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Alan Keyes on Jobs

American Independent nominee for President; 2004 Republican challenger for IL Senate


We need family farms to sustain character, not to feed us

The historical consistent policy failure of farm programs is a sign of something fundamentally wrong in our approach. Emergency help in the form of loans and other assistance to enable farmers to re-capitalize for the next season is necessary, of course. But let’s not confuse that with a policy that actually aims to perpetuate and strengthen the family farm. Temporary, emergency expedients do not address the fundamental structural impediments, particularly in finance, to the existence of this crucial American institution.

The real key to saving the family farm, however, is not economic reform, but a renewed understanding of why the family farm is worth saving in the first place. The family farm is not crucial because we need to have family farms in order to eat. Actually, a consolidated farm system of big agri-businesses could theoretically feed the country. Rather, we need family farm for its indispensable value in sustaining our nation’s strong moral character.

Source: Campaign website, www.alankeyes.com, “Issues” Oct 1, 2007

Ensure job creation as means to provide health insurance

Q: What does your health care plan contain to address racial disparities in access to care?

A: We all know that in America these days, your ability to have access to health care depends on whether or not you’re able to get that insurance at your job. So the first thing we need to take care of is to make sure that in areas where Blacks and Hispanics are living, you encourage the kind of entrepreneurship that will create jobs in those areas to give people that foundation of health care access.

Source: 2007 GOP Presidential Forum at Morgan State University Sep 27, 2007

Breakdown of family structure causes high black unemployment

Q: In 2006, the unemployment rate of Black high school graduates was 33% higher than the unemployment rate for white high school drop outs. What do you think accounts for that inequity?

A: The most important factor does have something to do with policies that had an impact on race, but it was the disproportionately destructive impact that a lot of government programs had on the moral foundations and family structure in the Black community. You know where a lot of Black men find job opportunities these days? In prison. That reflects the reality that when you allow the family to break down, when you have government regulations that drive the father from the home, you have established the conditions for the upbringing of children to be nonproductive, to be violent, to be turned in directions that will be destructive of their economic future. And I believe the disproportionate impact of these negative things has accounted for a lot of these bad results.

Source: 2007 GOP Presidential Forum at Morgan State University Sep 27, 2007

No “sexual orientation” in Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Q: I own a motion picture film lab that came under fire by the Arlington Human Rights Commission because I refused to duplicate objectionable pro-homosexual material. Would you protect business owners like me from being forced to violate our moral conscience by vetoing the so-called “Employment Non-Discrimination Act” that would add the phrase “sexual orientation” into federal law?
Source: 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate Sep 17, 2007

Government does not create jobs, only businesses do

It’s important to remember that government does not create jobs. You can’t have jobs without businesses. My opponent supported Gov. Blagojevich and all of the taxes, regulations, and fees that are strangling and destroying the business environment in Illinois. And then he goes around talking about jobs.

How are you going to keep jobs if you are killing businesses, and how are you going to attract new businesses to Illinois if you won’t address the problem of malpractice insurance rates that are driving doctors out of the state? How are you going to attract businesses to an area where there is not proper medical care?

I think it is obvious that medical care, schools, and things of that nature are a vital part of the business environment. When you take steps to hinder the business environment by putting fees and regulations on businesses and related things, then you’re killing jobs. I think you have to create an environment that is friendly to businesses in order to create jobs.

Source: Campaign website www.Keyes2004.com, “Issues” Sep 9, 2004

Family farms: Decollectivize banks; withdraw from WTO

Q: Since the family farmer is self-employed, would you cap government agriculture benefits to a modest one-family level? A: We need to look at the root of this problem. In the course of this century we restructured our banking system in a way that was insensitive to the needs of the family and independent farmer. We need to restore an element to the banking system that works with and is sensitive to the capital needs of farmers. Opening up new markets can’t be done in the context of this collectivist free trade approach that does not allow us to maximize the clout we gain from our enormous market. And I want to get away from this collectivist bargaining approach and in a hard-hitting way, a business-like approach force other countries to accept our goods as the condition of their entry into American markets. We can’t do that at the collectivist so-called free trade bargaining table and that’s why I think we ought to withdraw from the WTO.
Source: GOP Debate in Johnston, Iowa Jan 16, 2000

Family farms are nursery of moral character

Since the Republic was founded, the family farm has been understood as one of the bedrock sources of the moral character of this nation, of the sense of the combination of individuality and commitment to community. We lose the family farm and we lose the nursery of America’s moral character. We therefore have a stake that goes beyond money, it goes beyond food. It’s a question of America’s moral decency.
Source: Des Moines Iowa GOP Debate Dec 13, 1999

Other candidates on Jobs: Alan Keyes on other issues:
Nominees:
GOP: Sen.John McCain
GOP V.P.: Gov.Sarah Palin
Democrat: Sen.Barack Obama
Dem.V.P.: Sen.Joe Biden

Third Parties:
Constitution: Chuck Baldwin
Libertarian: Rep.Bob Barr
Constitution: Amb.Alan Keyes
Liberation: Gloria La Riva
Green: Rep.Cynthia McKinney
Socialist: Brian Moore
Independent: Ralph Nader
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2008