Things I Believe...

The following is a list of things that I believe:

1. Although opposed to the war in Iraq, I believe that we must show resolve now to win the peace there. This means an economic, political, and yes, military commitment for at least the next 10 years.

2. The retirement age should be raised to 65. People are living longer than ever, still have much to contribute when they reach the current retirement age, and are healthier if they remain active. In addition, with more people going to college and advances in medical health, people are starting careers and families later in life now as well.

3. Social Security must be dealt with, and so, though it pains me to say it, kudos Mr. President for starting the debate. Privatization is not the way to go, but should not be ruled out altogether. However, the government should encourage private accounts as an addition to Social Security savings.

4. Military engagements and spending, though not popular, will have to be scaled back. When added to servicing the debt, our budgetary flexibility is almost nonexistent. Cuts must be on the table if we wish to see balanced budgets once again. There's just not enough money (in fact little at all) in the GOP's perennial poster children of waste such as welfare.

5. We should normalize relations with Cuba. We have counted Sadam Hussein, Joseph Mobutu, and countless other brutal men as allies at one point or another and Castro certainly has much better records than they. If we want to spur on democracy in Cuba, nothing will be more crippling to the Castro regime than an influx of American tourists, goods, media, and example.

6. Our healthcare system is the best in the world for those who can afford top-notch treatment. For everyone else it is just all-right at best. We need a drastic overhaul including considering making insurance actually just that, insurance and not a shared payment plan for every time you see a doctor. More importantly, the power of information technology must be harnessed to improve care, make it assessable to more, and to reduce costs in a system that is seeing unsustainable rates of inflation. Preventative healthcare must be a crucial component to health savings.

7. China and India pose a real threat to American economic predominance in the world. Even with NAFTA, it is cheaper for a company to set up shop in China and ship goods to the States by cargo than it is for them to do it just across the border in Mexico and bring them over by truck. In addition, despite consumer complaining, Americans will still choose cheaper goods and services over having technical support and customer service in American English rather than Indian English. What's more, more and more jobs in more and more parts of the economy are becoming exportable and it is nothing but a race to the bottom for the lowest cost of production.

8. Our education system needs to be examined carefully and changed. Math and science needs to be emphasized to a greater degree; the current movement in the Christian Right is standing in diametric opposition to this and scientific progress. The school year and day should be lengthened and teachers unions should be the ones calling for it. They know better than anyone the challenges facing us. As was seen in Milwaukee, vouchers are not the answer, but they also are not not the answer.

9. Detroit should establish itself as the hub of automotives that use alternative energy sources.

10. D.C. should be granted statehood. It is completely antithetical to not allow our nation's capital to have complete representation in our government.

11. The University of Connecticut has the best basketball program in the nation. The women's team is dominant and has ignited a state to cheer for them like only men's teams are cheered for in most states. The men's team has one of the top five programs in the country and will soon be a perennial Final Four team. The football program will soon rise in the college sporting world and little children in Connecticut will enjoy upbringings similar to those in Michigan, California, Ohio and other states where college football is a religion.

12. Drug addiction should not be treated as a criminal issue. It is nonsensical to convict a drug addict, throw him/her into a prison with easy access to drugs and then release that same person and expect him/her to have kicked the habit. As is becoming the case more and more in California, drug addictions should be viewed as a healthcare issue.

13. If you are a strict constructionist, then you cannot stay true to your beliefs and maintain that the 2nd Amendment gives all persons the right to bear arms. I myself, however, do not subscribe to strict constructionism. I believe in the living and breathing Constitution.