MARIE WUJEK Advertisement

I have come to the conclusion that I am a true believer, an optimist. I believe in America, I believe in freedom and I believe in our future generations. I believe in the constitution, the bill of rights, and I support our troops and veterans completely. I believe in equal pay for equal work and education and health care affordability and availability for all Americans.

I don't believe in miracles; I call them blessings. I don't believe any one person is better or more important than another; they just live under different ideals and circumstances. I don't believe a child's potential can be judged by the score on one test, as many smart people, plain and simple, don't test well.

I do believe in our justice system and stand up for a victim's rights over and above their perpetrator's rights.

I believe if members of the Congress and Senate, and all others involved in law making for that matter, were given 30 days to come up with an affordable health care plan for all Americans under the promise of losing their own health care, it would become a priority and therefore, a reality.

I believe religion belongs in your heart and home and has no place in politics. I believe if a draft were implemented and every male and female from 18 - 25 were equally eligible to be drafted regardless of who they, their parents or grandparents were, a political solution for the Iraq War would be forthcoming and future declarations of war would be deemed a last resort when lawmakers risk the life of one of their own.

I believe, had the immigration laws been enforced all along, Sept. 11 probably would not have occurred; worst case scenario would have been the first plane hitting its target and the other two shot down in accordance to military law referred to as rules of engagement.

I believe in legal immigration and guest worker programs. Fact is our country was built by immigrants; they came for a better life, and they worked hard, followed the requirements for citizenship, and swore their allegiance to America. The U.S. should not be a get out of Mexico, (or any other country for that matter), free card. People here illegally are taxing our country's resources, in some states almost bankrupting them. They need to earn the right of passage and go through the same process as those before them. Plain and simple, follow the rules and become a legal citizen of the U.S.

I believe any corporation or industry that continually posts record profits should be investigated and analyzed, as someone is getting taken advantage of, either the American people or the government. If everything is on the up and up, then the government can learn from these corporations on how to run a business, as that is what the government is, one big business.

I believe there should be a federal cap on interest rates as low income people tend to pay higher rates than those more fortunate, making them a higher risk for default. You can be assured if the interest we pay on all indebtedness were tax deductable, as it was years ago, the government would control interest rates. Think about it, higher deductions reduce adjusted gross income, therefore, less tax collected.

I believe oil companies should be spending a hell of a lot more on alternative fuel research and stop gouging the American people with higher gas prices. Sorry, something doesn't make sense here. They say they pay more per barrel for oil than ever before, gas prices go up, yet, they continually post record profits. Kind of sounds like price fixing or price gouging to me.

I believe every able bodied man and woman should have the opportunity to work and provide for their family. I believe welfare and food stamp programs should be temporary, not a way of life passed down from generation to generation. The money saved by reducing the number of people on the welfare rolls should be directed towards programs to educate and re-train people who have lost their job due to downsizing, outsourcing or business closures.

I believe every government agency and department should be investigated and restructured to serve the needs they were created for. Seems to me far too many of these agencies and departments are ineffective - Inmates running the asylum.

I believe that if we keep outsourcing jobs and giving tax cuts to the wealthy, the middle class will cease to exist. Then where will the tax burden fall to generate the revenue to run this country?

I believe in equal time for the crime no matter your race, sex or economic status. Say you're a rock star, you keep getting busted for drugs and alcohol, small fines and 45 minutes in jail aren't going to turn your life around.

I believe that over populated countries should use monies collected through donations and financial aid from other countries to educate and control the birth rate in their country; this is common sense, not ethnic cleansing. There are forms of birth control on the market that don't permanently sterilize people. I don't think these emaciated women wake up one morning and decide to bring a child into this world just to watch it die.

I believe people on social security that find themselves in a "must work to survive situation" should be exempt from paying social security from their earned income. Seems to me 45 or 50 years of contributions should be enough.

I believe it quite rude of our government to continually ask all Americans to sacrifice and cut back when they are guilty of record spending with no end in sight, adding to the huge deficit in this country. Lead by example, not do as we say - not as we do. How many contractors have had to refund huge overcharges to our government for rebuilding Iraq, feeding our troops and building planes? Too damn many; Halliburton and Boeing Air to name a few. Some of these contractors found major billing errors and notified our government. How many mistakes go unnoticed, unaudited, and just get paid by the taxpayers?

I believe in the red, white and blue and that these colors don't run. I believe if you don't vote you don't have the right to complain about how this country is being run. America, love it or leave it.

I believe winning the presidency should be determined by the vote of the people - not the Electoral College.

Again, I am a true believer. I believe we can, through research and commitment, elect officials who will improve our status as a nation, put America and her people front and center and return to governing the old fashioned way: "by the people and for the people." I believe millions of Americans have lost faith in this country and achieving the great American dream. I also believe we can get it back. I have the right to my beliefs as you have the right to yours. That is what being an American is all about.