Issues
Education and School Choice
Now more than ever, education is vital to success in life. As our economy is constantly growing and changing, we must provide our children with the education necessary to succeed. The federal government can play a role in education, but schools should be controlled to the greatest degree possible on the local level.
Dan believes that children should have the ability to escape failing schools and supports ideas such as charter schools and vouchers. Parents should have the ability to move their child from an under performing school to the educational institution of their choosing that will best facilitate their child’s learning needs.
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Gas Prices and Energy Policy
The United States depends too heavily on foreign resources. It is time that the United States puts together a comprehensive energy plan that focuses on supply, demand, capacity, and alternative sources.
Capacity remains to be a lingering problem for U.S. oil production. The United States has not built an oil refinery in nearly three decades! With current refineries working at nearly 100% capacity, any unexpected maintenance will directly affect our nations supply and cause gas prices to continue to grow.
While addressing capacity and supply, we must also increase research and development into newer technologies and alternative energy sources that reduce consumption and pollution. The United States should lead the world in next generation technology that can provide for a cleaner environment, reduced reliance on foreign energy sources, and new industries that will provide thousands of jobs to future workers.
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Healthcare
After serving for 2 years on the Johnston Memorial Hospital Board, Dan has seen first hand how important Healthcare can be on a day to day basis.
Access to new drugs must be improved. In order to control skyrocketing healthcare prices, we must cut the red-tape and undue bureaucracy within the FDA so that the approval process for new and potentially lifesaving drugs can be accelerated without sacrificing safety.
Dan also believes that small business who would not otherwise be able to afford healthcare should be able to band with other small businesses to purchase such coverage as a group so that more working Americans will have access to the healthcare coverage that they need.
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Veterans’ Affairs
Serving 16 years in the Armed Services, Dan fully understands the sacrifice and hard work put forth by those who served to make the United States the greatest nation in the world.
North Carolina is one of America’s leading military states. That is why our congressional delegation must continue to stand firm in our support for our troops and our veterans.
Dan will insist that our troops are paid the good salary they deserve and have the supplies and training they need to effectively defend our nation.
We must continue to work hard to maintain quality healthcare for vets, and find ways we can modernize an often inefficient VA bureaucracy, to make sure those who wore the uniform receive first rate benefits.
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Tax Relief
The United States needs a fair tax plan that works for the 21 st century. Today’s system of taxing is inadequate, inefficient, and doesn’t work.
In order to attain a fair system of taxation, we must institute the “Fair Tax Plan”. The Fair Tax Plan would replace the income tax with a consumption tax. This means you pay taxes for the things that you buy or use.
With more that 1,100 forms and publications, America’s tax code has become a nightmare of complexity. The Fair Tax Plan would simplify the system, and low taxes would encourage small businesses and workers to grow and thrive.
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Small Business
Dan Mansell is a small businessman and understands the issues that affect the success or failure of these ventures.
First, we need to have a system of taxation that encourages investment and entrepreneurship. Currently, small businesses are penalized by the tax code, costing jobs and opportunity.
Dan would also support legislation that would permanently repeal the death tax – which disproportionately affects small businesses and family farms.
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Social Security
Social Security has served Americans well for generations, and we must take proper steps to ensure that the program remains solvent for future generations. But the program was designed in 1935 and is broken, and unless Congress acts quickly, Social Security will be in serious trouble.
Dan believes in transforming and modernizing the Social Security system – as many industrializes countries have done – to allow younger workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes into a nest egg that they can pass on to their children and grandchildren.
Just like federal workers invest their pensions into safe options of stock and bond funds, younger workers should be able to do the same. This will keep the system solvent for decades to come.
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National Security and the War on Terror
The main responsibility expressly outlined for the federal government in the Constitution is providing for nation defense. Congress faces no greater duty than ensuring that members of the armed forces have the training, equipment, and finding necessary to protect citizens of the United States and our interests abroad.
After September 11th, it is apparent that our national security is dependant not only on protection from other countries, but also from terrorists who respect no national borders. We must do all that we can to track down these terrorists and their sponsors, no matter where they hide.
Dan also supports a tough stance on rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran. Unless faced with strong opposition, countries such as these will acquire and sell nuclear technology to anyone, including terrorists determined to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States.
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Illegal Immigration
Dan Mansell believes that illegal immigration is one of the top national security issues facing the United States today. With over 300,000 illegal immigrants in North Carolina alone, we must improve our border security and provide better surveillance equipment to those who work hard to keep our borders safe.
Dan supports legislation mandating immediate deportation of illegal aliens arrested for driving drunk and the revocation of federal highway funds from states that issues driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.
The first step in facing the issue of illegal immigration is to stop the inflow. Until we successfully secure our border, all other legislation in regards to this issue is just not enough.
Dan views illegal immigration like a sinking ship:
“If there’s a hole in the bottom of your ship, you can bail water as fast as you can, but water is going to keep coming in.” Dan explained to constituents in Harnett County. “In order to keep the ship from sinking, you must first plug hole and stop the inflow of water. It is only then that you can begin to successfully bail the water.”
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