An Open Letter to Republicans

An Open Letter to The Republican Party

Stand by your principles of individualism, a republic, personal responsibility, character, the private realm and private realm institutions, effective education, jobs and opportunity, business and trade, subsidiarity, smaller government, less regulation and lower taxes. These values and policies are requested by those who elect you as their representatives. These are the building blocks of freedom for the individual – freedom from the state.

But, if your conservative faction cannot bring these values and principles to our society, then you are not going to be re-elected by your citizen supporters. Since Richard Nixon, your party does not seem to be able to accomplish much of the above. Individualism is being replaced by collectivism. Personal responsibility is being replaced by “no objective truths” and victim and group politics. Character is no longer required by our government (yet it is still prized by the people). The private realm, and our most important private realm institutions, including job creation, are being compromised by the state. You seek more private realm opportunities for all, but you do not incentivize and push the private realm and businesses enough. You speak of subsidiarity and small government, but the central government has been strengthened and expanded over the years. The central government is more expensive and we have permitted great debt to accumulate since 1964, and through many Republican majorities and administrations. You speak about less government regulation, but we have more than ever. Finally, you speak of lower taxes, but my total income tax burden (employee, employer, corporate, entitlements, sales, local, state and federal) approaches 50 percent of my income. I am working half the year for taxes to pay for government and government programs that merely re-distribute income from one person to another. Public re-distribution of income, without character and opportunity, will never build wealth.

One third of our citizens vote for Republicans consistently. They believe your policies will set individuals and this country on a classical western liberal path.

One third of this country wants the state to do everything for them. They believe in your Republican values, but Republicans do not offer them private realm solutions that they can apply to effect their dignity. More of these people will vote for Republicans if they are able to understand the advantage of a Moderate Republican plan that strengthens the private realm in their community.

The middle third of the country questions whether your faction is able to bring the above private realm values and jobs to the fore. The middle third do not trust Republicans to offer a private realm path to dignity for many of our people. The Supreme Court eliminated our republic and your faction did nothing!

Elections are supposed to be about choices and they will have consequences. We have not seen much from the Republicans in 50 years. Republicans must offer this country a character-based private realm alternative to public sector taxes, welfare and “entitlements.” But, if you cannot deliver Republican private realm results, and deliver jobs and dignity, why should we vote for you?

Finally, in our republic, if your political policies and ideals are attractive, why do you need gerrymandered citizen voting districts to protect your faction? Are you afraid another faction will offer the people a better political policy? Open the marketplace of political ideas and ideals, so that the people may have an entire spectrum of political choices. Leave the marketplace of political ideas and ideals open, so that our elected representatives will be leaders of all the voters in their district, not only the people who vote for them. This is what is intended in a deliberative representative republic.