ISSUES


This November 2nd YOU have a chance to elect someone who speaks for you, the working men and women, parents and grandparents.

Joel Gill will go to Washingtonto represent your interests. He will ask the questions you want answered.

ALL BEEF !!

NO BULL !!

ISSUES

JOEL GILL

young enough to envision a goal…

old enough to accomplish it. !

ALL BEEF !!    NO BULL !!

On November 2, send Joel Gill to

Washington to represent YOU!!


ISSUES IN BRIEF

  • ” We must implement a responsible energy policy to get our economy back on track before the cost of fuel stifles all future economic development” more on Energy Policy
  • “I’ll protect Social Security by working to make sure adequate funding is available to prevent any reduction in benefits.” more on Social Security
  • “The Income Tax needs to be fair and simple. When everyone pays their fair share, we all prosper.”
  • more on Income Tax
  • “The voice of the working women and men of Mississippi needs to not only be heard in Washington DC but acted on as well. I will make sure it’s your voice not that of the special interests that is heard.”
  • (more on Where I Stand )
  • “Whether we should have gone to Iraq is not the issue now. We’re there and have to act. There will be time to examine the reasons in the future. The important issue is how do we best ensure the safety of our shores with the resources we have today. As far as Iraq is concerned, we must let the Generals and military strategists formulate an effective exit plan to bring the troops home as soon as possible without wasting the sacrifices of our brave women and men who have served as well as those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, in this struggle. ( more National Defense/Iraq )
  • “Illegal immigration is now one of the greatest threats to our nation, draining our economy of the precious resources. Our fellow citizens need to have quality health care and top notch education for their families. You shouldn’t use the services if you don’t pay into the system.”
  • (more on Illegal Immigration )
  • “We must rein in these free trade agreements that may be good for the bottom line of multinational corporations, but cause job losses here at home as well as abroad. These FTA’s are a major reason we are experiencing a record influx of illegal immigrants.”
  • (more on Free Trade )
  • “The brutal barbaric procedure known as partial birth abortion should be outlawed forever at the Federal level”
  • (more on Abortion )
  • “I will bring a combination of both business and political experience to the office. There are plenty of lawyers in Congress already, its time for a businessman with common sense who also knows how to function effectively in the legislative environment as well.”
  • (more of Official Announcement )
  • “As a member of the NRA and an avid hunter, I will oppose any effort to limit our 2nd amendment right to own a firearm. I fully support your right to own not only hunting weapons, but hand guns for personal protection as well. I was endorsed in 2008 by the Sportsmen and Animal Owners Voting Alliance. “

ISSUES

ENERGY POLICY

“With gasoline at $4 per gallon and electricity at record prices, now is the time to implement a responsible energy policy for our nation.”
“The  paragraph above was written during the summer of 2008.  While Mississippians rejoice with the rest of the nation at lower prices now, we still must formulate responsible sustainable energy policies rather than fall back into wasteful practices that invite the oil producing nations to hold us hostage once again at their whim.”

SOCIAL SECURITY

Jack and Wanda Gill,  Joel’s parents. Both receive Social Security payments, but of vastly different amounts.

“2042 will mark the doomsday of the current system unless we act now.”
“We can no longer afford to exempt the wealthiest wage earners in America from contributing their fair share into the Social Security system.”
” I was introduced to the inequities involving the “notch generation” and unfair practices involving payments.
Benefits should be fair and equal, not punishing those who because of the systems failure years ago are now forced to endure reduced monthly payments. I want to bring all recipients up to the highest lawful level of payment possible.
The Republican Administration’s solution seems to be to take no action and wait for those affected to die, that is wrong. There is no excuse for inequity within the system””If we do not face up to the challenge and fix social security now, our children and grandchildren will face a bankrupt future. Unless younger workers are allowed to have control over a small portion of their contribution in a real “lock box” they direct that can provide for the funds to grow in a safe secure tax free fashion with the funds being fully inheritable in case of an untimely death, we will simply continue funding a Ponce’s type pyramid scheme until it collapses under its own weight being unable to provide benefits for anyone. This is the last step in saving social security and was rejected by the Republican controlled Congress of a few years ago as unworkable because they were afraid to address the total solution, complete removal of caps on the social security contribution which is the first step. We can no longer afford the huge exemption granted to the wealthy. Did you know that anyone earning over $102,000 per year contributes not one penny to the social security system on any wage over that amount? A professional ball player or corporate CEO that earns $20 million per year should not be given a free ride on the backs of America’s poorest wage earners. That change alone, having everyone contribute at the same tax rate on their entire wages, will enable the system to be sustainable.

Those currently receiving payments or who are within a few years of qualifying for the program should be allowed to continue in the current program, with no benefit reduction from current levels.

