Timothy Lawton

I am tired of liberals and the mainstream press saying that conservatives have no solutions to the problems that face us. We have plenty of ideas, they just happen to be ideas that the left doesn’t like. They also falsely try to portray that the Bush administration has tried these solutions during his eight years in office. Contrary to what is believed by many George W. Bush was NOT a conservative. His policies only adopted a small portion of the ideas that the right would have wanted to put forth to solve the crises that face America. The profligate spending of the Republicans during the six years that they controlled the White House and Capitol Hill could not have been more antithetical to the fundamental beliefs of conservatism.

The economy tanked in late 2008 due to the banking crisis. The banks had saddled themselves with toxic assets and all lending was on the verge of freezing up at the time. Rather than debate the specifics of what lead to this problem, because both sides have played a role in concocting this mess, I ‘d rather look at what should have been done at the time. Only one major issue stands in the way of doing this thoroughly and that is the fact that much of the specifics about how the books of the banks looked at the time is still shrouded in mystery. Let us suppose that some action of the Federal government may have been necessary. Yet, we can conclude that it was certainly not the role of the government to buy stakes in the banks and get involved in their day to day business. This is why we now have a pay Czar appointed by Obama. We also can relate this to the debacles of bailing out AIG and most of the American motor industry and the White House control over the executive compensations of those companies. We, the taxpayers, spent 80 billion of our money under Obama to hold off the bankruptcies of those motor corporations for six months and a 180 billion on AIG which is still teetering on the brink of collapse.  With Chrysler and GM we also saw the federal involvement lead to the violation of our laws when it came to bankruptcy restructuring. Primary debtors were given less money than the UAW union. If the laws of the U.S. can be so readily violated who would want to invest in companies based in this country? We should have let these corporations fail and allowed the banks to restucture the bad loans that they made that were still salvageable and set up a system similar to the one that bought up the bad debt from the Savings and Loan scandal two decades ago. Mortgages could have been increased in their terms and this could have made many delinquent loans more manageable and kept the banks liquid and able to continue making loans.

On top of these solutions a reduction of the capital gains tax could have spurred investment. We also should have lowered the tax rates on ALL citizens. This could have been done by reducing income taxes for those who pay, a reduction in the social security tax, reducing the payroll tax, and finally a reduction in state sales taxes. Many think that the Bush tax cuts were too deep. Contrary to that opinion I feel that they did not go far enough. We still have a 35% corporate tax rate in this country. It is one of the highest in the world. If we were to drop it to 20% or lower could you imagine how that would spur economic development in this country? Ronald Reagan inherited an economy that was in many ways worse than the one we have now and many of my proposals were part of the package that he put forth which brought us out of that severe recession.

On a number of other issues the conservative ideology also has the plans to help solve our problems. Health care is one of the most complex issues that we face domestically. Yet, all ideas proposed from the right are simply ignored by Congressional Democrats and the President. One idea that has the most potential to reduce costs is Tort reform, but the Democrats won’t touch this because they are the party of the trial lawyers. One of the greatest, if not the single most, contributors to high health care costs in this country is malpractice insurance. Reducing outrageous and unnecessary lawsuits would do wonders in reducing the amount of money that we spend in the medical system. Allowing personal health insurance to be bought accross state lines and piecemeal rather than being covered for every possibility would also help. As it stands now people are being covered for all cases from the very first moment that they buy insurance. We also have to consider how the reduced rates for medicine and machinery paid for in already socialized nations affects our prices here. Essentially we are subsidizing the costs in foreign countries because the health care corporations have to raise their prices here to make up the difference. Once these issues are addressed we can then look at the potential to deal with those who are still not covered, Yet, this number is not the 47 million we so often hear bandied about. That number includes approximately 12 million illegal aliens, those who are uninsured due to job transition, and those who have chosen not to be insured despite the fact that they can afford it. Even in the worse case scenario we do not have to nationalize health care in order to get those who are citizens of this country insured. I have heard some sort of a federally funded voucher program similar to food stamps proposed as a remedy for this situation. Nationalized health care is bankrupting every nation in which it has been implemented.

