Table Of Contents
Nine trillion reasons to vote for Duane V. Grassell
Immigration
Taxes
Social Security
Sanctity Of Life
Federal v Local
Pork
Education
Energy Policy
Global Warming
War On Terror
Intelligence
The Draft
The United Nations
Judges
Freedom
Religion
Gun Control
Health Care
Welfare

Last fall our Congress voted to extend the debt ceiling to $9 trillion. For those not familiar with large numbers that's 9,000,000,000,000 dollars. Most people don't understand the significance of such a large number. Allow me to put it in perspective. Being a math teacher, I will make this into a math lesson that middle school students should understand.

Find a ruler. Measure out one inch. This is not a great length. Now consider 9 trillion inches. We know that there are 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 1760 yards in a mile. If we do the division, this works out to about 142 million (142,000,000) miles. That is the approximate distance from the sun to Mars.

Now, look at your watch. Count off one second. A very short period of time. Now consider 9 trillion seconds. We know that there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and that it takes the Earth about 365.25 days to go around the sun to be equal to one year. This works out to 285,000 years. Do we know what happened that long ago? Can we imagine what we be that many years from now?

Find a calculator. Look at the full number in the top paragraph and see if you can even enter that number.

Now that we have some concept of 9 trillion, take out your wallet and examine a $1 bill. Now imagine 9 trillion of them if you can. The problem with imagining this fact is that our Congress has spent this much money above its income. You and I can not spend beyond our income. State and local governments can not either. Why should the federal government? The Constitution clearly spells out what Congress can spend funds on and what they can not spend funds on. Yet, our Congress continues to pass bills that funds programs they are not authorized to spend our money on. My opponent from the Democrat party was voted on almost all of these spending bills as well as extending the debt ceiling to $9 trillion dollars. It's time for a change. It's time for the people of Ohio's 17th district to vote for a candidate that will vote no on all unconstitutional spending and let the federal government return to sane spending.

One final note: Where is our debt going? Much of our debt has been financed through Treasury bonds that have been bought up by foreign countries. Red China currently holds the largest percentage of our debt. To pay this debt our federal reserve has printed more money that is devaluing the money we presently hold. At one time, our dollar was worth more than both the euro and the Canadian dollar. Now, it is not. Our weakened dollar has affected prices here in our republic. For those of you who shop, how have gas prices been recently? How about groceries? Think about it, then vote for the candidate who will return sanity to the budget.

In previous Congresses, both houses passed well defined immigration laws that were signed into law by the president at that time. Unfortunately, the last two administrations have made little effort to enforce these laws. As a result, some government agencies have estimated that our nation has been invaded by over 20 million immigrants who have violated our immigration laws as they entered our country with more violating our borders daily. Since the Congress is responsible for the oversight of our government, it is important that your Congressional representatives press any administration to enforce the immigration laws we currently have passed into law. I even believe, that given the potential of terrorist threats in our nation, not enforcing current immigration law is an impeachable offense.

Given the number of immigrants that have not been documented by our government, we have to examine what kind of illegal immigrants are here now, and take the best corrective actions as prescribed by law. There are basically three types of illegal immigrants. There are the ones that work, and try to make an honest living. However, it is even illegal to work here as an immigrant unless you have the proper documentation. These illegal immigrants, while meaning well, are doing jobs that should be done by organized American labor. The second type, is the illegal immigrant who comes to our nation to take advantage of our overly generous welfare benefits while contributing nothing to our economy. The third type of illegal immigrant is the kind who wishes to do damage to our nation, our government, and our way of life.

These are my suggested solutions to these problems. For the illegal immigrant that is working to make their life and our economy better, but was knowingly hired by a company that hired illegals to get unorganized labor at below market pay should be put on a path to citizenship. However, they should be placed in line behind those who immigrated here legally and the employers who knowingly hired undocumented workers should pay their fines and all fees that go with advancing their workers to legal citizenship.

