-the-board tax cuts coupled with broad-based spending cuts in all budget categories, including entitlements and defense.

FISCAL DISCIPLINE
America is at the beginning of a critical phase that will result in fiscal disaster if we do not reign in spending. In a very short time, social security payments will begin to outstrip social security revenues. Government spending is so out of control that America is already having difficulty borrowing money. If our government does not return to fiscal discipline, we will have no choice but to either break our promises to senior citizens or tax our working citizens out of their livelihoods. We must now choose between America and the size of our government. If we fail to make this choice, it will soon be made for us. I will always choose to limit government and promote American prosperity.

MONETARY POLICY
U.S. monetary policy – the determinant of interest rates, the money supply and myriad other factors – currently is shrouded in mystery by the Federal Reserve, supposedly to “protect” us from undo political pressure. The history of the Federal Reserve shows that institution has consistently manipulated the money supply to satisfy political demands. It is time we recognized the inherently political nature of monetary policy and brought it into the open. A crucial first step in restoring soundness to and confidence in the system is an independent audit of the Federal Reserve Bank.

FOREIGN POLICY
America is the first truly global nation. Americans come from every corner of the globe, and there are Americans with family and business interests in every corner of the globe. America cannot and should not isolate itself. We must recognize that our most powerful tool of foreign policy is the soft power generated by American citizens through their generosity, industry and the example they set for the world. America is not an empire, and Americans do not want empire. We must avoid nation building and interference with the internal affairs of other nations. Instead, American foreign policy should focus on opening lines of communication and trade with all nations that do not threaten us. Nations engaged in commerce with America will avoid conflicts that jeopardize trade relations. Nations exposed to American liberty will find their citizens gravitating toward our positive example.

NATIONAL DEFENSE
The federal government has a Constitutional responsibility to defend U.S. shores and sovereignty from all threats. The fact that the United States currently has hundreds of thousands of troops deployed across an estimated 135 countries runs counter to that mission. As a veteran, I am confident that the physical and financial security and longevity of America are better served by streamlining our military, concentrating our forces, reconsidering preemptive warfare and avoiding futile nation building.

HEALTH CARE
Absent from current health care discussions is an honest analysis of why services are so expensive and how costs can be reduced. Government interference in insurance markets has drastically skewed health insurance costs. Government regulations that forbid competition and discourage individuals from purchasing their own insurance, shopping around for health care and leading healthy lives increase the cost of health care and the frequency of pre-existing conditions. Instead of compounding bad policy with expensive bureaucracy, I advocate free market solutions that encourage Americans to "Live Healthy and Shop Smart."

EDUCATION
Parents, not bureaucrats, should ultimately determine where their children attend school. In our education system, the wealthy are able to send their children to their private school of choice. Well-to-do members of the middle class buy homes in neighborhoods with better schools. The majority of working Americans and the nation’s poor are forced to send their children to mediocre and often under-performing schools. I believe in Universal School Choice, which allows all Americans, not just the wealthy and well connected, to send their children to excellent schools.

CIVIL LIBERTIES
Historically, our civil liberties have been among the first casualties of armed conflict. The horrific events of September 11, 2001, shocked us as a nation, and in our fear, we implemented many policies that otherwise would not have been tolerated. In the ensuing 8 years, Americans have had time to rethink these hasty measures. We elected a president in November 2008 who vowed to restore these civil liberties, but who has instead opted to maintain the policies in full force. America needs a Congress that will hold the president accountable for restoring our civil liberties and provide him with bipartisan cover for doing so. As a Campaign for Liberty activist, I championed these rights in a bipartisan fashion. As a member of Congress, I will do the same.

TORTURE
I believe that American citizens are protected by the U. S. Constitution no matter where our own government finds them or holds them. As a veteran I believe that America must honor its treaty obligations towards uniformed members of foreign militaries because the safety of our own captured servicemen and women depends on the respect we show the Geneva Convention and the manner in which we treat enemy prisoners of war.

The way in which we treat terrorists and other non-uniformed agents who have chosen to live outside of international law and are not covered by treaty says more about us than about the terrorists. America must carefully balance the value of intelligence garnered through torture with the resulting danger to captured Americans and the loss of moral authority. I oppose the use of torture because it is not clear enough that torture produces an intelligence advantage over non-torturous means to justify the sympathy that our use of torture provides to terrorists.

ENVIRONMENT
We are all stewards of this earth and have a responsibility to leave a better world for our children. While many people find portions of climate change theory controversial, we can all agree that thrifty use of resources is better than waste. However, for a number of reasons, current federal regulations yield only marginal environmental progress. I advocate eliminating regulations that encourage bad environmental behavior. Politically influenced subsidy programs, like those in the agriculture and infrastructure sectors, for example, encourage waste, over-use of chemical fertilizers, sprawl and water-runoff, as well as increase our nation’s carbon footprint. Government spending should shift away from marginally productive and environmentally destructive activities to economically productive investments. By focusing on rescinding counterproductive regulations, better environmental policies can be forged that will help America lead the world in emission reduction, real cost savings and economic growth.