First for Congress, Experience, Trust, Hard Work
 
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Campaign Platform

Generally, I stand for smaller and less intrusive government, robust capitalism, sound natural resource conservation and greater farmland and working landscape protection, creating new jobs and holding onto the jobs already in the district, reducing health care costs, reducing the national debt, strong national security, and creating new energy sources and supporting energy efficiencies.

Energy Independence & Efficiency

Energy independence is a key to American prosperity, national security, and environmental quality.  It is attainable through greater efficiency, renewable and alternative energy sources, resource conservation, clean coal, and converting natural gas, LNG, and propane to the nation’s primary transportation fuel.  Using federal funding where appropriate, as well as tax incentives, public-private partnerships, and streamlined or creative permit processes, I will support:

  • Gas brine treatment facilities, biofuels, and clean coal facilities in the district
  • Natural gas processing and liquefaction plants in central and eastern Pennsylvania
  • Building or expanding five new nuclear power plants in Pennsylvania
  • Clean coal products for American-made diesel and home heating fuels in place of imported oil
  • Ethanol and methanol plants, including from wood cellulose, for new transportation fuels
  • Converting the Federal civilian vehicle fleet to natural gas or other domestically produced alternative fuel by 2016
  • Making natural gas America’s dominant transportation fuel, along with domestic cellulosic methanol or ethanol
  • A “Manhattan Project” for energy independence
  • Providing incentives and rewards for new energy sources built close to existing infrastructure and population centers; create disincentives for new distribution infrastructure to be built on farmland, protected private lands, and public lands.

 

Less Government, More Freedom

Americans are born free, yet the threat of an overwhelming government takeover of our lives and liberties looms larger every day of an Obama Administration that is aided and abetted by its Congressional allies like Nancy Pelosi and Tim Holden.  Americans deserve laws that respect and establish Constitutional supremacy, and which hold political leaders accountable for diminishing those rights:

  • No international agreements, bans, or treaties that violate the US constitution.  This includes gun control and the suppression of free speech, both of which the Obama administration is endorsing through United Nations policies and programs, such as the UN Human Rights Council.
  • The American Constitution comes first in all policy and legislative discussions; it is the standard by which all government action must be judged and squared against.

 

Fair Trade, Not Free Trade

Flawed international trade agreements allow countries like China to export defective, contaminated, substandard, and dangerous products (toothpaste, drywall, food, toys) to America, while simultaneously hamstringing America’s ability to export our own products to those same nations.  Mexican truck drivers have been able to drive broken-down, dangerous 18-wheel rigs into America and across our highways with no driver’s license.  American beef cannot be labeled as such for those buyers seeking higher quality and safer food; it falls under the rubric “North American Beef,” which includes meat from Canada and Mexico, as well as the U.S.  These flawed circumstances are not “free trade,” they are Unfair Trade, and they need to be corrected.  When Mexico, China, and other nations cannot dump inferior products on America, but are held to the same high standards as America, then one of the keys to returning manufacturing jobs to America will be in place.  It should be noted that America has much more stringent environmental and safety laws, and jobs that return home will be better and pollute less than they do abroad.

 

Key Domestic Policies

Taxes and a Balanced Budget

I am opposed to any new taxes, either increases of existing taxes or the creation of new taxes.  With the trillions of dollars in new spending now laid out before us, our nation is standing at the edge of a precipice.  If we fall, then we will not return as the same nation.  Therefore, we must stop this deficit and debt spending now, and balance the government's budget.  Anything less is inviting disaster now or later, and there is no government program in the world that is worth that kind of destruction.

Illegal Immigration:  Illegal immigration is a threat to America’s physical and economic security.  Illegal immigration must be addressed head-on and forcefully.  America is undergoing an invasion across our southern border, a major national security and natural resource issue.  This invasion must be stopped, and violators must be immediately deported.  Most nations enjoy secure borders, as should America.  All illegal aliens must be deported. Tighten immigration standards, including the ability to functionally speak English as a condition of citizenship. Ratchet back on visas and non-resident aliens.  Conduct and publish studies that measure the cost of illegal immigration, especially its impact on health care costs.