For the illegal immigrants that try to live of our overly generous welfare state, they should be sought out by the enforcement arm of the administration, tried, and convicted, without Constitutional rights afforded legal US citizens, and sentenced to prison at hard labor until they have worked enough to pay for their return to home country. Unfortunately, my opponent from the Democrat party has used his position of trust to vote to give such people entitlements to our welfare state.

For the third type who wish to commit acts of terror on our home soil, or who are trying to reconquer US territory for their home nation, or who commit criminal acts against our citizens, are violating laws that are paramount to acts of war. I have no problem with these people being arrested and turned over to our military to be treated as enemy combatants to our nation.

It's time for the people of this nation to take a stand. Immigrants are welcome to our country if they obey our laws by first coming here within the legal parameters established by our Congress. They should also make every effort to assimilate to our language and customs while being free to engage in their customs that do not violate our laws. We should never have to press “one” for English in our nation. Our government has the right to know who is immigrating to our nation and the purposes they have for coming here.

From the time the Constitution was ratified in 1787 until 1913, the federal government did not tax the income of its citizens. Up until that point, the government did not care how much money you earned. After the 16th amendment was allegedly ratified, we have been robbed by our government ever since. The federal income tax is without a doubt the greatest financial fraud perpetrated in the history of mankind. The history bears this out.

To ratify an amendment to the Constitution, the legislation must pass with a 2/3 majority in both the House and the Senate. It is then sent to the States where ¾ of state legislatures must approve of the amendment. There is evidence that the Secretary of State declared the income tax amendment ratified without this ¾ majority from the states. However, no Congress or administration will investigate this. Shortly after the alleged ratification, the Supreme Court ruled that the 16th amendment did not give Congress any new taxing authority. In short, the federal government has never had the authority to tax your salary. The original intent of the amendment was to tax the rich whose income was solely derived from their investments. Only a small handle of individuals were meant to be subject to the income tax. Those of us who are U.S. Citizens and who trade our time and skills for a salary are not meant to be taxed by the federal government. The U.S. Tax code even states this in a regulation buried deep inside the thousands of pages of tax code. Those who know the law and have tried to defend their income from being unjustly taxed are persecuted by our federal government by having their homes and businesses invaded, hauled into a court where the law is not allowed to be introduced and imprisoned unjustly. Our federal government has even tried to shut down web sites that clearly states what the law says. So much for our freedom of the press. A brave few have fought the government on this issue and a lucky few have won in court in a jury trial. However, the federal government uses it best efforts to keep the population in the dark regarding their obligation with taxes. Fortunately, there is one website where you can get a detailed analysis of the law. To investigate further go to:

http://www.theft-by-deception.com/TaxableIncome2007.pdf

If elected, I will use my office to compel the Congress and the administration to honestly inform all U.S. Citizens of their rights and freedoms regarding the federal income tax. In short, if you are a U.S. Citizen, and you earn a salary solely from a U.S. Source from your labor, you are not legally required to pay an income tax or file a return. The government has no business in what your salary is and it should return to being that way.

When the legislation was passed by the 1930s Congress and signed into law by the FDR administration, the Social Security deductions were kept in a separate fund by the government. At the time, participation in Social Security was also voluntary. In the 1960s, a Democrat Congress and the LBJ administration took all Social Security deductions and placed them into the general fund rather than the original separate account that existed before. In 1993, when a Democrat Congress and President Clinton passed the largest tax increase in the history of the United States, it also included the largest tax increase every on Social Security benefits. In fact, Vice President Gore cast the tie breaking vote in the Senate to make that tax increase on Social Security benefits possible. At the present there is a law that states that the government is under no obligation to pay Social Security benefits to anyone. With the stroke of a pen, any president can sign an executive order that will stop payment to all Social Security recipients while still collecting Social Security taxes. How does this make you feel knowing that the government, a one political party in particular, can deny you the benefits you pay into during your working life?

Look at the back of your next paycheck. Before any of the money you worked hard for reaches you, a Federal Withholding tax, a Social Security tax, and a Medicare tax are deducted along with whatever deductions your state, municipality, union require. All three of those deductions go into the general fund of the federal government rather than the individual accounts they appear to be making the deductions for. As you recall from an earlier position I have taken, your Congress still spends above and beyond the income it is given despite taxing you three different ways.