Not that I believe climate change is necessarily a problem that we can control, but I do believe that we can control what we do that may be exacerbating it. As one who studies climate and weather I do believe that there is some change occurring in our climate. The weather has grown more extreme over the last several decades and it is definetly affecting our environment. That said, the insanity over human induced climate change has taken on almost cultic tones.  Programs like the cash for clunkers, legislation like Cap and Trade, and the mandated change to using light bulbs that contain mercury (one of the most poisonous substances on earth) to avoid ordinary light bulbs which emit a bit more carbon dioxide are all ideas based on the faith that mankind is causing climate change. Since this concept ignores that there appears to be warming on other planets we may need to find another source. I think it could be the Sun. That big yellow ball of light that heats and lights our planet. I’m sure most of you have seen it. So, instead of conciously approaching the ways in which we can get and save energy better than we do now we have plans that toss perfectly good cars into landfills, a tax on energy which could be the largest single tax increase in mankind’s history, and light bulbs that will eventually poison our homes and pollute our ground water with a substance that is widely known to cause birth defects.

If we are going to be wasting trillions of dollars what we should be spending it on is improving our national infrastructure and finding alternative fuels that make sense. Some of this can be spent on research, which I would support the government investing money, and other efforts can be induced by tax incentives for already proven methods such as wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal energy production. Individuals and businesses that invest in these renewable resources can be rewarded for their reduction of fossil fuel use with tax rebates. We need to be cautious when implementing such programs, because we can see what the ethanol subsidy did when it was tried. Not only did ethanol made by corn not reduce our energy consumption, but it actually raised the price of all grain and rice commodities around the world increasing the price of food for those already at the margins of starvation. Such a replication would be a crime. How many went hungry or died around the world so American politicians could pander to farmers in the corn belt?

We need real solutions for real problems. Trying government control of the economy, healthcare, and energy production has repeatedly failed in the past. Why would we expect it to work now? Nothing is black and white. Are there areas in which the government can assist in solving these problems? Yes, but we do it to our detriment when we take out of the equation good old common sense and self-determination. Conservatives propose solutions that involve the people and allow them to make their own decisions based on what is best for them as an individual. Whenever this philosophy has been tried in the past it has yielded good results. Our nation was founded on the concept of individual liberty and the freedom to live as one chooses. Conservative solutions allow for the ingenuity and talent of every citizen to be applied to the challenges that face us as a society.

None of the accounts, descriptions, or commentary of this day can be reposted without the express written consent of Timothy Lawton:

On a lovely late July day my parents and I set off in the morning heading for Weehawken, New Jersey. Our initial destination was the Yankee Clipper. Our ultimate destination was the new Yankee Stadium. We had hopes of a wonderful day skirting the skyline of Manhattan and taking in a Yankee game. We also had hopes of a Yankee victory that would inch them one game further in the quest for a coveted playoff spot come October. We got both.

As we traversed the waterways surrounding New York City we not only took in scenes of the major landmarks and bridges, but we pondered what our first trip to the new stadium would bring. All three of us had never been to the new stadium and the old ballpark held a lot of good memories. I was particularly concerned if it would have the same mystique that the likes of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, and 26 World Series victories had brought to the original stadium. I think it is safe to say that none of us were disappointed.

Only the future will tell if the Yankees can make the new stadium as historic as the old, but the aura of the franchise seems to have moved accross the street with the team. The new Yankee Stadium is a beautiful site to behold. It was clean, convenient, and a great place to watch the Yankees take on their division rival, Baltimore. The Yanks opened up with a four run first inning and simply had to hold on from there. We got to see Posada hit a homerun, Jeter score, some great play in the field, and Mariano Rivera save another game in his illustrious career.