Single Payer Healthcare (“ObamaCare”):  I oppose any form of increased government health care, including the much-discussed “single payer” system, because I do not believe it is the function of government to provide this service, and I fear that it is a Trojan Horse assault on the fundamental structure of American democracy.  “Healthcare by Bureaucrat” will only expand government control over individual Americans and destroy individual liberties, while raising taxes and decreasing the quality of health care available to the vast majority of Americans.  No further expansion of public health care should occur before implementing meaningful tort reform, and before understanding the affect of illegal immigrants on health facilities such as hospitals, and on our environment, such as land and water resources. Police, hospitals, and health departments receiving federal money should collect and report the nationalities of those who receive their services to provide reportable statistics on the impacts of illegal immigration, because illegal immigrants often use emergency rooms as their family doctor. 

That said, I do support addressing health care reform one "bite" at a time, one issue at a time, unlike the current legislation that has passed both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate under the partisan hands of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid.  These monstrously huge (roughly 2,000 pages each) pieces of legislation expressly forbid tort reform as a method of controlling health care costs, among other fatal flaws.  If elected to Congress, I will both work hard and vote to overturn the Nancy Pelosi's legislation passed in the House.

Second Amendment to the Constitution:  I am a proud member of the National Rifle Association, a lifelong hunter, gun collector, and shooting enthusiast.  My children have all been taught to shoot firearms safely from the time they were small.  I support National Right to Carry legislation and will propose a Second Amendment “Open Borders” law that ensures that the Second Amendment receives as much support and respect in Manhattan as it does in Montana.  The First Amendment and all other amendments enjoy widespread respect, appreciation, and incorporation through the 14th Amendment; why not the Second Amendment?  America must have laws adequate to protect and ensure that same respect for the Second Amendment equally across the board.  States must no longer regulate the Second Amendment; or at least what aspects of gun ownership that states may regulate must be significantly narrowed from what they are presently. Citizens cannot be expected to check their constitutional rights at the border of any state they intend to pass through.  (See Josh’s Personal Statement on the Second Amendment)

UPDATE: Due to completed but lost questionnaires, First is not listed on the FOAC list of endorsed candidates. He has been assured that had his original questionnaire been received, he would have been endorsed. FOAC has a copy of his completed questionnaire on file.

Abortion:  If you are reading this, then you did not experience abortion first-hand.  Abortion should not be a form of birth control.  I oppose using federal funds for abortion, I oppose “partial-birth” abortion (infanticide), and I support parental oversight and youth requirements before approval.  I will happily participate in peaceful prayer vigils and peaceful rallies that advocate for second-chance processes, pre-abortion counseling, adoption as an alternative to abortion, and expanded awareness that abortion stops a beating human heart.  My primary objection to “pro-choice” advocacy groups is that they are unwilling to discuss or admit the physical and emotional realities of abortion and its dark implication as a birth control method for individuals and society at large.

Crime Control and the Death Penalty:  Criminals are not victims.  Liberal judges and their utopian-minded advocates have watered down the criminal justice system, leading to the release of repeat offenders who continue to victimize innocent people even though they should be in jail.  I support truth-in-sentencing, meaning no time off for “good behavior” in prison; the time sentenced is the time that will be served.  I support tougher penalties for crimes involving children, human trafficking, the illegal use of firearms, and for serious drug offenses.  The death penalty is a necessary, fair, and reasonable method of punishment and crime control.  It is not currently an effective deterrent because its process is so convoluted, and its appeals process needs to be greatly streamlined.  There is also undeniable evidence that innocent people have occasionally been sentenced to death, and laws need to be stronger to deter investigative and prosecutorial misconduct in order to eliminate those rare miscarriages of justice that undermine our whole system of government.

Pro-Choice Educational Opportunities:  Government-run schools should not be the only educational avenue available to poor students.  At the very least, poor and underprivileged students should be able to exercise free choice in where they attend school, based on their merit, strengths, and their interests.  The current forced government education system is broken and mistreats inner city and poor rural students alike.  This issue is a question of civil rights for many minority communities.

Taxpayer-Financed Bailouts:  No more taxpayer financed government takeovers of the private sector!  Not only is this a mis-use of your money, it is yet one more Obama Administration takeover of business sectors they want to control and centralize, like the old Soviet Union.  Just say No!