If elected, I will vote to make Medicare and Social Security separate from the general fund and make sure that payouts of these funds would only go to those that pay into it. I would also vote to make participation in these funds voluntary and give anyone who wishes the choice of use the equivalent of their Social Security and payroll taxes into a retirement and health care plan of their own. Many people find they can get a better return for their retirement years by investing in an IRA rather than Social Security. But our choices our limited because our government takes so much of our money before we see it rather than giving us the freedom to do with our income what we wish. If permitted to put our Social Security taxes into a private account of our own choosing, each of us would retire more comfortable than those who rely on Social Security. Therefore, I will support and legislation that returns that freedom to the American earner.

Such bills are always piled on with pork laden spending bills that benefit a Congressman's home district, but rarely the taxpayers of that district. It is such pork that has caused our federal government to build a bridge to an uninhabited island off the coast of Alaska. Thousands of more examples can be identified if anyone wishes to purchase the book that spells out everything our government spent its money on. Many of these pork laden earmarks are not approved by a subcommittee, but instead are just attached by individual Congressmen with and sometimes without the knowledge of their colleagues.

If elected, I will do everything possible to stop the practice of earmarks, and I will vote “nay” on any bill I do not have the opportunity to read. As I've stated in other positions, it's time to stop the insane spending practices of this and past Congresses.

Since the Democrats regained control of the Congress effective in January of 2007, we have seen our gas prices rise nearly a dollar a gallon. The reason is the massive debt that has weakened our dollar and our over reliance on foreign fuel, has lead us to pay much more than we should for the energy we use in our homes, businesses and modes of transportation. This is outright insanity as our great nation is capable of being completely self sufficient in our energy needs. Citing environment concerns, the Democrats have prevented energy exploration within our sovereign territory as well as construction of new refineries and nuclear energy plants. Our land can produce enough oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power to keep us energy independent for many generations. We also lead the world in technological advances that we can produce this energy without harming our environment. The biggest advantage would be keeping our economic benefits at home for the benefit of our investors as well as our own national and state treasuries. To continue to send our money overseas for our energy needs while we are able to be self sufficient is counterproductive to the needs of our fellow citizens, our economy, our troops, and our nation as a whole.

If elected I will vote against any legislation that will try to spend your money to fight global warming.

We live in a dangerous world where many serious threats have been made to our nation by foreign leaders. Last year, a book was published entitled, “In the Words of Our Enemies” by Jed Babbin, Regency Publishing, Inc. which did just what the title suggests. If foreign leaders are bold enough to make such threats openly, then we need to find out what they are planning to do about it secretly. It is the responsibility of the Congress to protect American citizens. One way to do that is to maintain a strong military and a strong intelligence network. Good intelligence can stop many wars before they even occur as well as prevent more terrorist attacks from happening against American interests.

If elected, I will vote to fund and supply our nation's intelligence agencies with whatever they need to uncover the many threats to our nation and our way of life.

The Constitution clearly states that judges are only appointed for times of “good behavior” and no where does it say that impeachment is required to remove a federal judge from their position. Therefore, it should be incumbent on the House to remove those judges who act in a way mentioned in the first paragraph of this statement. Any judge who creates a law not enacted by the Congress, any judge who cites foreign law in their decision, and any judge who violates the Constitutional protections of a US citizen should be removed from office by a simple majority vote of the House. The House has no input in the appointment or approval of a person to the federal bench. However, the House should take swift action to remove a judge or justice who violates their position of trust.

Finally, to those judges to use their position of trust to deny Constitutional protections to US citizens, they should not only be removed from office, but they should be prosecuted by the administration of a Civil Rights violation. Those given a position for trust should pay harsh penalties when they violate that trust.

