Great column by Paul Krugman today: Cannibalize the Future.

Today in the New York Times an article appeared on one result of the war on drugs mentioned in my discussion of that issue: support for the Taliban as an essential component of the conflict in Afghanistan.

Separation of church and state

Jesus articulated the principle of separation of church and state when he said “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Not until the United States came into being eighteen hundred years later, however, was the principle incorporated as a basic tenet of government and fundamental freedom.

Good comment in the UK Guardian, where the British situation parallels our own: Market fundamentalism has failed. Now is the time for a new vision.

We should restructure and simplify our tax systems so everyone pays some tax, income from work and capital is treated equally and fairly in a progressive tax system that fully meets our revenue needs, while reversing the tax supported redistribution of wealth.

(video text)

Taxes

Hi, I’m Walter Hofheinz. I’m running for U.S. Representative for the 32nd District of Texas.

Choices about reproduction and health care based on moral, ethical, or religious grounds are private choices, not within the proper scope of government action.

(video text)

Reproductive Rights

What we do about having, or not having, children, and what we do in the bedroom, is simply private, and outside the appropriate scope of our use of government.

Higher education benefits the entire society, not just the student, and should be fully supported at the federal level. K through 12 education should be neither regulated nor funded at the federal level. This video discusses why.

(video text)

Education

The current problem with funding medicaid family planning services described in Government to cut Texas women's health funds in abortion dispute illustrates why I believe that federal spending should be direct, rather than through funding programs administered by states:

"Some 130,000 low-income Texas women who get free exams and contraceptives through Medicaid could lose those benefits...."

(video text)

Social Security

Hi, I’m Walter Hofheinz. I’m running for U.S. Representative for the 32nd District of Texas.

Social Security provides the only economic security in old age for the vast majority of the U.S. population --
for more than two-thirds of those 65 and over, Social Security provides half of their income, and it provides 90% of the income for more than one-third.

I discuss briefly my approach to immigration policy. In short, we should welcome rather than shun those with the initiative to immigrate, work hard, play by the rules, and make a better life for themselves. Both we and they benefit.

(video text)

Hi, I’m Walter Hofheinz. I’m running for U.S. Representative for the 32nd District of Texas.