After the Yankees won we quickly hussled back to the boat as I woofed down my first cigarette in about three and a half hours. We reboarded the Yankee Clipper and got ready for our return trip around the City. As beautiful as it was on our trip to the stadium it was just as beautiful on the way back. The sun slowly drifting its way behind the buildings and our thankfulness that we weren’t stuck in the rush hour traffic of the world’s most major metropolis. We were simply able to enjoy the view and reflect on what had been a very great day.

After waiting for more than 25 years I finally saw a big thunderstorm down The Shore. I have been going to the Jersey Shore for about a week a year for my entire life and every year the weather never cooperates. I chase storms and I never see more than a bit of rain when I’m on vacation. Despite the fact that this makes the rest of my family happy it has been a bane to my existence for decades. Outside of a few rumbles of thunder and a few lightning streaks the storms always seemed to fall apart as they approached or move around us. Between my complaints and the lack of storms my sister even took to calling me the “storm repellent”. Finally this year things sort of changed.

On Sunday morning about 5 AM I was awoken from my sleep by a tremendous clap of thunder. I quickly sprung forth from my bed, dressed, and proceeded to go see what was happening outside. To my shock a ferocious storm was just descending on the tiny bungalows of our neighborhood. After so many years I was treated to a storm with wonderful lightning, potent thunder, and torrential rain. This fortuitous event was followed by a week of storms playing their usual role of how I got the appellation, “storm repellent”, but the fact that I FINALLY got to see a storm kept my attitude positive about the situation.

Yet, God was good to me, as normal, and even more was in store. On my last day down The Shore I wrestled all day with when I would leave. Similar to most of the week thunderstorms were raging all over New Jersey and the surrounding states. Similar to the rest of the week they were continuing to avoid the area that I was in, but as the day progressed it looked like I might get missed again. I kept my spirits high resigned to the thought that I had at least saw one big storm, but hope was revived as another line of storms developed to the west. The little glimmer of possibility made me decide to stay a little longer. Thank God I did!! Around 5PM the skies darkened and the radar returns to the west of us consolidated into a deep dark red blob moving steadily in our direction. The pre-storm lightning show was so impressive that dozens of people stood outside their vacation houses oohing and aaahing like they were watching fireworks. People were taking pictures and my nephews ACTUALLY seemed impressed enough with the cloud formations, thunder, and light show to be interested in me explaining what it was that they were witnessing. And when the sky finally did open up about 6pm the monsoon that was unleashed possibly had gusts up to seventy miles per hour.

So, my long storm drought is over. My family can also rejoice because not one minute of beach time was lost to either storm. All in all it was a tremendous beginning and ending to my vacation down The Shore. Thank you God!!

     About three weeks ago Emerson, NJ and several surrounding towns were slammed by an extremely rare hail storm. Some of my students referred to it as snow. This was largely due to the fact that the roads had to be plowed and people had to shovel their walks and driveways. I was told that golfball sized hail still remained the morning after by someone who was an eyewitness. Now on July 7th, 2009 this phenomenon was practically repeated in and around Yonkers, NY. I have heard no first hand reports, but pictures made it clear that at least shovels and possibly plows were again needed. Maybe the persistence of the upper level low over our region for the past 5 weeks may be the cause for these storms. Yet, we have to wonder at exactly how exceptional this series of events are. Remember an unusually prolific hail storm with extremely dense territorial coverage struck from PA to NJ to NY to CONN in April.

     President Obama’s moves, and lack there of, on the world stage reveal a dangerous idealism. His policies also seem to be beneficial to despots and tyrants and antagonistic to those nations with which the U.S. shares cultural and political similarities. His only consistency has been to cater to our enemies and shun our allies. This has been evidenced on at least a number of occasions. Whether it be policy statements on Israel or his defense of the unconstitutional efforts of Honduran President, Manuel Zelaya, the President can be sure to support the wrong side. Time and again he chooses to take positions that only further the goals of those who stand against liberty and freedom. The President seems more like a wide eyed college student fresh out of a Howard Zinn lecture than he does the leader of the free world.

