From employment to national security, education to environment, our country relies on a strong economy. Without that strength, our future looks dim. Merlin Froyd has heard the concerns of citizens in his district and has several good ideas on how to get our economy up and running. Merlin advocates lower taxes, reasonable regulation, and smaller, smarter government. He will work to create aggressive tax incentives to get manufacturing and entertainment industries back into our country to employ our families, friends, and neighbors. Merlin believes tax relief for families grows the economy, and wants to provide that relief by doubling the exemption for dependents.

In addition to families receiving relief, small businesses should be helped. Everywhere in his district, Merlin has seen that small businesses provide the lifeblood for the communities, employing many and creating innovations for the future. Merlin will work to relieve them of the burden put on by large government. He will fight for environmental regulations that are based on sound science to achieve goals that are technologically feasible and fight against regulations that are based on emotion and the unknown. Merlin will also fight for legal reform to protect small businesses from the effects of frivolous lawsuits.

Lowering taxes for both of these groups is only one aspect of the economy. We need to get the value of the dollar back up! To do so, we need to decrease our over $12 trillion-plus debt. Merlin Froyd will work with everyone from those next to him to those across the aisle in order to get the spending of our government under control. He will push to eliminate wasteful programs that are failing and to stop future bills that gamble with the taxpayer’s money. If individual Americans are tightening their belts, so can the government.

With Fiscal Responsibility the Numbers go the Opposite Way

America has the best doctors, hospitals, and innovative medical technology in the world, but we can still do better. Merlin Froyd believes that we can achieve better health care for lower cost and to do so, we need competition! Competition is the best way to drive down costs.

For example, if you live in Hawaii and want to purchase a vehicle the chance of negotiation is slim. However if you live in Los Angeles (where there are more cars than anywhere in the nation) your chance of getting a better deal is substantially higher because of competition. Merlin Froyd views health insurance the same way and will fight to open up state borders to allow Americans access to over a thousand different healthcare providers. Costs will go down.

Merlin will also work with members of Congress to end frivolous lawsuits. These lawsuits have driven up the cost of healthcare as healthcare providers are forced to practice defensive medicine, such as ordering unnecessary tests. This requires medical liability reform, and to move forward with that Merlin Froyd will push hard for federal tort reform.

The safety and the protection of your family, friends, neighbors, and country are concerns that should not be limited to one’s individual party. Sixty years ago our country looked in the face of evil: a cold war that threatened what we stood for. In response to that, under the stripes of our flag, Ronald Reagan spelled out our philosophy: Peace through strength.

We live in a world that is as dangerous today as it was decades ago. We have a new enemy focused on the destruction of freedom and the death of Americans. Random acts of violence have replaced conventional war, and it’s time for our country to get up to date. Merlin Froyd believes intelligence is the first line of defense. Merlin will work hard to properly fund new initiatives that are designed to thwart bioterrorism and cyberterrorism. Merlin Froyd will push for a strong missile defense system that will protect our homeland, troops abroad, and friends and allies in different parts of the world.

A few years ago Merlin Froyd was invited to attend an event that discussed human trafficking. One form of slavery had been abolished in the United States, but he was sickened to see new forms of slavery emerge that affect men, women, and children around the world. Merlin Froyd will work hard with everyone in government to create a plan to destroy existing slave routes and punish those that commit these hideous crimes. He will work hard to increase diplomatic pressure on foreign governments that have been slow to act on these disgusting crimes. Freedom is for all.

Merlin Froyd believes God created the world and that we need to do what we can to respect and take care of it. It was Republican President Theodore Roosevelt who said, “The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others.” Merlin agrees.

Merlin Froyd will push for technology and innovation that will reduce the United States Carbon footprint, without hurting our economy. Merlin believes that our ability as a nation to rely more and more on renewable energy is important not only for our economy and environmental goals, but also our national security. With his employment selling Ford Motor Company products Merlin Froyd has seen firsthand the advances in recent years of Hybrid vehicles, PZEV engines, and recyclable materials being used in the automotive industry.

Merlin Froyd believes that scientists who work to solve challenges of climate change should be rewarded with incentives. It is a small price to pay for something that may pave the way to complete independence from foreign energy.

It is estimated that over 17,000 people are brought into our country every year and forced into slavery. Human trafficking is a major problem. According to U.S. Health and Human Services, it is the second largest criminal industry worldwide. These people, mainly women and children, are forced against their will into hard labor and/or sexual favors. These abused children of God are no longer brought in through tunnels; they are now flown in on 747 jumbo jets into our international airports.

