An Inauguration Day Message to My Fellow Marylanders & Americans

An Inauguration Day Message

While feelings are mixed today, in more ways than one post could easily & eloquently convey, I will say the following regarding President Trump's Inaugural Speech, and I say it in regard to my own upcoming campaign for State Delegate in 2018.

One of the first points he made as the newly-elected President of our great nation: he stated that Washington politicians have let us down for years.

My friends, in this statement, he is irrefutably correct.

Politicians have LET US DOWN for YEARS. Each time they’re elected for representative positions, they claim that they’ll enact “real change,” so much that it’s become cliché – but the truth is, they’re only interested in GROWING BIG GOVERNMENT, REGULATING YOUR INDIVIDUAL CHOICES, and ultimately SPENDING MORE OF YOUR TAX MONEY. You might as well say that the only real difference between politicians is WHERE they want to spend YOUR money.

I hope that in my own quest over the next two years I may earn your confidence in my pledge to vow to ACTUALLY return power - and MONEY - to the people of our great land, here in the State of Maryland, should I be elected to serve our great Marylanders. I hope that you will take the time to review my platforms at JDforLiberty.com - and I hope that you'll take the time to reach out directly as you deem appropriate to pick my brain, to have the conversations, to learn, and to educate. To educate your peers, to educate me, and to MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD.

While emotions run strong, opinions and preferences and stances differ, may we remain ever mindful of the old adage, "Eternal vigilance is the price paid for liberty." May we make our voices heard. And may we strive to elect officials whose interests are found in the hearts of everyday Americans like you and I. I will be right here by your side for a long time to come.

In Liberty, now as always,

Joseph D. Sandy

JDforLiberty.com

THE ISSUES: Taxation and the "Give Me Free ___" Movement

There are folks out there who see how much they're paying in taxes and wonder why they're paying so much if they aren't getting free college, free birth control, free food, free housing, free... the list goes on.





Very good that they recognize a problem.





There's a problem, and it has to do with the fact that, as Marylanders in America, we more or less pay about 30% of our income to taxes (between state, federal, county, property, sales, and others).

One example of why taxes are so high is the fact that the USA spends more than the next twenty-something sovereign nations COMBINED on militia, under the partial guise of "defense."





That's certainly not to say that all tax spending is illegitimate. A militia for national defense of our citizens, for example, is legitimate.





Other legitimate government spending includes legislative services to uphold contracts and order, and basic necessary services (like a police force and firefighters and very general public services to maintain order and preserve life, liberty, and property) - those are often legitimate on federal and state levels. And make sense naturally in a society our size.





It seems to me like the statement from so many progressives who say "give me free ___" is, "We pay this much, why not give us more for what we're paying in taxes, instead of just lining the pockets of politicians?" And I get what they're saying - but what they might consider is that adding federal/state funding of birth control, college, cell phones, food, and housing... doesn't mean the government will incorporate any or all of those things into the current 30% you pay up in tax... it just makes that percentage grow from where it is now.





In America, we don't pay 50 or 75% of our income to the state to have them regulate (and provide) everything in our lives, like some nations do.





My goal is to promote DECREASES in federal/state spending, which means decreases in federally-funded (and therefore regulated, and provided) and state-funded (again, regulated & provided) services to the least common denominator in all arenas. A free market works better. When you hand out freebies, you deprive people of their dignity.





I'm all for private entities that provide charity (the Freemasons are an example). There are many various fraternal orders that are private entities that take care of their members.





My aim is decreased spending and decreased taxation, but people are inclined not to think that way - they don't see cutting spending as an option. They'd sooner say, "I pay so much already, give me my money's worth!"





The reality is, it's a pipe dream.





Yours in Liberty,
Joseph Sandy