CLINTON ON TAXES
Enact targeted tax cuts, such as on capital gains tax for the sales of a home, college tuition credit, and a $500 per child-tax credit
DOLE ON TAXES
Push for a 15 percent cut in federal income-tax rates. Dole also wants to cut the current 28 percent capital gains tax rate in half, and offer a $500 per child tax credit for families.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENT
Basically speaking the same thing, however Dole specifies a percentage. Not sure how you can specify a percentage when the budget still is out of control. If you cut taxes, something else has to be cut. Will more much needed social programs be cut? Will a tax cut raise or lower the inflation rate? Is cutting capital gains giving more to the rich or will it promote more growth and more jobs with the release of investors funds? Will the rich use this tax reduction to promote growth by expansion, or simply invest their rewards in non promoting growth ways? Has this been done before and did it succeed with what outcome? Are the tax increases we've seen the last four years due to the present administration or were these tax rates already in place to become law before the present administration was elected? Might want to do some research on this yourself? The truth is there is you seek it! It will surprise you!
CLINTON ON EDUCATION
Expand the Head Start program, provide federal money for school renovation and connect classrooms to the Internet. Clinton does not favor school vouchers.
DOLE ON EDUCATION
Provide vouchers to parents so that they can choose a school of their choice for their children.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENT
This nation's future is our youth, something needs to be done to help our youth prepare for the future. How involved should the Federal government be in education. Should the government enforce the present laws based on our constitution giving everyone an education, provide help, funds not policy to the states. Is the education of our youth better accomplished on a local level or is the problem of so many school board policies that tend to favor one political party views on social issues, religion and other areas not providing clean social environment for learning of our youth? Are the problems in the schools today to due the lack of attention on the local levels or too much in
some areas?
CLINTON ON ILLITERACY
Start a program to get children reading by the end of the 3rd grade.
DOLE ON ILLITERACY
Could not find much on Dole's position on this area other than he wants to eliminate the Department of Education.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENT
In 1992, 40% of high school graduates could not read any better than
8th grade. There is a problem here. Isn't this more of a local school board education problem than on a federal
level. Does the Federal government have to do everything for us, are we that lazy to take more interest of
how the children are being educated on a local level? It's fine for the government to provide suggested guidelines to school's, information and so forth, but this may be left better on a local level. Is doing away with a Department of Education which can help provide information, not policy, a good idea?
CLINTON TOXIC CLEAN-UP
Target two-thirds of all Super fund sites for cleanup by 2000.
DOLE ON TOXIC CLEANUP
Dole hasn't stated much on this issue. No definite policy.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
If we don't have clean water, clean air ro survive, how will we? But why is the government having to foot the bill on so many of these sites to begin with? Who are the companies, where were the officials who were suppose to oversee these sites to begin with to make sure they were cleaned up? Has there been political favor involved in this mess because of contributions by companies to political parties. Search this one and the answers will truly surprise you! Boy, has the American people not only been taken to the cleaners on this one, but
our health has been endangered also. Officials responsible for this who did not do their jobs should be taken to court and tried as a criminal.
CLINTON ON JOB TRAINING
Combine many federal job-training programs into grants for workers to use for tuition or training.
DOLE ON JOB TRAINING
Convert federal money for job training programs into block grants to the states.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
Are these more give away programs? How do they benefit in reducing employment, people on welfare do they? Giving money directly to people for grants may not be the answer. Giving vouchers than can only be used for education or training may be better. Allowing the states to receive the grants may be more efficient and less federal involvement, however what guidelines will the states use to decide which individuals gets the grants for education or training? We already have a job training corp program. If it is not working, where has
it failed and what do we need to do to prevent from making the same mistakes?
CLINTON ON MEDICARE
Cut Medicare spending growth from current 9 percent to 7.3 percent a year.
DOLE ON MEDICARE
Cut growth in Medicare spending from 9 percent to 5.9 percent a year.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
This is a touchy subject for elders and upcoming retirees and should be.
However, the facts are there. Something must be done, however when they say reduction what do they mean?
There was over 144 million dollars in medicare fraud in 1992-1993. There are seniors that do not receive preventive medical care. Instead, seniors wind up going to emergency rooms, $400-$600 per visit, or wind up in intensive care units at $900-$1,400 dollars a day because they've let something to long. The reason, they couldn't even afford the
co-pay for the doctor's visit. Also, doctors presently don't prescribe much needs expensive medical tests for
seniors because Medicare won't pay for them or only pays a small portion of it. What happens, the senior winds
up with the disease that in many cases could have been controlled or eliminated at a much reduced medical cost.
Whoever made the rules for this mess in the 1980's, ( what political party made most of the changes?), sure didn't have much common sense. Common sense would tell you, cut things off at the pass before they become worse.
