Many current U.S. policies do not match the views of my conservative friends and colleagues. Are there still conservative Republicans among us? When I worked for the USDA, it was conservatives who supported funding for agriculture and conservation. Republicans now propose drastically reducing conservation funding. The U.S. is now providing incentives to import foreign beef. On another note, the U.S. national debt increases dramatically every year without any movement to address it. The historic conservative position for free trade and open markets has been replaced by tariffs and protectionist policies.
Federal funding was awarded to help low-income students during the George W. Bush administration. Today we are shuttering the U.S. Department of Education and putting the load on states. Federal funding is halted for the Head Start program, an enormously successful education program.
The U.S. federal government has ownership in about 30 private companies along with Venezuelan oil. Government ownership in industry reminds me of what the communists did in 1917 Russia. That doesn’t seem conservative.
The president, his family and friends profit through no-bid contracts. Federal contracting was complicated and often a headache when I worked for the USDA. However, we knew it would ensure the best and most conservative investment of federal dollars.
Regardless of political party, we should vote for national and state representatives who want to help us. Let’s support those who want the foundational conservative values of free trade, balanced budgets, spending oversight and no wars of choice. Let’s support programs that work for everyday Americans like education, agriculture, conservation, and healthcare. Let’s take a good look at the folks who are running for office and support those who are loyal to us and not blindly loyal to self-serving and non-conservative policies. Thank you, Ross Braun Macomb, IL