Transportation, Infrastructure, & Logistics

The 17th District plays a pivotal role in both travel and shipping.  The major interstates and highways (I-81, I-76, I-83, Rt. 15, Rt. 322, and Rt. 422) and rail lines make the area a major crossroads for commuter and logistics activity.  Rail is energy-efficient, moving both freight and passengers with minimal environmental impact.  Rail rights-of-way use little land, but create economic development, disproportionately creating nearby tax-generating enterprises while simultaneously lessening local property tax burdens.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, capital improvements for rail projects pay back to local community at $4.23 per dollar invested. Already the 17th District has existing businesses using and also building rail infrastructure, such as the Arcelor steel plant in Steelton. Amtrak’s business and college student traffic, the planned "Corridor Two" line, and the numerous existing intermodal and commodity rail freight operations make the 17th District well positioned to exploit these opportunities for the benefit of all its citizens, and I will do all I can to enhance these existing elements of good infrastructure.

Taking Care of America's Military Veterans

America must take care of its military veterans.

Each returning military Veteran has had different experiences in the military. Some experienced heavy combat, and some were young people away from home for the first time doing a job that the military trained them to perform.

The first order of business for combat Veterans should be medical evaluations and any necessary treatment (psychological and physical). This is typically not automatically provided. Some seek help immediately upon returning, from the Veterans Administration or from a private provider, but others are at a loss. The military should not release Vets until they are fully evaluated and directed to the appropriate care givers, as needed.

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) does provide some funding for Adult and Dislocated Workers to be trained, but not nearly enough to hand a large volume of veterans (these services are also available at the One Stop Centers). The second step for all Vets should be to see a well trained career counselor, who can assist them in translating military training and experience into civilian occupations. Currently the government has Disabled Veteran Outreach Program and Local Veterans Employment Representatives, in One-Stop Centers (like PA CareerLink) in each state. Each of these Veterans is assigned a representative from the One-Stop Centers.  All Vets should mandatorily get this service prior to leaving the service, not after they have been discharged. The One-Stop centers should be concentrating on getting them employment that meets their needs and capabilities and directing them to educational advisors, if required.

The needed third step is training, either skills training or academic advancement. This should be in accordance with the Vet's particular needs, desires, and capabilities. Currently service members pay into a fund while they are on active duty and the military adds additional funding to help when they are discharged. The military also has education programs for service members on active duty, that allows them to take courses from accredited universities while serving on active duty. The problem with both of these programs is that they are built on the assumption that the service member knows what they want to study prior to leaving the military. The old Vietnam-era Education program allowed vets to be discharged first, to get out in the non-military world and make their education and career decisions as they tried to deal with the new forces and decisions around then. This worked well for many vets, but not all. The One-Stop Centers offer some training under the Workforce Investment Act Adult and Dislocated worker programs; however, there isn't sufficient funding for a large influx of vets, and among the issues identified above, this is another area I am committed to funding more. Our Vets deserve all of our support.

Internet Neutrality

The Internet must remain free of government political oversight. Current attempts by the Obama Administration to make the Internet a politically "neutral" zone are nothing more than an attempt to choke off free speech and crush political dissent.

 

Environmental Protection and Conservation

The “environment” is the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that feeds us.  We need the environment and we ignore its central role in our lives at our own peril.  It is an unforgivable mistake to pretend that protecting the environment is unnecessary or a waste of time, or that it always involves a trade-off with jobs and economic development.  Protecting the Earth and its resources from human-caused pollution is necessary; conserving its natural resources is mandatory.  The question is how that protection and conservation are done.  Decades ago, when human pollution caused the Cuyahoga River to catch on fire, and elsewhere in the nation people could not easily breathe due to heavy smog or drink their contaminated water, strong regulations were obviously necessary.  It was in that context that the environmental protection movement was born, and it is that legacy that drives the onerous command-and-control regulation and heavy-handed enforcement mentality so frequently felt today from government at all levels. 