Also, 65% of seniors on medicare needed daily medication, however 50% of these cannot afford them on a daily
basis an often only take their medication every two or 3 days, sometimes going for weeks without it. They wind up in
intensive care units at $900 to $1,400 a day for weeks on end because of this. One way to reduce this costs is to
provide medicine to seniors who cannot afford their medication. Paying $100.00 a month for a seniors medication versus paying a $10,000 to $15,000 hospital bill two to three times a year just simply makes more common sense.
Better get involved in this folks before it gets worse. The politicians working with the AMA an corporate medical
corporation are gearing to screw you again!
CLINTON ON MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM
Continue development of a missile defense system, but put off any decision on deployment until 2000.
DOLE ON MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM
Develop a missile defense system by 2003.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
Excuse me, but what was the whole purpose in the Salt Agreements with
Russia an Nato, disarming nuclear missiles worldwide? Why are be developing another missile system and for
what purpose, would someone please explain this to me? How is this going to be paid for, if both candidates
are promoting a tax cut? Are the huge corporations who manufacture missiles behind the scenes again in
Washington to get the American taxpayer to pay for this. Is this needed to keep more people from going
into employment because this is the BIG employment of government of keeping war machinery going to
keep people working? What a mess this is.
CLINTON ON GUN CONTROL
Prohibit gun purchases by perpetrators of domestic violence.
DOLE ON GUN CONTROL
Replace the current 5-day waiting period for the purchase of a handgun with an instant, computerized background check system.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
Being able to do a background check in 5 days or instantly is needed and doesn't really matter when it is done, as long as the person that isn't suppose to be buying a handgun isn't allowed. There are certain individuals that should not be allowed to buy any type of weapon. Registering a gun and having to keep it registered should be law for anyone owning a gun. The problem goes much deeper though. Presently, may guns do not have serial numbers on them, companies manufacturing guns cannot trace specific weapons to any part of the country where they may be bought. What if every company making guns had to embed not only a visual serial
number on each gun made, but also embed it electronically within the metal. This can be done today. Make the companies accountable to whom and where they are selling guns much more than they are today.
CLINTON ON THE SUPREME COURT
Appoint nominees who support abortion rights and who would protect citizens from undue government intrusions.
DOLE ON THE SUPREME COURT
Avoid any litmus test for his court appointees, but end what he sees as liberal court selections by Clinton.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
Several justices will be retiring writing the next two to three years. I thought the supreme court was suppose to base their decisions on the Constitution of the United States. Has it become the
social consciousness of America, letting religious overtones and various political party theology come into these
decisions. This is the one of the most important issues. The decisions that will be made by our Supreme Court
in the next few years will be the most crucial of our nation. It will determine if this country is truly a nation of
FREE PEOPLE. Should justices on the Supreme Court be appointed by the President. Should they be appointed
by both the Senate and the House. This may not work if you have one party controlling either house, you get into the same problems. What about limiting the terms of the justices to four or eight years instead of life or when they
decide to retire. What about an election by the people, based on the submission of a candidate from each of
the fifty states. I'm presenting other possibilities for it appears there is something wrong here and also needs correcting for it appears that the Supreme Court is not functioning as it was intended by out forefathers.
CLINTON ON IMMIGRATION
Implement a modest decrease in legal immigration. While opposed to social services for illegal immigrants, he is not against allowing their children to attend school.
DOLE ON IMMIGRATION
Temporarily cut legal immigration and deny social services to illegal aliens.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
Finally politicians are starting to address this issues that the American people
have been screaming about for ten or more years. Should Americans be taking care of people from other countries
when their own countries can't, especially when we are not taking care of our own. America has opened up their
borders to the oppressed, and should continue to do so, however, should be not be taking care of our own
first. If these people are so oppressed, then change evidently is needed in their country and they should return
there or not come at all. These people need to understand that Americans cannot do for them what they should
be doing into their own countries. Until they realize to make a life better for themselves, it must begin where
they are, nothing will change. If they are already here and working, they are paying taxes, so their children should be allowed to go to school. However, I do not feel that simply because you enter this country should you have instant access to welfare, food stamps, medicaid. Something needs radical change here. However, I strongly feel that crime results from
the poor needing the basics of survival. If you start cutting off social programs, I strongly see where crime will
rise. The truth is, we are in this mess, a quick solution is not the answer, but doesn't must be done.
CLINTON ON ABORTION
Continue abortion rights. But Clinton says he'd sign a partial birth abortion ban it if included an exemption for the mother's health.
