The ancient Greek philosophers had it right; "moderation in all things" is a formula for a healthy person and for a healthy government.
The Republican party's 2024 platform was adopted in July, 2024 by the RNC Platform Committee, but not by the 2024 convention's nominee. While advocating principles which I endorse, it shows Project 2025 influence which I consider extreme. Why should I have a platform? The voices of moderate conservatives, like me, have been suppressed for fear of backlash from our more ardent ultra conservative brethren. You should know on what I stand with respect to govenance.
Below are a number of political subjects with my current view of where the federal government should be influencing the process or outcome. Not all of my positions are obviously "moderate", but I am prepared to defend them as "moderate" even as they also may be "liberal".
Stable and functioning representative government requires all voters understand how and why representative government works at all levels. Public schools should teach civics, ethics, critical thinking, and media literacy.
A trained and educated populace — women and men — is an essential component of a successful economy. Congress should enable vocational training; apprentice and intern programs; science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education; and basic research.
All emancipated citizens should be voters. A women’s right to vote should continue. Eighteen should be continued as the default age of emancipation. A felon, who has completed punishment, should be emancipated.
Gerrymandering removes acountability via re-election. Gerrymandering destroys an individual voter’s influence in a compact geographic community. Gerrymandering regarding federal elections should be eliminated.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; …" I am not an atheist, but I should legislate as if I were. Imposing precepts because they are religious beliefs or dogma is in effect establishing religion. Laws should be of benefit (common defense, general welfare, blessing of liberty) to the Country. Capital punishment, induced abortion, voluntary euthanasia, LBGTQ+ rights, women’s suffrage, universal education, etc. should all be examined in the context of ethics, liberty, and societal benefit and not in the context of Judeo-Christian or other religion’s precepts or religion-defined morality.
"Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Free speech has limits imposed by law and judicial precedent. Congress should prohibit sedition, libel, slander, perjury, teaching falsehood as fact, or government officials (including congressmen) creating or propagating material lies. Persecution, prosecution, or coercion to suppress opposition to government actions or policies should be prohibited and penalized.
I support dual income and dual career families. However, I believe America would be best served if an option for families with a stay-at-home parent was available to all wage earners. It is likely that a living wage minimum would also reduce the need for poverty assistance. I support a minimum wage for 40 hours per week of labor be set at 125% of the poverty level.
The medical care system in the United States is broken and out of control. Way too much money is wasted in the business of financing care. The emphasis of the system has become profit instead of patient wellbeing. For-profit medical insurance is a non-productive waste of money and time. Inappropriate "negotiated rates" unfairly penalize the uninsured. Pre-approval of care delays or denies currently needed care. Fraud is caught after too much delay. Affordable, timely, excellent healthcare should be available to all Americans. Restructuring is required. It is a matter of national security, a matter of government expense for its employees and veterans, and a matter of ethics.
Our federal public health system, indeed the Department of Health, is now a laughing stock. The integrity of our public health system must be restored. Gathering of statistics and medical research must be encouraged. It is a matter of national security, a matter of minimizing future government expense, and a matter of ethics.
As a body of election seekers, Congress has avoided controversy in doing the Constitution’s assigned work by delegating legislative work to the executive branch. Worse, Congress fails to hold the executive branch accountable for what has been delegated. The House of Representatives must reclaim its constitutional taxing, spending, war-making, and other authorities.
This is how the Constitution reads:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;—And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
I propose that any declaration of an emergency by the President would, if not currently in session, automatically call Congress into session within seven days, and that Congress when in session within seven days would ratify such a declaration. Failure to ratify within seven days would automatically nullify the declaration.
For failure to implement approved statutes or "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed", Congress should take swift action to penalize or remove transgressors.
The following ideas are not "platform" in the sense that I am not standing on them to state my ambitions with respect to being a congressman. These are "out of the box" ideas which I believe are worth discussing and refining. None has much chance of getting traction from the extremes or middle of Democrats or Republicans.
Congress should not be a venue for careers. Too much power is amassed by seniority. On the other hand, corporate knowledge in other than congressional staff is important. Consider that if you cannot get the job done in about a decade, you should be forced to let someone else take up the task.
Senators should be limited to two terms. Representatives should be limited to five terms.
A strictly career centered military breeds a large separate class of citizens who survive in a strict regimental discipline. These citizens have very little to gain by criticism or questioning of the military hierarchy. This hierarchy controls immense coercive power for its underlings and potentially for the Country. I believe it is time to institute a draft of all physically capable and mentally competent women and men for two years of service in the military. Service should begin upon graduation from high school or age 18. Exceptions should be very limited.
Those who are not physically capable but are mentally competent should serve two years in other government service.
Required universal service to our County has advantages: