Mary Etta Ruley on the Issues
Jobs - INVEST IN AMERICA! We must reclaim our manufacturing capability and stop outsourcing our national wealth. Get America back to work! Creating jobs to employ Americans is the best kind of economic stimulus.
- Remove tax incentives and breaks for companies exporting jobs overseas.
- Create a New Deal-type organization to rebuild and strengthen our infrastructure. These jobs cannot be outsourced.
- Renegotiate NAFTA and other trade agreements. We need FAIR trade.
- Develop an entrepreneurial culture. Encourage Americans to start new businesses by providing increased tax incentives, tax reduction for small businesses, and other assistance. Small businesses create the most jobs. We must make sure they can survive.
- Reorganize SBA to be more responsive to small businesses.
Education
- Develop a positive education culture. No one should be ashamed of his or her educational accomplishments.
- Insist on high education standards. Stop teaching to the test!
- Realize we are in an age of math, science and technology. We must emphasize these skills to compete in the global economy. Enact tax credits for students majoring in these sciences.
- Financial literacy at an early age.
- Learn a second language. We must be able to compete globally.
- Parents must be responsible and actively involved in their children's education.
Iraq - We should be investing that $16 billion a month in America. Start bringing our troops home with dignity, honor and respect. All troops to be removed within 5 years. Iraq must take responsibility for its own country.
Oil Independence - We must establish a long term energy policy to attain oil independence.
- Increased fuel efficiency for all gasoline-powered engines.
- Alternative fuel sources.
- Green energy policy.
- Windfall profits tax.
- Conserve.
- Enact a comprehensive transportation policy.
Health Care - Restructure from the patient's point of view. Health care is a Right !
- Reduce costs. Initiate a prevention-based system for adults and children to further reduce medical costs long term.
- Expand access - Enact an accessible and affordable health care system.
- Develop cost-effective insurance programs for small businesses.
- Enhance health care quality.
- Improve Medicare. Stop fraudulent claims and waste.
Unions - We must protect the greatest work force in the world!
- Support the Employees Free Choice Act and majority sign-up.
- Reaffirm the importance of unions.
- Re-institute collective bargaining.
- Increase minimum wage.
- Support nondiscrimination in the workplace.
- Strengthen the National Labor Relations Board Act to support unions versus employers.
Immigration Reform - Two critical issues exist, the second more detrimental to the U.S. than the first.
- For illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. for many years, who have contributed to our economy, raised families and perhaps started a business, in the absence of a felony they should be given a pathway to citizenship. All others must return to their homeland to begin the legal immigration process.
- Our prestigious universities educate at taxpayers' expense thousands of foreign nationals in critical disciplines of math, science and technology. Unfortunately, under the Bush Administration's immigration policy, when their education is complete they are forced to return to their homeland, creating a severe "brain drain." Overseas corporations readily hire them or they may start businesses, all in competition with U.S. companies. The U.S. has invested in these students -- We need to keep them here!