Alan Keyes on Budget & Economy American Independent nominee for President; 2004 Republican challenger for IL Senate

Economics should be based on family household management

When somebody’s telling you they’re going to take care of economics, while they stand by and let your family be destroyed at its very heart, in its very principle, they couldn’t possibly be telling you the truth.

But we don’t get it. We think economics is about money. No, it’s not. If you really understood it, you’d realize money is not economics. It’s about whether or not you have sustained the strength and integrity of your household, of your family relations, of all the strengths that can come when that network works the way it’s supposed to. Have you noticed how people prosper when that’s true, and how hard life gets for them when it’s not? There’s a reason for that.

Rein in out-of-control spending and balance the budget

• HUCKABEE: Yes.
• TANCREDO: Yes.
• COX: Yes.
• BROWNBACK: Yes.
• PAUL: Yes.
• HUNTER: Yes.
• KEYES: Yes.

Supports balanced budget amendment to the Constitution

Can’t address budget deficit until we address moral deficit

More $ for defense, NASA, parks; less for Ag, educ, arts

Keyes supports the following spending levels:
• Greatly Increase Funding
  • Defense
• Slightly Increase Funding
  • NASA
  • National Parks
  • Scientific research
• Maintain Funding Status
  • Law enforcement
  • Medical research
• Slightly Decrease Funding
  • Transportation and Highway Infrastructure
• Greatly Decrease Funding
  • Agricultural programs
  • Arts funding
  • Education
  • Environmental programs
  • International aid
  • Welfare

Enforce spending limits to balance the budget

Keyes’ priorities for spending any anticipated federal budget surplus:
• Defense - Highest Priority
• Education - Not a Priority
• Federal debt reduction - Medium Priority
• Medicare - Medium Priority
• Social Security - Medium Priority
• Tax cuts - High Priority
• Keyes supports enforcing the spending limits agreed to in 1997 by the President and Congress to balance the budget

Amend the Constitution to limit borrowing and spending.

Seeing people merely as consumers is bad for moral fiber

In both cases, the key insight comes from seeing people as producers, rather than passive consumers. When economic activity seduces people into seeing themselves primarily in the latter role, it’s just as bad for moral fiber as rampant welfare dependency.

Where consumption is the law and the prophets, self-discipline is heresy. The mass consumption economy needs full-fledged earners with desires untrammeled by any limiting sense of obligation to others. It thrives on people who acquire the skills to earn, but who remain emotionally single and self-centered.