The previous law restricting our free speech rights is the infamous McCain-Feingold Act. This law prohibits special interest groups from campaigning for or against a candidate 60 days before an election. If you are a member of a union, a citizens group like the AARP or ASA, your free speech rights are being violated by this act. If any of you belong to a group that opposes my election, then you should be free to run commercials that speak against me. If elected, I will vote to overturn McCain-Feingold.

At present, there is legislation pending before Congress that would prohibit freedom of the press and more freedom of speech rights. The leadership of the Democrat party has reintroduced the “Fairness Doctrine” which is nothing more than an attempt to squelch right wing radio. The radio pundits who have made a good career of extolling conservative values and denigrating liberal values have done so in the free market system. If the political left wants to compete, there are plenty of radio stations that they can sell programming to. All they have to do is produce a show good enough to attract an audience and advertisers. But trying to silence your political opposition legislatively is both immoral and unconstitutional. If elected, I will vote against any proposed legislation.

Finally, there is currently circulating through Congress, a hate speech bill that would make passages in the Bible hate speech that can be prosecuted before a federal court. Our neighbors in Canada have already enacted such a law and have prosecuted individuals and groups under this law with a 100% conviction rate. The Canadians have attempted to prosecute American authors who have published exclusively in the United States under these laws. Books have been banned under this law. Is the United States on its way to becoming like our neighbors to the north? Are we on the way to becoming a 3rd world thugocracy? The legislation the political left has introduced would do such things here.

If elected, I will vote to prohibit any restriction to our Constitutional rights to free speech and a free press, even if it is proposed in the name fighting hate speech or for political correctness. Are Founders gave us this freedom to protect speech and publications that others might have found objectionable. We should support these freedoms before our Congress legislates away something we care deeply about.

Today, secularists are trying to remove all signs of religion from the public square. Secularists organizations have sued states and cities across our nation hoping to abolish crosses, manger scenes, or the Ten Commandments. Just what part of “Thou shalt not kill, bare false witness, or steal” do they not like. Our Constitution is set up to prohibit our government from prohibiting our free exercise of religion. No federal court should have jurisdiction to tell a city not to put a manger scene on a town square at Christmas. No federal court should have jurisdiction to tell a state not to display the Ten Commandments. No federal court should tell a city to remove a cross from its city seal that had been present since the city's founding. And, no federal court should tell an employee to not wear a religious symbol in their place of work. In short, no federal court should have jurisdiction in the way a state, a city, or an individual practice their faith as long as it does no physical harm to others. It is the duty of the Congress to reign in a judiciary that interferes with any practice of faith. This is especially true of selected enforcement of what religion the judiciary tries to squelch. I have read of several cases recently where symbols of Christianity and Judaism have prohibited by federal court order, but symbols of other religions have not. Why have the dominate religions been chosen for attack in our federal courts? Because they were the basis our nation's founding, and there are those who don't see the advantages of God's blessings on our nation.

Under no circumstances should tax revenue be spent to display a religious symbol. However, no court should put a stop to volunteers who want to display a symbol to celebrate a holiday. Isn't this what diversity is about?

One final note: No where in the Constitution is there a separation of church and state. Also, no where in the Constitution is there a freedom from being offended by others. If you don't like something, move on, but don't try to prohibit the message.

At one time, it was legal for a citizen to carry a firearm aboard an airliner. In the 1970s, a Democrat controlled Congress abolished that right. If Americans were still allowed to carry firearms aboard an airliner today, 9/11 would be a day we would remember as when four teams of extremists tried and failed to simultaneously hijack four airliners. The twin towers would still be standing and most of the 3000 citizens who lost their lives that day would still be living today. If we had that right, the hijackers may not even have tried their plot knowing that one proficient citizen trained in the use of firearms could have saved each one of the four flights. The blood of the people who died that day should be partially shared with those Congressmen, along with the extremists who carried out the plot, who abolished our rights to peacefully carry firearms to defend those around them should an extreme situation arise.

There have been some other stories about shootings at a mall and a church. On those two occasions the shooter was stopped by someone who had a firearm handy and were well trained in how to use it.