Today, now, a more nuanced and sophisticated approach is needed that takes into account current regulations, and the strength of capitalism (“natural capitalism”), ecosystem services, and the ability of private markets to advance social benefits like clean air, water, and soil.  Climate change may or may not exist beyond the Earth's natural variation; it may or may not be due to the influence of human activities; and, increasing amounts of ambient carbon dioxide may or may not be a pollutant beyond its natural presence and variation in the earth's atmosphere.  No matter how we look at that particular issue, the conservation of limited finite natural resources is still a critical goal, and it is a goal that does not require the up-ending of our civilization and private markets to achieve.  Specifically, I would:

  • Increase the long-underfunded Land and Water Conservation Fund from $900 million to up to $20 billion annually for ten years to better protect our national and state parks and forests, protect more farms and working forests, grow our wildlife habitat and hunting lands, and compensate private landowners by purchasing conservation easements on private lands that have plants and animals present that are subject to the Endangered Species Act.  Funding can be available from current, planned, and potential oil and gas drilling on public lands, the outer continental shelf, and the Great Lakes, but the increased LWCF funding will only increase if the royalties can support it. I would consider using some of this money for alternative energy research and development with the private sector.  This increased funding will not come from taxes, but from increased royalties on increased oil and gas drilling, especially in the Outer Continental Shelf.
  • Create incentives for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to hire staff who are hunters and anglers and\or from rural communities where natural resource management is common and important to those local economies.
  • Re-evaluate all environmental laws and policies through the lens of natural capitalism and ecosystem services, seeking to create new markets where poor or outdated laws now exist.
  • Better fund and de-politicize the study of the planet’s climate.  The UN IPCC’s reports on climate change are hardly worth the paper they are written on.  More than anything those reports are political statements.
  • America must not undertake any forced carbon reduction efforts that will not be simultaneously shared and emulated by China, Russia, and India.  If it’s good for America, then it’s good for our competitors, too.  Our congressional district cannot afford to export any more jobs abroad; it’s not a fair trade-off for us.
  • Josh's Response to the Republicans for Environmental Protection candidate questionnaire

 

National Security, International Relations & Middle East Peace

I make no apologies for America.  We are a great nation of great people who have done great things with great sacrifice for the rest of the world.  National security cannot be sacrificed for short term, phony feel-good appeasement, as is the current administration’s practice.  Selling out America’s allies while embracing dictators sends the wrong message about American interests and commitments.  America must be strong and she must project strength; what other nations think of us, despite all of the good we do and have done for the world, is of far less concern.  America’s only honest-to-goodness, worthwhile ally in the Middle East is Israel, a vibrant democracy that has the strongest record of any nation for supporting the United States, and whose citizens have the most in common with the citizens of the United States.  Some of the current and future national security concerns of America are based on policy involving the Middle East.  While Islamic extremism is certainly the best-known symptom, the driving forces there are Islamic Imperialism and Arab Colonialism. These two forces are the greatest threats to Middle East peace and must be directly addressed.  Additionally, I will pursue the following:

  • Legislation that creates a United Democratic Nations in place of the current “United Nations,” and that withdraws the U.S. from the United Nations and expels the UN from U.S. soil.  Once the expression of that noble dream of a united world living in peace and harmony, the UN is now a catastrophically dysfunctional and dangerous waste of money and time.  It accords dictators, tyrants, and terrorists the same level of respect and standing as leaders of democracies.  The UN has been captured by tyrannical governments and it is run by them; its processes are being used to actually undermine democracy and legitimize cruel regimes like Iran, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia.  U.S. citizens’s interests are no longer represented through this enormous waste of money, and it is now time for America to create a new international institution and new relationships based on America’s core interests and shared values.
  • Compensation and support for modern Christian and Jewish refugees from Arab and Moslem countries
  • Strongly support Israel’s qualitative military superiority over its neighbors
  • Create Kurdistan as a sovereign nation
  • Recognize the Christian Armenian genocide at the hands of the Turkish government, and more strongly support the modern state of Armenia diplomatically and militarily
  • Eliminate Iran’s nuclear sites and military capacity one way or another
  • Ensure that Russia is not re-trenching into former Soviet imperialism, ensure that Russian democracy remains viable, and that Russian military excesses and expansionism are confronted head-on
  • Ensure that the American military is adequately outfitted and that funded weapons systems are what are actually needed, not a pet pork-barrel project with little defense value but high taxpayer cost
  • Ensure that American troops in war theatres are given the political support necessary to accomplish their missions and then return home; American troops are not policemen.
 
 

Paid for by the First For Congress Committee