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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | Bill Bristow |
| Address |
Jonesboro, Arkansas , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
December 07, 1950
(73 years)
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| Contributor | Not in Public Domain |
| Last Modifed | RBH
Sep 24, 2019 07:09pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | Attorney
1998 Nominee for Governor
1996 Candidate for U.S. Senate
We need leaders who will enact policies which are right for America, not simply what facilities reelection. Reclaiming an America where the future looks better than the past, restoring our fiscal independence, creating an economic future where every one who wants to work can and those who do are in fact rewarded, restoring safety to our cities and countryside -- this is our generation's challenge.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:
We don't do it by taxing and spending. We don't solve every problem by a new government program. America must put its fiscal house in order.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY:
There seems to be a national sense of living for the moment, turning to drugs and crime. It seems the greatest driving force in many individual lives is the desire for immediate self gratification.
AMERICAN WORK ETHIC:
I grew up on a family farm and our home was one of traditional Arkansas values. We knew in our upbringing that a man's word is his bond. On any job, if you can say with pride that you gave a day's work for a day's pay, then you understand the feeling of self worth and self esteem which embodies the American work ethic.
Over the last several months, I have visited with Arkansans in various communities around the state. I have consulted with citizens in many walks of life and have asked them to share their concerns about the future of country, state, and family. At the same time, I have explained my beliefs with regard to fiscal responsibility, individual accountability, the American work ethic, and our Bill of Rights.
There are without doubt feelings of dread and apprehension about the world our children will live in. I think this pessimism stems from three principal sources. Over the last thirty years, we have seen our national debt increase from $322 billion in 1965 to $5,000 billion today. During the same time, the tax burden has continually increased so that the average American now works until May 6 each year just to satisfy tax obligations. Adding to the frustration are increasingly onerous and sometimes silly regulations which lessen productivity and initiative. The bottom line is that fiscally irresponsible government, a burdensome and unduly complex tax system, and pervasive and nonsensical regulation have caused us to question whether our children can indeed experience the upward mobility economically that has characterized the American dream.
We have also seemed to lose individual accountability. Individuals will not take responsibility for the consequences of their action. Instead, they blame their supervisors, their co-workers, their parents or that catch-all villain, society itself. Indeed, the driving force in many individual lives seems to be the desire for immediate self-gratification. This has created an environment where crime is so pervasive in some areas that simply walking down the street for an ice cream cone would be unthinkable.
Finally, and perhaps most frightening, people seem to be losing faith in their institutions of government and their elected representatives and to some degree with each other. There is no greater danger to our precious and traditional American freedoms as set forth in our Bill of Rights than this cynicism and distrust about the very framework of a government that has assured the greatest individual freedoms and liberties in the history of the world.
Yet, even with these concerns, I am confident about the future of this country, state, and social system. What Americans want are people they can trust, that they can believe in -- leaders with individual values of honesty and integrity. They want someone who has common sense, is reasonable, and has the fortitude to represent their interests without the excessive partisanship which has created our present governmental gridlock.
There are two fundamental beliefs that I would bring to the United States Senate. First, our economy should be based on entrepreneurial decisions by individuals as opposed to being driven by government spending. Government should guarantee fairness in opportunity so that all individuals have access to equal opportunity. But government should not attempt to guarantee equal success. Success should depend on our work and our talents, not government mandates. In short, my philosophy about economic issues emphasizes the roles of individuals and is capitalistic.
Second, social issues should be addressed from the standpoint of the individual. Government should not intrude into personal moral and religious issues. Our country was founded on the separation of church and state, and this line between individual faith and government must be respected. The basic rights of every American as set forth in our Bill of Rights are just as important in today's urban, pluralistic, high technology society as they were in our Founding Fathers' more rural and agrarian society. Indeed, as life becomes more complex and there is more interaction between the individual and government, the existence of a contract between the citizens and government guaranteeing basic freedoms becomes ever more precious.
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