2008 California Election Forum

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf's comments on a lawsuit brought by Massachusetts parents who object to their 5-year-old son being taught in kindergarten to approve of homosexuality:

“Almost all moral education is indoctrination. It's the reason we have public schools.”

By Craig Huey

On April 30, Californians will celebrate Tax Freedom Day. It’s the day the average Californian stops forking over hard-earned money to the federal, state and local government and starts taking it home.

Last year, California was the 7th highest-taxed state in the nation, but this year we’ve gotten even worse at 4th highest.

In fact, you spend more days working for the government (121 days) than you do for food, clothing and housing combined (108 days). It's no wonder entrepreneurs, businesses and over-taxed Californians are simply fed up and fleeing to nearby tax-friendly states like Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.

The federal government takes and takes

In 2008, Congress snuck 11,610 pet projects (or earmarks) into your federal budget—the second highest number ever and a whopping 337% increase over 2007.

Earmarks like $211,509 for fruit fly research—in France. $188,000 for the Lobster Institute of Maine. And $148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute.

Spending is so out of control, the total federal debt is now $9.4 trillion. Worse, liberals want the Bush tax cuts to expire. This means the largest tax increase in history is coming…with the child tax credit to be cut in half, the 55% death tax and the mortgage tax penalty returning—all totaling an average tax hike of $3,000 per household.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders broke his promise to Christians and cultural conservatives.

The betrayal was during his 2005 mayoral race. He received voter and financial support based on his pledge to oppose same-sex marriage.

The mayor said:

“As you know, I don't support same-sex marriage, but that's because of the religious reasons.”

But on September 19 of this year, the mayor reversed his position. Christians had expected him to veto the vote.

One San Diego Christian leader pointed out Proverbs 6:16–19:

“There are six things the Lord hates—no seven things He detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who sows discord among brothers.”

The federal government is continuing to grow. And, it has huge, negative implications.

For example, as government grows several negative consequences occur to the economy:

• Taxes increase, hurting families and a growing economy.
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• Inflation increases, costing more to live, a hidden, immoral tax.
• The economy begins to choke as incentive and entrepreneurship is choked out.
• Plus, people on the government payroll tend to want that payroll to increase, creating a powerful voting block for bigger government.

Freedom is threatened as choices decline. And, a big government bureaucracy in a secular world would becomes increasingly hostile to entrepreneurs and business growths, individual freedom and choices and people of faith and morals.

So look at the trend:

• 28.3% of the population relied on the government for a substantial portion of their income in 1950. It rose to 55% in 1980, but Ronald Reagan cut that so by 2000 it was 49.4%.
  
  Sadly, by 2004 it grew to 52.6%. I'm afraid today it's most likely over 55%.
• Nearly 1 in 5 people work for the federal, state and local government or their company depends on government contracts.
• More than 2 million people receive housing assistance
• 19 million are receiving food stamps
• 1 in 5 receive social security or a federal pension

It's time to reduce the size of government, not increase it. Listen closely to those candidates who go beyond a pledge not to increase spending, but who actually favor cutting spending, taxes and regulations.

A lawsuit has been filed against the Palmer School District on behalf of Erica Corder.

As a valedictorian, she was forced to publicly apologize for sharing her Christian faith at graduation.

After she spoke of her faith in Jesus Christ she was told she would not receive her diploma because of the commencement speech she gave. Later, they said she could receive it if she apologized to the school community. The principal sent out an email apology they helped her write.

Because this violated her 1st Amendment rights, the lawsuit seeks to have an email sent apologizing for her being forced to write an apology and that a future written policy be enacted so future students' free speech rights aren't infringed upon.