As a candidate for US Congress, Steve Parsons brings a vision of less government and more freedom to the table.
Dr. Parsons made his living helping companies around the globe make real-world business decisions in the face of regulations and government constraints. With a background as a professor teaching the Economics of Technology, he understands communication and is not just another candidate - he is a driven individual with a deep understanding of how government policies can shape the future for the better.
Join the movement for a brighter tomorrow. Vote Steve Parsons - Libertarian.
Cut Inflation
Real actions rather than rhetoric and hand-waving are critical now. At its most fundamental level, most inflation is caused by federal deficit spending and the Fed “creating money” to pay for it. Five steps are needed to cut inflation: 1) Eliminate trade tariffs (the 2018 trade war with China alone costs America $50 billion a year and 166,000 jobs); 2) Cut regulations. Federal regulations are costing the US over $6.5 trillion per year. One example is the 1920 Jones Act forcing the use of vessels that cost between 2.7 and 4 times as much to ship between US ports; 3) reduce the bureaucracy in granting green-cards and work visas; fill the job openings that will produce more goods and services at lower prices; 4) cut federal spending (see my tab on cutting federal agencies, https://www.steveparsonslibertarian.com/additional-page-2); 5) eliminate (or at least limit) the Federal Reserves’ ability to “create” money out of thin air to fund deficit spending; this money creation is a crucial cause of inflation.
Immigration
The current situation is the worst of all possible worlds. We need to 1) Eliminate government subsidy/safety-net programs for non-citizens (build a wall - around welfare); 2) Cut the bureaucracy in granting green-cards and work visas. 3) Eliminate tariffs on Latin American goods (think keeping jobs south of the border to reduce migration flows north); 4) prosecute criminals (immigrants or not) and negotiate a deal to have Mexico incarcerate convicted immigrants; 5) Eliminate the 3/10 rule that incentivizes remaining as an illegal immigrant. We need a clearer path to legal permanent residency for long-time immigrants who have made a life in the US. The first five items above will reduce migration flows. 6) Create a fee (say $2,000) for expedited immigration review. This will help pay for more manpower to deal with immigration issues.
Social Security
Social Security is worst social program ever created in the U.S. It is based on a failed pyramid scheme. However, Americans have been forced to pay into this scheme for decades. Congress has an ethical responsibility to try harder to avoid cutting social security benefits and work towards a long-term fix.
Prison Reform
The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Most inmates have a substance abuse disorder and most have some form of mental illness. Incarceration is extremely expensive especially as a response to victimless non-violent crimes. Over four decades of academic studies have shown that treatment is far more cost effective than incarceration (between 10 and 20 times more effective dollar-per-dollar); this is particularly pronounced when one recognizes our extremely high prison recidivism rates. Knee-jerk tendencies to simply build more jails and prisons is not working.
World Police
The US provides aid to 169 countries, 29 of which we also sanction. US military spending is twice that of all other NATO countries combined. We have agreements to come to defense of more than 50 countries and we have over 750 military bases around the world making us a drone target for anyone. Russia has 3 dozen bases and China just 5. Studies indicate our military presence in predominantly Muslim countries is a net creator of terrorists. In 2021 Brown University estimated the US has spent $8 trillion on the war on terror and which led to approximately 900,000 deaths outside our borders (which fuels additional terrorism).