     The agreements reached today with Russia are a perfect example. Essentially Obama gave away the store without getting anything in return. He spoke of how he “trusts” the Russian leadership. Were these not the same leaders who ordered the invasion and virtual annexation of two of the provinces of the sovereign country of Georgia? Yet, Obama seems to think that this warrants “trust”. This is the same government that opposes all of our efforts to deter Iran from developing nuclear weapons as well. The President simply sat down with Putin and Medvedev and conceded to every demand that they had. No promises of stopping their opposition to our missle defense shield in eastern Europe. No word that they won’t use their vast natural gas and oil reserves to hold their neighbors hostage again this winter. No, Obama signed a nuclear arms reduction package and then spoke about how he dreams of a nuclear free world. Maybe he should listen to what the leaders of other nations are dreaming about. How about a world without an America or wiping Israel off the face of the map. Neville Chamberlain dreamed of a world without war too. That’s what led him to sign the Munich agreement with Adolf Hitler in 1938. “There will be peace in our time.”, said Prime Minister Chamberlain. Does Obama have access to the same history books that I do? If I’m correct 1939 to 1945 was a pretty rough time, maybe he hasn’t studied that yet.

     While North Korea threatens to lob missiles at Hawaii the President dreams of a better world. While North Korea prepares to increase the power and range of its missiles Obama waits around for an effete Security Council resolution from the United Nations. I have to admit that the North Korea issue is probably one of the most difficult to find answers to solve the problem. Yet, our glorious leader has done nothing to change the situation. Could he have not pressured Russia to do more to help? I mostly worry about the possibility that Kim Jong Il will try to go out with a bang as he approaches his end. This same feeling about Saddam Hussein was one of the reasons I supported going to war there in 2003. Pyongyang doesn’t need nukes to do damage, with artillery alone they could level the city of Seoul and attack the tens of thousands of troops that we have in South Korea.

     Meanwhile the President exhibits near schizophrenia when it comes to democracy. On one hand he does nothing to support the Iranian people who were denied free and fair elections and on the other he supports an emerging tyrant in Honduras who violated the orders of their Supreme Court and the will of his own political party. Is it possible that Obama liked the anti-american book given to him by Hugo Chavez so much that he’s willing to speak out on behalf of his dear friend Zelaya? He calls it “meddling” in Iran, but immediately jumps to the defense of a president who violated the laws of Honduras. Is Obama revealing his true self with these dichotomous actions?

     More importantly is the issue of nuclear proliferation with Iran. I’m glad that the people of Iran are standing up against the Mullahs, but Mousavi is certainly no friend to the U.S. or the west. He is just as hell bent on destroying Israel as Ahmadinejad. Yet, this is one of the gravest situations confronting the world. Israel WILL defend itself before the menace of a nuclear armed Iran comes to fruition. No amount of diplomacy, pressure, or anything else will disuade them from a pre-emptive strike on Iran. Surely anyone with the least bit of knowledge of global affairs knows what trouble that could lead to, but instead we have the Obama administration lecturing the Israelis on settlements. He doesn’t move to fight the proxy armies of Iran, Hezboullah and Hamas. He doesn’t support the right of Israel to exist free from rockets and the threat of annihilation. No, Mr. Obama talks to them of restraint and asks nothing of the terrorists. He speaks of a two state solution, but never says that the Palestinian demand of the right of return to Israel would destroy the nation as a Jewish state. Like all leftists Obama’s anti-semitism may not be overt it’s only a matter of practicality.

     I am greatly disturbed by the foreign policy of this President. From issue to issue all I see are detrimental moves to the security of this nation. I see quite the appropriate analogy to Jimmy Carter. President Obama is a committed internationalist. President Obama is a socialist. President Obama holds a world view that disdains the American past and is opposed to our present dominance in the world. He has done nothing to alter my opinions on these matters and everything he has done has only served to reinforce my ideas of him. Lord willing we will endure four years of this man and still live in a world where we can exist in relative safety and security.