The #1 money rule seems fairly basic to most people:  Don’t spend more than you make.  While this sounds like an simple rule of thumb to most families, why is it that government finds this axiom to be naïve, unreasonable, or even “silly”?

In the past 2 years, we’ve watched our nation’s budget deficit go from $161 billion in 2007, to a staggering $1.84 trillion dollars in 2009.  Our national debt at the end of the Bush administration was $10.7 trillion, and if President Obama wins re-election in 2012, it is expected to double by the end of his second term.  His administration will amass more debt in eight years than the 43 presidents over our nation’s 233 year history have managed to accumulate.

In 2009, just the interest payment on our debt was $383 billion.  That is more than the budgets of the Department of Education ($46.7 billion), the Department of Energy ($26.3 billion), Health and Human Services ($76.8 billion), Homeland Security ($42.7 billion), the Department of Veterans’ Affairs ($56 billion), the Department of Transportation ($72.5 billion), and the Department of Justice ($26.5 billion) combined.  By 2025, the interest on our national debt and social security spending will account for 100% of our spending...no education spending, no national defense, no roads, no Medicare, no Medicaid, and certainly no Universal Heathcare.

Will Rogers once said “If you find yourself in a hole, quit digging.” 

Recently, we witnessed the collapse of the housing and banking industries, brought on, in large part, by the federal government’s meddling in the area of mortgage lending.  We’ve watched billions of our taxpayer dollars handed over to Wall Street businesses deemed “too big to fail”.  We’ve seen the takeover of the world’s largest auto manufacturer by the federal government and ownership transferred to labor unions, whose collective benefits contributed toward sealing it’s doom. The House passed “Cap and Trade” legislation that guarantees higher prices on virtually every item our families use and promises to make America even less competitive in the global economy.

Americans have repeatedly said “no” to this administration's takeover of healthcare, and its 2700-pages crafted behind closed doors.  When our nation’s founders wrote the Constitution, it was printed on 4 pages and contained only 4,543 words.

Our national unemployment hovers around 10%, North Carolina’s rate is right at 11% and Rowan County sadly sits at 13.2%.  North Carolina has the highest corporate tax rate in the south and you’d have to travel to New Jersey before you could find a higher personal income tax rate than North Carolina’s citizens pay.  What are we thinking?  Is this the way our elected officials expect to attract quality talent, industry, and jobs?

Even during a recession, North Carolina’s Democrats increased spending by a billion dollars over the 2008-2009 budget.  Did you know that state spending is up 30% in five years, and 45% in 10 years?  They continue their “spend-then-tax” cycle by dramatically increasing spending in good years, then raising taxes ($1.1 billion in 2010) during a recession.

Winston Churchill said “I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”  We can and must do better.

The 2010 elections are right around the corner.  The Democrats have controlled the North Carolina House and Senate since ’98…and that’s not 1998, it’s 1898.  It’s time for a change.

The theme of these elections will be “Jobs, jobs, jobs…economy, economy, economy”.  Tired of watching local, state, and federal officials mortgage our children’s future?  Then join us.  Thomas Jefferson said “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for good people of conscience to remain silent.”  Enough is enough.  It’s time to support conservative Republican candidates that will adhere to sound economic principles, not “progressive social theories”.  It’s time our state legislature was led by men and women of integrity, leaders who know what it’s like to compete for business and jobs in this region and around the world.  We need to send all of those retired-government-employees-turned-legislators in Raleigh back to their respective home towns...for good. It’s time for a change and 2010 is the year to make it happen.

Regards, 

Greg Edds, Chairman

Rowan County Republican Party

email: greg@gregedds.com

(704) 636-8070