Dear Current and Future United States Presidential Candidates:
I am writing this open letter in an effort to encourage those of you who are either currently running, or have future plans to run, or haven’t even thought about running but may one day do so, to remember to focus on the issues that matter or should matter to the Commander in Chief of our great country and “We the people”.
I am not writing this open letter anonymously nor am I writing on behalf of anyone other than myself. These are my opinions and my needs as a voter. This might actually encourage a few social media zingers or even a few friends to question our friendship, however I feel today warrants action, my action and my opinion on what I truly need in a leader for our country.
Today, March 1, 2016, I headed to my neighborhood voting polling location to ensure that my vote counted and was recorded. I am a registered voter, knew where my polling location was located, had my state issued identification, and even knew how to vote on the electronic ballot. What I did not know was WHO I was going to vote for to ensure that the candidate was on the final ballot in November. I’ve heard several other voters say the same thing, this election is important to our country, it’s future, and the future of each and every one of us and our children however the question still remains; why didn’t I know which candidate I preferred?
The issue for me and maybe other voters is that our current options for candidates are bleak. It’s not that as a group you are uneducated or even unqualified, I find that the group has forgotten the real issues and how to communicate your action plan on those forgotten topics. This open letter isn’t directed towards one party or another, really it’s for all of you so listen up. I’ve heard a lot of noise between both parties attacking each other and their misguided values but really is that the issue? Haven’t we all made mistakes? Said the wrong thing under pressure? Gotten frustrated and yelled?
Yes, we all have made mistakes and some of us have learned from them and grown into better friends, family members, employees, co-workers or even leaders.
Here’s what I need from YOU in order to cast my vote:
1) A tactful economic and financial plan. Be a leader who can drive financial independence for our country and pay down our debt by turning away loans from other countries and be able to make those hard decisions that will impact funded projects we can no longer support. Take care of US. Grow our countries ability and frankly desire to buy local, state, or nationally but drive the US dollar back home. Hire our own, its a family kinda idea. Be the Godfather and only trust those of us who are citizens (or applying for legal citizenship) and pay taxes to be hired as employees. Work with our US based companies and give them tax relief if they hire legal citizens, we cost more, and I agree that we should cost more so give companies incentives to support our family for hire. Then create a real budget, like the one we do at home to keep from being in the red. Get this…stick to the budget. I know really simplistic isn’t it? Yes it will be hard, yes it will create a national “culture change” but I am ready for that change and expect that this is a priority for my candidate.
2) Make us safe. Take that budget and after all the cuts are made, take a hard look at our armed forces, national security, intel sectors and give them more dollars and resources to ensure that we are protected. Take no shit from other countries, be tactful, but be in frigging charge and let those other powerhouse countries know that we won’t be pushed around. Get our troops and prisoners back home to their families. Take no shit…wait I already said that, well I mean it. We have a right to bear arms and you better believe I am on that team, however I don’t need the right to a semi-automatic weapon, nuclear bombs, or an underground arsenal ready at a moment to blow up my neighborhood or the city of Atlanta. My candidate needs to get a “grip” on weapons flooding into our country. Go ahead and restrict those on any watch list or no-fly list from their right to bear arms, I approve. Any soft candidate need not apply. I want our Commander in Chief to be feared by other country leaders, their threats believable and backed-up by actions. Man or woman, don’t care. Stop making appearances on SNL, even if I really love those skits – you are not JT (Justin Timberlake). You are my leader who doesn’t take any shit from other countries and they need to know it. Stop showing us your dinner parties, your college basketball sweet 16 playoff picks, favorite diners, drive-ins, and dives, I want a kick ass and take dog-tags later kinda leader. So stand tall my candidate and protect US.
3) Health prevention. It’s not health care people get with the times! We already have health care, we care for a lot of freaking people. We need to focus on prevention, healthy lifestyles, research for emerging technologies and pharmaceuticals to reduce illness before it begins. However kick the crap out of those who abuse the system and take advantage their patients. I’m looking at you Martin Shkreli. If big pharmaceutical companies are hiking prices to enormous proportions, then find a way to open the market and FDA approval faster for generic drugs. Isn’t our country founded on “the land of opportunity” thus competition? Well get to it if you want to be my candidate. The Affordable Care Act (otherwise know on Twitter as Obama Care) isn’t the solution. Health care can be affordable if we were a country based on health prevention. Now here is where I’ll say that health prevention means that “We the people” have some skin in the game too. We are in control of taking care of our mind, body and soul but this will be a huge ship to turn, takes decades, and culture change however if we drive the reward to prevention then we sheep will follow. What I mean is no health care for me until I show you that I’ve taken care of myself (healthy eating, exercise, routine check-ups etc) and then when I get sick I have all the affordable health care needed. Also our providers should be reimbursed based on their health prevention stats first then health care stats second. Two ratings, published for all to see, transparency and fruitful competition (see above reference on competition). Sign me up, I’m voting for the candidate that gets health prevention!
(Nay sayers footnote: The exception are those who are born unable to take care of themselves due to disabilities. I believe that “We the people” should help to take care of them since they require health care from the start, but not agreeable that it should be a directive from our government. This is where my personal values and caring beliefs do not cross with governmental control. We should take care of them through donations of our gifts not mandated by our government or supported by the US budget.)
4) Education up our k-12. So every country sends their kids to our universities because they are the best. Why don’t they send our kids to our public elementary schools, middle schools, or high schools? Listen as a parent who has raised children in the south and in a city where private schools are competing with our public schools, and winning, I fully understand what is broken. The government and our candidates forgot that education is a business and needs to compete within the marketplace. We parents have choices and so do our administrators, teachers, counselors, and coaches. As a tax payer I am also well aware that we pay quite a bit to eduction including SPLOST. We have the best university system as a country but the worst school system???? FIX it and run our school funding like we are the investors we really are. I want my return on the investment! Ready? Set? Goooooo!
5) Personal issues are just that, personal. Don’t judge, don’t regulate and don’t make these issues alone or on my behalf. I don’t care where you the candidate stand on my personal issues, I also don’t want your opinion on these matters. They are mine, they are OURS as voters. We are the voters, take those issues back to the voters. Example: legalize same sex marriage. Gosh why do our leaders spend hours, days, months even years fighting about personal issues? Just ask “We the people” what we think, take a vote, record into law, and move the heck on (see issues 1-4 if you have time left over). Today’s personal issues are everywhere and need to be addressed, however I’m sick of our leaders and candidates trying to jockey their personal beliefs in place of mine. On these hot topics just “take it to the streets” where it matters and where historical local or state law isn’t already in place. You get a pass, we get what we want, and my leader can focus being my leader not my personal Yoda. Win – Win!
I appreciate your courage to step up to the plate, be scrutinized, GIF’ed, poked and prodded however I need candidates that fulfill these descriptions and nothing less. I would appreciate it if you would read throughly, take my call to actions seriously, and conduct yourself as stated. For those who prove worthy, I publicly and without prejudice, cast my vote for the matching candidate this November and future elections.
Thank you for your time and consideration in helping me identify WHO is my candidate.
SpanishMossSeries 
Spot on!
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