Dakota Beacon

Months ago, Donald J. Trump eliminated another “Bush family” nomination toward election to the Presidency, despite being grossly outspent. Earlier this month Trump and American voters who supported him prevented another Clinton from “occupying” the White House. For those accomplishments alone, we should be eternally grateful. Hundreds, if not thousands, of highly qualified Americans will probably become interested in becoming President now that it has been proven that one does not have to secure the support of the politically elite, instead simply appealing to the expressed concerns of the American people. Listening skills had to have been important for Trump to succeed.

In order of their importance, here are six reasons to give the Republican controlled Senate and House members ONE MORE CHANCE to get it right and repair the damage done by over a century of leftist degradation of our country's religious, moral, and ethical underpinnings and associated free enterprise:

1. The right to individual self defense against threats from both society and government, through ownership of firearms, has been retained. Hillary Clinton openly embraced an Australian-style confiscation of firearms and would most certainly have appointed constitutional revisionists to the Supreme Court. Our firearms, to a majority of Americans, represent our freedom, whether we own them or not.

2. Blatant refusal to rescue our armed forces from harm in Benghazi has awakened Americans to the ugliness of self-serving traitors within our leadership, including President Obama and Secretary Clinton, that put conflict-avoidance in place of duty, honor and country. We must never again allow our service men and women to be left alone on the battlefield when timely rescue is clearly available, such as was the case in Benghazi.

3. Obama care must be repealed, not “fixed”. A majority of Americans demand that replacement legislation must begin with a blank sheet. All Americans have been enlightened to the false promises of government run (single payer) health insurance. A good start would be the dedication of 100% of federal tax revenues on cigarettes, liquor and other drugs (that are proven to be injurious to health) to a fund that pays 95% of the medical costs of those who incur chronic illnesses which are largely due to the abuse of such drugs. The payment of 5% (with perhaps a yearly upper limit) of such medical costs by patients is imperative to individuals making better choices in the future. Other remedies, such as allowing insurance across state lines and federal guidelines (along with a graded reduction in federal reimbursements) for limits to medical liability (tort limits), should be discussed in a bi-partisan dialogue with any elements discarded that do not meet the basic principles of all present. Partisan laws are bad laws, period.

4. American Energy Independence and the associated freedom from involvement in middle east conflicts is clearly within reach and must not be held hostage to the hoax of “man-made climate change” (previously “global warming” and prior to that, “global cooling”) or any schemes to enrich politicians and their cronies such as was the case with the proposals encouraging “carbon credits”. Energy and natural resources development on federal lands must be encouraged, with appropriate environmental rules, to create jobs and minimize energy costs to consumers. Regulations that are not scientifically possible to meet when they are enacted must be rescinded.

5. Minority unemployment must be reduced to the extent that minority cultures embrace work and exhibit the courage to re-locate to areas where work is available. Lower corporate taxes (such as the 15% proposed by many), elimination of overtime rules that are not safety related, and avoidance of job-killing minimum wage hikes, are a few of the steps that can be taken. We are Americans; we must adopt enticement programs that are much more effective than throwing taxpayer money at such entrenched societal problems.

6. Regulatory micro-management of the “sharing economy” (Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Lending Club, etc.) must be avoided. Monopolies can be eliminated only with the removal of governmental regulations that favor existing businesses over start ups.

The Republican controlled House and Senate must now pass legislation that is carefully considered, duly debated, and skillfully presented to Americans in a transparent and open dialogue with the American People, taking full advantage of the “bully pulpit” available to President Trump. If this last chance at true leadership fails, all of the above concerns will once again be at risk in 2018 and 2020. If the pulpit is only used for “bullying”, we are doomed.

My choice for President was Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Only history will prove if President Trump is as capable at leading our nation as Governor Walker has proven to be in leading the state of Wisconsin. Vice President Pence's presence makes me infinitely more confident of Trump's potential for success in implementing the conservative smaller-government agenda that so many of us have been dreaming of. Pray for us all.