DOLE ON ABORTION
Support a constitutional amendment to make abortion illegal except in the case of rape, incest, and to protect the mother's life.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
No government can shape the moral consciousness of a society, nor does it have the right to. A nation is based on the moral consciousness of the people. Women that have aborted their children have been doing so for centuries and will continue to do so, whether legal or illegal. The definition of what life is at any stage is determined on how that person views it. Does this not have to do a great deal of how a person has dealt with their religious beliefs, whatever they may be. And is it not true that this country was founded on one important foundation, religious freedom. I believe when any segment of any one society starts to feel that they have the right to dictate the moral consciousness of any person or group, that this is nothing short of not understanding what our country stands for. America was formed by a people that did not want any more persecution of any type. The wanted to be free to
decide what is best for them and not some government. To me, this is an issue that no one in America should be
confronting to begin with. No one has the right to tell another person what they should be doing when it involves
such a personal matter as this. Religion can provide a foundation for spiritual enlightenment, but it cannot enforce
it's beliefs on any of Gods children, for once it does, it looses the very foundation of it's truth, that the religion is only a hand of God, not GOD itself. I hope that we have not become a nation of religious Gods, deciding for everyone what is
right in this area of our lives. As it states, "Judge less yee be judged".
CLINTON ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Change affirmative action programs to increase the minority business opportunities without federal set-asides.
DOLE ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Roll back affirmative action programs, and ban federal preferences base on sex or race.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
I'd like to posed a question. How did affirmative action get started in the first place and why? Doesn't our Constitution give us equals rights in all things? Is everyone protected. Sadly it's suppose to, but doesn't. In years past, areas of our country practiced sex and racial prejudice and I believe even though this nation is suppose to based on laws without religion influence, all of these areas came from sort of religious influence. A person,
regardless of their sex, race, gender preference, should not be discriminated in any way shape or form. A standard
should apply to everyone. All that is needed it one simple law that states no discrimination in any form for everyone, and then specify the areas. Wait, we already have such a law. What went wrong? I think before you start to try and fix
something, you better do back and see how it got broken in the first place and correct what was wrong. Going from one extreme to another in any important issues as this only brings further problems.
CLINTON ON ILLEGAL DRUGS
Stiffen mandatory penalties for those who sell drugs to children. Wants to improve drug trafficking information-sharing with other countries and greater role for the military.
DOLE ON ILLEGAL DRUGS
Create a role for the National Guard and the military in the narcotics trafficking interdiction, and use the bully pulpit of the White House to discourage drug us.
DL DEWEY COMMENTS
You can create all the laws you want to do this and that, but if you don't get to the root of any problem, the root eventually grows into the sewer line and starts to clog it. That is what has happened in this country with the rise of drugs. Why do people use drugs? Why do youth use drugs? Are youth bored, not enough in their life or too much in their life. I believe everyone has been missing the big picture of finding the simple answer. People of any society will do things that are illegal to rebel, to explore because of the myths of whatever they've heard about it, another words in search of either the unknown or to be free. That is human nature and until politicians I feel begin to understand this, they problem won't be solved. I've said more years that making drugs illegal only makes the problem worse. Why is it in certain other western countries where marijuana is legal that the use of marijuana in that country is less in populace that our own illegal use of it in this country. They have less youth drug problems than we do. Am I advocating
drug use, by no means. However, what I'm saying is, education and even use of it without all the other areas of why people use drugs should exist to displaced the allure of drug use. Most importantly, those that use it, help them to understand why they are using it, for I believe than any living human being is smart enough that once you give them the truth that this is really not good for you, they will make the proper choice. But to put a lollipop in front of someone and say,
well here it is, it is this and that but you can't have a taste and pull it away, the human in us all is we will get that lollipop one way or other to see ourselves. Marijuana should be made legal to use, but laws still in place that if you
do something that injures someone else in the use of it, there will be a price to pay for it. Drugs have been around for centuries, it is only now because of how society is handling it is it becoming more of a problem and the drug
czars are becoming richer.
CLINTON ON FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE
Expand the family leave to include doctor and dental visits.
DOLE ON FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE
Says he wants to expand this, but doesn't explain on what.
DL DEWEY'S COMMENTS
Something that should have been done and allowed a long time ago. However, I'm concerned if this is not an issue that is being used as a smoke screen by politicians to keep them from looking
at the reall problems at hand. Once a society realizes that it is only has productive as it's individuals are happy
in their lives will a society continue to prosper.
There are the main issues that I have gathered from the various campaigns along with my comments, questions and thoughts. You may not agree with them all, but if you really look at most of the areas, I posed more questions for FOOD FOR THOUGHT than anything. I feel that as a nation we must start to go beyond the politics as usual, beyond the religious means to control this nation, beyond the corporate control of this nation. For if we don't, any civilization that does not understand one basic truth, that a civilization exists not because of these things, but because the people are free to pursue life's treasures or sadness which ever they may be. It is only then does a civilization understand that a living being cannot be controlled, for if it
is, the being and the nation will surely die. Are we dieing America? Decide the issues for yourself and let what you know to be what is truly right, not based on religious overtones, political party beliefs, but simply what is the wrong and right around things. God Be With Us All.
God Bless and have a terrific day!
~David Lawrence Dewey ~