Donald K. Allen for President

Top of the Week

Monday, February 25, 2008

The leading candidates are still talking about revising the tax code, closing loopholes, and eliminating tax breaks. Why bother? That will just add hundreds more pages to a code that is already 66,000 pages thick and not understandable by anyone. Just eliminate the broken IRS system and sign the Fair Tax Bill. It will immediately put money in the pockets of our workforce, but do a permanent job of it, unlike the one-time tax refund that is in the works now. It will do more to boost our country’s economy and business strength than any other single measure. Stop talking about fixing a system that isn’t fair, doesn’t work, and penalizes hard work and ambition.

We must address the immediate threat to our country in the form of a nuclear device in the hands of Islamic terrorists. We must not let this happen, and the Islamic World must not let this happen. If Islamic terrorists ever succeed in this goal to hurt us further, it will backlash on the Islamic World in many ways. Radical terrorist are born and develop within an otherwise normal Islamic society. Neighbors, family, and friends see the development every day, yet do not stop it or intervene. If that little boy grew up to be one of the 9/11 hijackers, then those neighbors, family, and friends are accessories to murder and terrorism. If Islam wants a peaceful world, it must start by terror intervention at an early age.

The war in Iraq must be brought to a conclusion. It will not happen in the first year in office, as the two Democratic candidates propose. It will take time, perhaps five years, before Iraq is stable enough to govern itself. It will take withdrawal of Iranian, Saudi, and Syrian interference before peace will prevail. The Middle Eastern countries must cooperate to resolve the daily specter of death that hangs over all of Iraq. Insurgents do not enter Iraq without indifference from or actual support by neighboring countries.

Health care is available to every American today. Some won’t buy it even if they can afford it. They spend their money on cigarettes, beer, and flat-screen televisions, as well as cell phones and clothes. Some truly can’t afford the premiums because they are too high, and some just live from hand-to-mouth. I know of no case of immediate care need that was thrown out of a hospital. I’m sure it has happened somewhere, but I can’t imagine it is a routine occurrence. Care is available for those who truly need it. My proposal is to lower premiums by reducing two chief causes of expense through tort reform and a loser pays rule. Combined with greatly increased take-home pay from the Fair Tax, most people will be able to afford health care insurance without being forced to buy it, as some candidates propose.

My campaign is about to take off. Once the primaries are over, national news media will expand their coverage to include independents and other parties. You can help in your state by volunteering to solicit petition signatures. Just carry the form with you and ask people you normally encounter every day. If you’re really ambitious, you can go to gathering places like shopping malls and events (get their permission). The forms are downloadable from your state’s secretary of state website in the election section. Let me know if you need help finding it and I’ll get you the link. People who want an independent president can’t vote for me unless my name appears on the ballot, so this is vital. There is a brand-new book out, “Declaring Independence — the Beginning of the End of the Two-Party System,” by Douglas E. Schoen that is worth reading.