Along with this little-known human tragedy, drugs continue to be funneled into our communities from the north and south borders, as well as the west and east coasts. These drugs empower gang lords to pull our children out of schools promising wealth and fortune, without ever telling them the true cost of their devotion.

All of these problems are fueled by a lack of border security, and although some headway has been made in recent years, we must do more. Our government exists to protect you and your family with safety and security. In order to do so, we must have a secure border.

Our government has done very little in regard to securing our borders, because it is often times negatively associated with the human rights of immigrants. People fear that if we have strong border security, the human rights of the immigrants on the inside and outside of our country will be violated. Thus, the underlying problem is not addressed.

What I don't understand is how individuals overdosing on drugs, people working in slave-like conditions under minimum wage, or children being used as sex objects can act as a perfect example of human rights. They cannot. In fact, they are in direct opposition, and by us using human rights as an excuse to do absolutely nothing in regard to our border security is a violation of our human responsibility, as well as a direct disservice to those who are suffering.

My first step to immigration reform is to secure our borders. My second step in immigration reform is to establish a pathway to citizenship for those who are in our country illegally but are positively contributing to society. Now I know there are going to be a lot of people who think the best way to deal with illegal immigration is to put everybody on a bus, boat or plane and send them out of the country. This unrealistic idea has thwarted any attempt to deal with the real problem.

Currently there is a bi-partisan bill in the House by Representatives by Rep. Gutierrez (Democrat) of Illinois, along with 91 cosponsors that deals with immigration in a realistic way that is just and fair. The bill, CIR ASAP, helps immigrants that have been in our country before or by December 15th 2009 who contribute to U.S. work, education, military service, or community service apply for conditional residence. After six years, they can apply for green cards if they work or contribute, pay taxes, keep a clean criminal record, and meet English and civics requirements. It would also create special exceptions for youths to obtain green cards and citizenship more quickly.

I also like this bill, for it creates severe penalties to employers for hiring unauthorized immigrants. This will stop employers from creating environments of slave labor, while encouraging immigrants to be authorized to work in our country.

Now this bill has a ways to go; however, I think it does a great justice of preventing future unlawful immigration while providing a grace-centered perspective to those that live in our country and are contributing to our society.

To summarize my view on immigration, we must move quickly to secure our borders to prevent human and drug trafficking, undue hardship on our economy, and future illegal immigration, while at the same time providing a safe, fast, and gracious way for those living in our country to be here without fear.

For some reason there has always been a love/hate relationship between the government and Hollywood. The government loved Hollywood when it told stories of great heroism during World War II, then feared Hollywood due to the anti-establishment movies like Easy Rider and The Graduate, fell in love with Hollywood again during the 70's and 80's because of the great variety shows, and now there are complaints from the government due to the filth and language used on reality TV.

Perhaps that is the reason our government has been, dare I say, lazy when it comes to curbing runaway productions. It seems like other countries are opening their arms wide to receive these productions while our government looks at a new production and increases fees and derives new taxes, new regulation, and ridiculous permits, and then complains about the quality of the story on MSNBC. 

When will our government learn that one production, be it film or television, can employ over 1,000 blue-collar workers in industries ranging from the food industry to transportation, building supplies to manufacturing, casting to art design, etc.? This is not to mention all the jobs that come before and after principal photography, as well.

It seems like our government looks at a production and says, "Ooh, big, bad industry." I look at a production and call it what it is, and that is an employer. When walking precincts, I have come across far too many who have literally seen their jobs flee our country, and this has got to stop.

Now some members of the United States Congress tried to curb the problem with runaway productions with The Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Though I like the idea, what came out of it was a poorly written attempt of playing catch up to the rest of the world. I think we can do better. I'd like to move to offer producers the ability to write off all expenses within 1 year on all production budgets. I would also like to create tax incentives for keeping productions here in America and, at the same time, form a partnership with unions to make sure that our employees are not only the most competitively trained, but also competitively priced. It is important that we keep jobs here, and we must all come to the table and figure out what we can do to further our case.

Part of this would also include investigating whether the incentives that are offered by Canada and Mexico to lure productions away from America are in violation of NAFTA and the fair trade rules set up by the World Trade Organization. If that is the case, further action will be needed. 

Losing these productions is not only a loss of jobs, but it is also a loss in the American brand of storytelling.  Remember the humor of Abbott and Costello, the epic story of Field of Dreams, and the lessons taught about acceptance on All in the Family?  It would be a pity to lose this, and I will do whatever I can to keep film production in our country.