You can’t have only one half of the change that helps the already wealthy remove more money from the system You must have the total program to ensure that current as well as future benefits are guaranteed.”

INCOME TAX

Wealthy citizens can no longer be afforded a free ride at the

expense of the poor and middle class. However it is important to remember that if the richest citizens in the Nation were taxed at 100%, it would still not be enough to fund our government.

The vast majority of wealth in our country is in the hands of the middle class. It will be through all sectors paying a fair share that our budget needs can be met. A tax that is fair will help all. I remind those of lower incomes, that a Soak the Rich strategy is doomed to failure. Under a tax that is truly fair, the wealthy would pay more. 20 % of $2,000,000 less the minimum wage deduction is considerably more than 20 % of $60,000 should 20 % be determined to be the magic amount.
The current Income Tax system is a hodge podge of hard to understand complex rules designed to modify citizens behavior, This system cannot be fixed. It must be revamped from the beginning creating a fair tax to all.

For those earning minimum wage, they should pay no income tax at all while still being able to qualify for the earned income credit, the only current facet of the system I would keep. A fixed percentage of all workers earnings greater than  the minimum wage should be collected equally on all salaries and investment income with no additional deductions.

Only a simple system can be truly equal to all. This percentage must be set based on the budget passed by the Congress. We cannot continue with deficit spending and provide any kind of secure future for the generations to come.”Each year the tax rate would be set be the OMB based on the budget passed by Congress to ensure a balanced budget. A rate that would change yearly depending on what the people request funding for will spark a serious discussion among taxpayers of what program to increase, reduce, or eliminate altogether.”

THE CONSTITUTION

“I believe that over 220 years ago, a group of very dedicated, freedom loving, personal rights preserving, highly capable and experienced in the ways of tyrannical politics, individuals met and forged one of the greatest guiding frameworks to preserve personal freedom that the world had ever seen.

While not perfect with 3/5 citizens and no women voters, these brave founders forged ahead.

In that same desire to preserve freedom, rest assured, amending the Constitution is a last resort solution for me. Sometimes it is necessary and advances fairness in our Nation such as granting women the right to vote. Many times sadly, it is a reaction to an ill conceived idea such as amendment 16, the income tax.

NATIONAL DEFENSE – IRAQ  

You break it, you own it. We went in with high expectations and the best of intentions to aid the people of Iraq. While Saddam Hussein has been removed and executed, the people of the region have never known freedom of any kind let alone the wondrous system we enjoy and cannot be expected to trust in any system that provides for an orderly transition of power. The idea is beyond the comprehension of people who have for thousands of years  lived under the control of  Kings, Potentates, and Dictators.
Only time will allow these citizens of Iraq the chance to experience the American Dream of free enterprise and opportunity.
The real question is how much time do we allow and is it worth it. Are we really safer as a Nation?
The next Commander in Chief must ask our most trained Generals to craft a plan to bring most of our troops home as quickly as possible, while not squandering the sacrifices made for Democracy so far.”

“The news media must lend their aid in reporting to the world the struggle in Iraq. The foes we stand up to are not insurgents, citizens of a nation fighting invading oppressors from the outside, but rather enemies of the people of Iraq. They are not standing up to oppressors when they bomb schools, hospitals, and public transportation to kill and maim innocent women and children. These people are the ones seeking to once again oppress the people of Iraq. Hopefully the US press will change their term to better reflect the reality of  who the real villains in this struggle are.”
We cannot be solely dependent on our technology to protect us in the future.

While currently superior and the best in the world, a space based attack on our defensive satellites would leave us vulnerable and blind to aggressive action by hostile nations. We must continue to maintain our vigilance in traditional means as well as computerized modern methods.

This was demonstrated to us a few years ago when the Chinese shot one of their own satellites out of orbit in a veiled but hard to ignore threat that they could do the same to us in the future should that be their desire.”

“I support the all volunteer military, oppose a renewed draft, and believe as Jefferson did “The price of freedom is not free.” Freedom is not without a price, but misguided policy must be addressed while still funding our defense at the levels required to keep us the best defended Nation on the planet.

As we begin our withdrawal from Iraq, why not ask  that nation, not you, to fund it’s rebuilding effort.
It was said we went to war over oil. To date, I have not seen any extra supplies that could reduce the cost of filling your gas tank come into the United States, but I ask, is it not reasonable to request that the Iraqis  fund their own rebuilding through their oil sales and other trade rather than asking the Mississippi taxpayer to fund that effort?

I will work to ease the tax burden on U S citizens that are being asked to fund the war in Iraq.”

