Well, Charlie finally has put up an issues page on his government web site (You and I are paying for it). He has still chosen to exclude issues on his campaign web site, but I'll give him crdit for discussing issues somewhre. I guess it shouldn't have surprised us that it took him this long to tell you what he plans to do if re-elected. It is apparent that he believes his re-election will be a cakewalk. Indeed, I'm sure he considers my candidacy to be a non-threat, compared to his campaign which currently has over $1,000,000 of funding (you have to wonder who he owes what to in light of his finances.) I'm certain also, that he considers Don Cravins candidacy to be a farce, considering that all Junior has been able to accomplish is throwing darts and hurling juvenile insults toward him.
Candidates resorting to name calling (as Junior is quite accomplished at) is always an insult to the intelligence to voters, and in this election, it only results in helping Charles Boustany's campaign. I must give Dr. Boustany credit in this regard, since he has avoided responding to Juniors sophomoric tirades.
As I've discussed before, this election should be about issues, the real issues facing you, the voters of Louisiana. In this regard, I am pleased that the good doctor has finally put up an issues page, which I linked to above. And, what are the differences between Dr. Boustany and myself on these issues?
- Agriculture. Dr. Boustany believes that the Federal government should continue to regulate and subsidize farming. I believe that this is a continued usurpation of what individual states are better equipped to do. I believe we should dump the Department of Agriculture and return those tax dollars to the States where they can be more efficiently used, where the local states are certainly more in tune with the needs of the farming industry of those states.
- Coastal Restoration. Dr. Boustany and I certainly agree that more needs to be done to protect Louisiana's coast lines. We differ, however, greatly on how to fund those restorations. Boustany believes we need to continue begging the Federal government to return us a small amount of what they have extorted from our taxpayers in the first place. I believe all offshore oil and gas royalties from platform producing off Louisiana's coast belongs to the citizens of Louisiana and should be returned. The Constitution has NOWHERE authorized the Federal Government to just take our royalties. Those royalties alone, under the direction of our state government, would certainly put us in a position where we could completely restore our coast lines.
- Education. Unfortunately, Dr. Boustany believes we should continue to control our children's education though the Federal government. Education should only be within the domain of state and local governments ... Never with the federal bureaucrats. The Department of Education is another of those Federal entities that we need to do away with. Communist Russia proved over and again how government education is a dismal failure, and Dr. Boustany should have learned something about that by now. Parents need to have complete control on their children's education and dismantling the Federal Education Department will be a great place to start restoring parental authority. You may read my positions more in depth on my Education page.
- Energy. Dr. Boustany gets some of this right. Only some of it. What he glaringly misses, however, is the negative impact on speculation ... where Wall Street plays virtual casino with our ability to go to work and heat our homes. While I am in complete agreement that we need to open up ANWR and offshore drilling, this alone will have a minor impact of fuel prices within the next few years. While we should NOT be getting oil from our enemies, the fact is that there IS NO world fuel shortage. Opening up drilling, allowing new refineries, and safe nuclear power will make us ZERO dependent on other countries for fuel. That is where we need to be. You may read my positions more in depth on my Gas Prices page.
- Health Care. Again, Dr. Boustany wishes to see the Federal government more involved in regulating your health care and health insurance. I believe our tax dollars should be returned to us and allow us to deal with this problem on a state level.
- Louisiana Values. Dr. Boustany and myself agree on most of these issues. I do believe, however, that we need to keep the federal government out of marriage and the bedroom. By allowing the Federal government to regulate our marriages, we indirectly give them permission to regulate our families. Also, I find it to be curious and a bit disingenuous that Dr. Boustany claims to be 100% pro-life, yet publicly endorsed Rudy Giuliani (Pro Abortion) for President. What gives? He is Pro-life but wished us to have a President who was pro abortion and anti-family? Perhaps he is confused? Or, perhaps he is simply a politician. You may read my positions more in depth on my Family page and Sanctity of Life page.
- Small Business. Again, we both seek the same results, but differ in how it is to be achieved. He wishes to curtail the federal government's regulation of small businesses. I wish to END the federal government's regulation of small business. Minor point, but gigantic difference.
- Taxes. Well, his position is just about the same as everyone else. The same as everyone has been claiming to believe for the last 50 years. I believe we need to do away with personal income tax. Not Boustany. I believe we need to do away with the IRS. Not Boustany. I believe we need to limit the size of the government to what the Constitution authorizes (effectively reducing taxes by over 56%). Not Boustany. You may read my positions more in depth on my Taxes page.
- Trade. Here is where Dr. Boustany and myself part ways 100%. He clearly supports NAFTA, CAFTA, the WTO, NAU, etc. He is in lock step with the globalists that have literally sacrificed million of jobs of American workers. I wholeheartedly disagree with him on trade issues. I believe we should repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, along with all future "Free Trade Agreements." You may read my positions more in depth on my Foreign Policy page and Tariffs and Trade Page.
- Nation Security. We are in complete disagreement. Dr. Boustany believes still that we should respond to 9/11 by invading and nation building a country that DID NOT HAVE weapons of mass destruction ... that had no ties to Osama Bin Laden ... that was NOT a THREAT to our security. He still believes that we should all lay down our God-given rights and freedoms in response to 9/11. Amazingly, however, Osama Bin Laden has yet to be captured.
Thank You, Dr. Boustany, now the voters can see for themselves who would better represent their dreams and aspirations. Now, if ever Junior decides to make his campaign a serious campaign and exchanges issues in place of juvenile name calling, the voters will be able to compare the three of us clearly.
Peter
