Dave vs. Clifford on Hot Button Issues

Clifford has refused to participate in more than 10 candidate forums, including the Alachua League of Women Voters, and thus answer pressing questions from voters. It is difficult to really understand his actual position on many issues. Therefore I have taken the liberty to summarize the fundamental differences between us on several “hot button” issues based on the positions advocated by Clifford Stearns on his campaign website.

What is your position on illegal immigration?

Bruderly supports a comprehensive solution that is a compromise between the bills passed by the US Senate and the US House. My plan would secure our ports and borders, require all illegal aliens to register immediately, would create a verifiable identification system for all aliens, would modify the work visa to accommodate market demand for labor, would allocate resources needed to enforce existing immigration laws and would initiate a bipartisan commission to discover policies that would strengthen Central American economies, eliminate the incentives for aliens to seek work in the United States and adjust quotas to meet market conditions.

I do not support “amnesty” for those illegal aliens who seek citizenship; American citizenship must be earned by following established rules and procedures.

Click the following to find more details on my solutions to defend our home front. Build a Strong National Defense Backed by Wise Diplomacy and Real Peacekeeping

Clifford voted to construct a multi-billion dollar boondoggle fence and alien detention centers as part of a deportation scheme that will not solve the fundamental problems. Clifford advocates the forced deportation of 11 million illegal aliens, some of whom have been living and working in this country for years. Forced deportation is not only irresponsible, it is impractical and will only serve to drive illegal aliens deeper into the shadows and make this nation less secure.

Do you support the Fair Tax Act?

Bruderly has not taken a position on HR 25, the Fair Tax Act. This is not the only tax simplification proposal on the table. I support fundamental tax reform that will make our taxation system more efficient, eliminate loopholes, make the forms easier to fill out and drive investment towards projects that actually create public benefits, like elimination of pollution. Click the following to learn more about my solutions to replace the current inefficient system with a fair, progressive tax system that rewards good behavior and penalizes bad activities.

Build Fiscal Responsibility and Create a Balanced Budget

Clifford is a co-sponsor of HR 25. Experts who have examined this legislation have stated that it overstates the benefits, grossly underestimates the tax rate (23%) on goods purchased, is NOT revenue neutral and totally ignores unintended consequences. It is probable that the mortgage industry will collapse if the home mortgage tax deduction is eliminated. Long-established markets for consumer and luxury goods and relationships between non-profits and donors seeking tax relief will also be affected in ways that could destroy many companies and foundations.

I support objective, in-depth evaluation and analysis of the costs and benefits of HR 25 compared to alternative tax simplification proposals so that REAL tax relief legislation can be created.

Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D)

Bruderly supports lifting the ban on negotiating the cost of bulk drug purchases by Medicare, allowing regulated imports of prescription drugs from other countries and eliminating the donut hole.

Affordable Healthcare for All Americans

Clifford praises the Medicare Prescription Drug Modernization Act as an efficient market based system and does not recognize the fundamental fact that the system is neither efficient nor competitive. His vote prohibited Medicare from negotiating the lowest prices possible through bulk purchases and imports from other countries. The VA Medical System and Wal-Mart can negotiate lower prices. Why not Medicare?

What is your position on our veterans?

I support full funding for the Veterans Administration so that living veterans can receive prompt, high-quality health care, especially wounded and disabled soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. I also support full investigation of the causes and treatment for Gulf War Syndrome and generous long-term care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and other services required to help veterans readjust to civilian life.

Affordable Healthcare for All Americans

Clifford recently voted against extending the military health care benefits (TriCare) to National Guard and Reserve Troops being deployed overseas. While Clifford, Ander Crenshaw and Corrine Brown all claim credit for the new National Cemetery near Jacksonville, Clifford has failed to fund services needed by living veterans. For example, he has ignored research and expert testimony by Jim Moss (Ocala Star Banner) documenting that living veterans continue to suffer and die from Gulf War Syndrome created by exposure to chemical warfare agents, depleted uranium, insects and vermin, fumes, adverse reactions to vaccines and the mental stress associated with constant threat of IEDs and firefights with snipers and insurgents.

What should be the next step in dealing with the situation in Iraq?

Bruderly proposes a strategy that combines dialogue among the warring factions with hard-ball diplomacy with elements of the Murtha – Biden Plans to create a cease fire.

Build a Strong National Defense Backed by Wise Diplomacy and Real Peacekeeping

At the same time I will introduce legislation that will require the United States to provide the leadership needed to negotiate with all the stakeholder groups in the region to band together to form the Western Asia Security Alliance (WASA).

Clifford continues to brag about capturing Saddam Hussein and supports continuation of the same policies that have resulted in civil war in Iraq and the deaths of dozens of Iraqis and Americans military personnel everyday.

What are you doing to reduce the cost of gasoline?

This is the wrong question. The real issues are the frequent and unpredictable swings in the cost of gasoline that destroy budgets. These cost surges are created by the fear of war, hurricanes, pollution and demand from China and India. The REAL issue is how to change federal energy policy to motivate industry to provide a secure supply of cleaner, safer more efficient transportation fuels at relatively steady, predictable prices set by competitive market forces.

I advocate aggressive policies that will motivate industry and entrepreneurs to make significant investment in non-petroleum alternative fuels and ultra-efficient vehicle technology to reduce consumption of gasoline and diesel fuel by 10% within 10 years and 25% by 2025. Click here to see more detail.

Clifford advocates more of the same inefficient policies (drilling in ANWR and offshore Florida) and ignores the costs of war, climate change, toxic pollution and the REAL benefits of using safer, cleaner non-petroleum fuels and more efficient technologies. Providing alternative sources of supply for alternative fuels is the only way to break up the petroleum cartels and create competitive market conditions. Commercial deployment of alternative fuels is NOT limited by technology nor the availability of alternative sources of energy. The barriers to investment required to create competition are created by current wasteful policy that provides HUGE taxpayer funded subsidies to petroleum fuels.