VETERANS

“They gave their best, now we must give them our best. Many of our servicemen were able to complete their tours of duty without injury. Many others were not. We must not turn our backs on these brave men and women, some volunteers, some caught up in the draft of years past, who suffer to this day from disabling injuries received in the line of duty.

Our VA system must be made user friendly to meet the needs of those called to serve our Nation, whether they helped in WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Greneda, Desert Storm , Somalia, Bosnia, or the current campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are entitled by their service to receive not only our best medical care, but our respect as well.”

Promises made to those who enlisted prior to 1956, and served for 20 years before retiring, should not be broken now in the name of budget cuts. Saving money at our veterans expense is no place to attempt to balance the budget to cover other failed Republican policies.  Our veterans  have given much in the past , to ask them to give more now is just wrong. “The elimination of the “Widows Tax” which cuts the surviving spouses benefit from 55% of the veterans benefit to 35% when she reach’s 62, at a time in life when many need it most also needs to be addressed and corrected.
As to cancer claims involving Agent Orange, we should always err on the side of the veteran. It is unfair to deny benefits because they have difficulty proving the amount of exposure while in service to our Nation.”

FREE TRADE

“”I oppose a NAFTA super highway. The safety standards of the United States would ultimately be at risk, not to mention the tremendous cost of the project and the challenges it will present for our border security.” Congress should not renew Fast Track authority. By doing so, the duty to protect America and our way of life has been conveniently ducked. The men and women chosen by you the voters to represent them should do just that and look out for your collective interests while any agreements are being hammered out. Trade is necessary, but ensuring fair trade is vital to the future of our nation. The duty of everyone sent to Congress is to represent the citizens of their District as mandated by our Constitution under the Representative Republic form of government we enjoy. Our Congress must not shirk this duty.” “The US jobs lost under NAFTA, and now CAFTA, are relocating from those regions to China. There low wages are paid, safety and worker protection procedures are not followed, and the products produced may be unsafe as witnessed by the deaths of thousands of dogs and cats this past summer (2007)due to pet food from China and millions of products being pulled from store shelves as recently as this past December (2007)because they posed a risk to the health and safety of consumers and their children.” “We have been sending our jobs as well as our children’s futures to far flung nations that promise importers low enough prices to entice you to buy their wares. If it means there are no good paying jobs available for people in this country, as long as the lowest price is available for the consumers who are still employed and able to purchase goods, as long as your money flows to the coffers of the International tycoons, it’s OK? That is the position of the Rampant Free, not Fair, Trade Republican’s who only care about the almighty corporate dollar and one I will not support. “We cannot afford to have our future sacrificed on the altar of free trade for a few baubles in the form of lower prices now.” While Federal funding of projects is possible, it will be from each communities own efforts that the most effective gains will be made, not only in infrastructure, but in job creation as well.” With gas prices over $3 per gallon and food prices spiraling out of sight, small business now more than ever must take the lead in creating job opportunities not thousands at a time but 5-10 and as these foundational businesses locate and operate in MS, other small independent businesses will spring up to support them. This will create the Mississippi Miracle that will enable our State to be the leader, not the least, in economic development for the 21st century.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

“Making Mississippi, and central Mississippi in particular, a destination of choice  will be the key  to not only improving our State’s image, but using it’s history, scenery, and overlooked potential to bring economic opportunities and prosperity quickly to the district by providing service to those at or near retirement.

With the ever aging baby boomer population, let’s bring lasting development by making central Mississippi the new Florida as a Mecca for those fellow US citizens seeking affordable quality retirement villages accented with superior health care on site. Tourism and recreation are important, but these retirees will become a major new source of tax base, not new taxes for the State and local communities.

Another very important consideration are technological jobs in the aerospace industry. Mississippi is one of the top ten State’s for Aerospace jobs. Besides the highly technical positions, the spin off support positions created generate huge new revenue sources that can fund projects to entice more of our youth to stay in school.  “

HEALTH CARE

“Health care in the United States should be affordable, available, and accessible to all citizens of our great nation through a combined effort of both the private and public sectors. 

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By restoring the public county hospital system nationwide with up to date diagnostic equipment that provides care at low cost to users, the insurance companies will have a steady cost base line to use in formulating different plans for payment in the private sector. There must be highly paid senior staff to oversee young doctors and nurses enrolled in the new system to provide the best care in the treatment of the hard or unusual cases in top notch fashion.”

“As a needed first step we must fix the “doughnut hole” in Medicare prescription Plan D to hold down costs to our seniors.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

The United States has always welcomed immigrants and should continue to do so in the future. Most of our citizens have immigrants as part of their family tree, but illegal immigration is placing an undue burden on the fabric of our society .

