Rep. Ron Paul (R) from Texas made this observation in his latest Texas Straight Talk column where he discusses the widespread view that tax cuts ‘cost’ the government money.

One tax in particular should be eliminated as soon as possible– the tax on Social Security benefits. Those benefits were never taxed between the 1930s and 1984. Treating them as taxable income represents nothing more than a trick to reduce Social Security benefits by stealth. I supported legislation that successfully repealed a 1993 tax increase on benefits, and my own bill, HR 180, would go further and eliminate all taxes on Social Security. Our seniors paid taxes throughout their working lives to fund the Social Security system, and it is immoral to tax them again on their benefits.

Rep. Paul is my kind of Republican. Actually he looks alot like a Libertarian. Maybe that’s because he is, I remember voting for him for President in 1988, back when I thought the Libertarians had a chance to win something. I’ve since come to realize, as has Rep. Paul, that change can better be effected from the inside. Like it or not we live in a 2 party system, so choosing a 3rd party is a waste of your vote. I regret the vote that I wasted on Ross Perot, helping to allow Pres. Clinton to be elected. But I have corrected my ways. Instead of whining about the system and its state of affairs, get involved in your local primary elections. That’s where the real difference can be made. Help the more conservative/libertarian candidates succeed and get into the general election.

But once you are at the general election you have a clear choice. Do you vote for the ‘best’ candidate, or do you vote for the one who has the best chance of winning and furthering at least some of your personal beliefs? I used to vote for the best, and that got us 8 years of the Clinton administration. These days the best way to protect your rights is to vote for the GOP. They’re not all perfect, but they’re a hell of alot better than the alternative. The following was sent to the WA-CCW mailing list by Dave Workman. It does a good job of summarizing what we are up against:

Well, all one has to do is imagine, just for a moment, Nancy Pelosi as House
Speaker.

John Conyers as chair of the House Judiciary committee.

Chuck Schumer as chair of Senate Judiciary

Dianne Feinstein as Senate Majority Leader

Hillary getting a launch for the 2008 presidential run, which some people
are already predicting she will win.

You think we had it tough under the “first” clinton regime? Just wait until
Hilly flies into the Oval office on her broom.

Kiss national CCW goodbye. Say hello to a new, improved AWB. Say hello to
one handgun a month nationwide. Say hello to “arsenal licenses” for anyone
with more than five guns and X-number of cartridges.

And more and more and more…..

Dave W.