We live in a dangerous world. The same extremists who made 9/11/01 another date that will live in infamy, have made threats to carry out attacks at civilian targets in our homeland. They frequently carry out attacks in other countries where people don't have the equipment necessary to defend themselves. For some examples, visit www.thereligionofpeace.com Should you find yourself in such a situation where some crazed gunman is shooting at the closest people they could aim at, would you rather have a gun in your hand, or the police on the phone?

If elected, I will vote against all legislation that prohibits lawful citizens from owning, training with, and carrying a firearm.

There are three ways to fix our health care system. The first is to end Medicare and similar programs that give our doctors an administrative nightmare as a part of the strings attached. We should go back to paying our own way through buying our own health insurance if we choose or paying out of pocket. If we get the federal government out of our doctor's offices and let the free market take over, out of pocket expenses will not be so burdensome. Also, the health care system proposed by the Democrat party has placed provisions that would heavily fine and imprison us if we sought health care outside the government's plan. Is this still a free country?

Next, we should handcuff the trial lawyers who have harassed our doctors with nuisance lawsuits that have unnecessarily driven up our doctor's malpractice insurance rates, the expense of which is passed on to the patients. While malpractice judgments should be given in events of real malpractice, they should not be astronomical amounts that make the lawyer rich. Instead, malpractice awards should be based on sound science and should only cover expenses to correct the problem or return the patient's life as close to normal as possible. Finally, any malpractice suit found to be without merit should reflect financially on the lawyer who files the suit.

The final solution to our health care problem lies with ourselves. We need to discipline ourselves in how we use the health coverage we purchased for ourselves. Do we use our auto insurance to pay for an oil change or new tires? No. We incur those expenses ourselves. Why should we do the same with our health insurance? Should we have our health insurance pick up the tab when we see the doctor when we have cold or flu systems? Should we have our health insurance pick up the tab when we go in for an annual checkup? Such practices our driving up the cost of health insurance as well as our medical expenses. If we would discipline ourselves to use health insurance for only catastrophic care, the free market would bring down the cost of both health insurance and medical expenses.

If elected, I will vote to eliminate all unconstitutional meddling by our federal government in the health care industry. I would support the FDA and those boards that oversee doctor licensing, but I will vote for any bill that would end government regulations and return our health care industry to a free market system.

Few people realize that many handouts go to the rich. One such entitlement involves a billionaire who owns several of the channels you see on your cable or satellite listings. This billionaire has receive annual subsidies from our federal government to maintain his western ranch. Why? Do we need to give wealthy corporations subsidies for the purpose of doing business? I believe in the free market system and in that system the business survives or fails based on their ability to generate income from the sales of their product. Government has no business or any Constitutional authority to subsidize a business.

We also give foreign aid to other governments so that government will be friendly with us. How many of us pay people to be our friends? We would never accept such a practice for ourselves knowing that a paid friend is never a true friend. Why should our government do the same? We should do business with other nations, but we should not subsidize them to support their economy, especially at the risk of our own.

Finally, should we subsidize our poor? For my position, many in the opposition party will call me “heartless”. I say it is heartless to subsidize an individual at just below the poverty level and stifle their willingness to work for a better life. The Great Society program of Lyndon Johnson has spent over $6 trillion since the 1960s and has not produced a great society, but instead, has made the life of our poor even worse. An unfortunate consequence of these programs is that it has kept our economy from reaching its optimal levels which would have created good paying jobs for the poor. The United States has experienced the greatest economic growth in the history of the world from the 1980s to the present, and we still have people in our nation who have not participated in it because we have given them handouts instead eliminating jobs from the free market and thwarting the incentive to work. Another unfortunate consequence of the Great Society is the way our inner cities have been blighted as a result.

It is time for a serious change. There are too many taking from our national treasury, both rich and poor, both foreign and domestic, that are putting nothing back into it. Such a practice can not last forever. Such a practice will eventually break a nation. It's time to take that leap of faith and acknowledge that government handouts are not the answer, but that an unencumbered free market, that creates good jobs, is.