Without contributing to the tax system these invaders waste our scarce resources needed to provide good public schools and accessible health care by their very presence. Amnesty is not the answer, nor are wide scale sweeps that result in the deportation of at most a few thousand illegal’s who will seek to invade us once again at their earliest opportunity.

The economic incentive must be removed from the equation by placing sizable penalties on employers who hire undocumented workers without verifying their status.

Many unscrupulous employers will try to force these undocumented workers into crowded, almost slave like living conditions and keep a portion of their pay to fund these sub-human conditions, knowing that if the worker objects, the employer can simply call Customs and Immigration to solve his problem. This is also true of legal guest workers due to the lack of portability with the H 2-B visa which requires the worker to remain in the hire of the original sponsor no matter what. This is wrong and must be addressed and corrected.

While in Central America as a member of R-CALF USA’s CAFTA fact finding team, I saw first hand the poverty that drives these people to risk life and limb crossing deserts or oceans to get here.

The US jobs that were exported to those countries have resulted in massive distortions of social values in those nations. The women of the region are usually employed rather than the men.

The farming jobs that most of those men enjoyed are being lost as small farms are taken over by international agribusiness and farmed by very few workers. Its no wonder that these displaced workers try to gain greater economic opportunity.

Our Free Trade Policies, such as NAFTA, CAFTA, and now PERU, have had the unintended consequence of increasing illegal immigration through the economic distortions created by “Fast Track” FTA’s that removes the Congress’s power and ability to improve those agreements to better protect our borders as well as the economic interests of the working women and men of the third district.

“There is not an overnight solution to fix this problem, but it must be addressed with more than lip service. A fence no matter how tall or how long will not be enough to secure our borders.

It will take a complete reformation of our entry policies to ensure an enhanced work force and fair treatment of those new workers.”

ABORTION

“I oppose the brutal barbaric procedure known as partial birth abortion. I defy the medical

community to furnish one legitimate reason to suck the brain from a child after its body has entered this world and is only seconds away from complete birth. I will work to ban this horrific abomination as Federal law that will prevent this practice forever in the future.”
As a firm believer in state’s rights, partial birth abortion is the only aspect of this sensitive heart wrenching issue that I would support banning at the national level. Each state should determine what is best for the single women and married couples within that state’s borders who are faced with this unpleasant choice

Anne Gill with grandson  

EDUCATION

Don’t teach the test, teach the child

No child left behind while a good concept has proved unworkable and has tied the hands of our dedicated educators. An unfunded mandate from Washington should not dictate the education methods for Mississippi. That’s for OUR teachers to decide.”

No child left behind has proved to be a failure. A one size fits all approach from the top down will never work. As long as our teachers must “teach the test” to ensure that funding continues to flow, they will be forever barred from having the freedom to teach their students in an individual manner that will provide true education to those wanting to learn.

The role of the Federal government should be to fund education through a block grant system that allows individual districts to teach in a manner that bests suits their local students. The cream will rise to the top, and Mississippi can finally move off the bottom by tailoring our local education systems into the very best they can be by flexibility and freedom”

We must put the one size fits all ,Washington knows best and will save us mentality in the dust bin of failed ideas. The funds to aid local school districts across the Third District of MS and all of the US are easily found by eliminating the Federal Department of Education as a cabinet level position and restructuring the monitoring of America’s schools under the Department of the Interior.

By redirecting those funds saved to the states based on a per student formula in block grant form will help fund the only true education which is found only at the local level throughout our great country.

No one knows more about the children they teach than that individual teacher in the classroom who looks that particular student in the eye everyday. The money needs to be spent to help these caring individuals instead of funding a bloated bureaucracy.”

EAR MARK – PORK BILLS

“One communities pork is another’s necessary special project which otherwise could not be funded.”
I don’t have a problem voting for a street project in Washington state, if my colleagues will vote for a water project in Mississippi’s 3 rd District.
President Bush said that earmarks should be eliminated or at least cut in half. Let’s face it, ear marks are the special needs of each Congressman’s district. My small town, Pickens did not have enough money to repave our streets. Earmarked in the 2005 Transportation bill was $200,000 in federal funds to help us accomplish this. To the people that elected me to office, this is not “pork”, but a great  need that could not otherwise be completed.

I propose placing all the “pork” in a stand alone bill which would be very transparent listing each Congressman’s special projects in an open manner. This will allow major legislation to move through Congress without being loaded up like a Christmas tree with hidden special projects that will be later attacked as “pork”. If a Congressman wants to build a “bridge to nowhere” the people of his District and the Nation may want to ask why and hold him accountable at the ballot box.

Without these special projects funded at the federal level, the needs of the many small communities across the Third district will never be met.