Jeff’s Pledge to the 7th District

I,Jeff Wisdom, if elected to represent you, the citizens, patriots, taxpayers,and constituents of Missouri's Seventh Congressional District, hereby pledgethe following:

- I will be an honest and frugal steward of your money. Government, at alllevels, wastes far too many of our tax dollars. In Washington, DC, federalspending has essentially become public theft and pilferage. I will seek todrastically reduce our tax burden, streamline governmental functions and obligations,and carefully monitor budget appropriations and expenditures. We must end theirresponsible practice of deficit spending and pay down our national debt,ensuring freedom from the oppressive chains of government indebtedness forfuture generations. Our government can no longer monetize our enormous debt byselling out the nation to foreign investors.

- I will work alongside executive, legislative, and judicial branch entities toensure our national security is never compromised. We must treat enemycombatants as such, not as common criminals. I support enhanced interrogationtechniques to gain actionable intelligence from detainees captured on thebattlefield, which does include our own soil. We must protect our nation'ssovereignty by enforcing our borders against illegal immigration. There is aWar on Terrorism and it is being waged against us on a daily basis. All of us,especially our elected representatives, must remain diligent in the struggleagainst terrorism. I have been to the battlefield and I will continue the fightin Washington, DC.

- I will be a steadfast advocate for our military, our veterans, and theirfamilies. My oath to the country, active duty service in Operation IraqiFreedom, as well as my family's proud history of military service, provide me aunique perspective on national defense. I understand the vast array ofchallenges faced by our fighting men and women on the battlefield, as well asthe families who support them on the home front. Veterans and our military willhave no stronger voice on Capitol Hill than me.

- I will seek to transfer power and control of our daily lives back to thestates and to the people as the Founding Fathers envisioned. Our nation wasintended to be a democratic republic, not a bureaucratic autocracy. Any billintroduced in Congress must fall under one of the eighteen enumerated powers ofArticle I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution. If a bill does not meet thatspecific criterion, it is unconstitutional, period, end of story, and will getneither my vote nor support. A gigantic step forward will involve repealing the16th and 17th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Congress should be strippedof the ability to tax our income and productivity, while state governmentsshould have fair and equal representation at the federal level. Both of thesecommon sense, pragmatic objectives can be attained by repealing theaforementioned amendments. Congress should tax only the states. There should beno direct federal tax on individuals or businesses. The levying and collectionof taxes from the people should fall solely upon the state and localgovernments, where constituents are closest to their elected officials. Thecitizens of each state should control the manner by which they are taxed andthe implementation of tax policy. Those of us who favor the fair tax option canthen wage that battle at the state and local levels.

- I will oppose any government bailout, takeover, or control of private sectorentities. We must enable the innovation and ingenuity of the private sector,facilitating the return of opportunity and prosperity. No government can createlong-term economic growth. That approach has never worked throughout humanhistory and never will. The government must take a back seat, fostering recoveryand expansion through the creation of a favorable economic climate for smallbusiness development and job creation.

- I will always have an open door policy for my constituents. I will listen toyou, the people. The disenfranchisement of voters and the tea party movement inthis country gained notoriety and momentum because our elected officials forgotthey work for us and ceased listening to their employers. During my term, Iwill hold regular meetings throughout the district, providing opportunities foreveryone to meet with me face-to-face in the ongoing discussion and exchange ofideas. I promise to be your advocate and public servant.

- I will hold myself accountable to each of you as your representative inCongress. It is my belief that public servants are, indeed, accountable, notinfallible. I will not forget the people or the district sending me toWashington. My family, friends, and staff will not allow me to shirk myobligations to you nor the future generations yet to come. My Christian faithand belief in God will guide my tenure in office.

Many issues fall under the auspices of my pledge. In every decision and everyvote, I will hold true to these promises and principles each represents. Thiselection cycle is critical to the future of our republic. I humbly ask you foryour support and your vote in the primary election on August 3, 2010. It istime for Congress to finally use some "Wisdom" founded on basiccommon sense and traditional values.