(Lorraine Hunt-Bono) – Prosperity begins with an economic environment that enables investors to start businesses – buy equipment, land and buildings, hire employees and create jobs.
Small businesses are a huge component in the prosperity paradigm as 70% of all new jobs in America are created by small businesses.
Small businesses are the job creators that have been the backbone of America’s vibrant economy for decades.
Yet today, small businesses realize that the rich heritage of abundant opportunities for hard working entrepreneurial men and women are quickly eroding and slipping through our fingers.
If the current public policy being thrust upon us from our politicians in Washington, D.C., America as we know, will cease to exist. The beautiful American dream many of us have enjoyed for generations will be gone.
Achieving the American Dream does not happen by accident. Our heritage guides us and we need to analyze how we arrived at where we are today. How can we leave fertile ground for the future – so that our children and grandchildren can sow their own seeds of success?
The fertile fields of American capitalism is the environment that has provided the seeds of entrepreneurial success for generations – an environment where the ‘free market’ determines the production, distribution, and price of goods and services mainly by competition and where private ownership of goods and property mean profit to the creator, profit to the owner, and profit to the distributor.
Today, public policy decisions are dominated by anti-free market leadership that is eroding the fertile fields of free-markets of the rewards of pay according to work done.
Today, public policy is leaning toward the redistribution of working men and women’s income, giving government the power to redistribute the fruits of their labor to those whom government officials deem the proper recipients.
Government’s control to distribute property and wealth unequally, without taking into account the amount of work, creativity, or time an individual has performed can only be defined as “Socialism”.
The impact of these misguided public policy decisions and the politicians who make them are changing the landscape for future generations. Reasonable men and women in America cannot let that happen.
It is clear that the majority of people in America, of all political persuasions, are united in the belief that capitalism and the free enterprise system is deep in their hearts and minds. They are standing up and prepared to fight to protect it.
They also know that our jobs, businesses and future are vulnerable to only two things – Acts of God and Acts of Politicians. One we have no control over and the other – we have control over by voting politicians “into” or “out of” power.
Elected officials are at the mercy of the vote of the people. That is why you must vote and your vote must be cast with mature introspection and commitment to preserving the fertile ground that protects our economic freedom, otherwise, our future success is in jeopardy. Creativity and entrepreneurialism will be compromised and our ability to meet our true social responsibilities will be limited.
In addition to the political idol of my lifetime, Ronald Reagan, I had the exciting opportunity of spending time with the most politically inspiring woman in my life, Margaret Thatcher. In her role as Britain’s Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher stood with international statesmen and United States President Ronald Reagan to fight aggression and tyranny while promoting freedom and peace around the world. The lessons learned from her must be shared with each new generation.
Margaret Thatcher said “The enemy is socialism – “capitalism works” by spreading to the more of the population – what used to be the privilege of the few”.
She also said, “I am profoundly concerned about unemployment. Human dignity and self respect are undermined when men and women are condemned to idleness.” She knew how important it was for people to be self sufficient with jobs and honorable work.
Margaret Thatcher is known as the champion of free minds and free markets. We must not forget her legacy. Young people who have the most to win or lose in these next elections, should have knowledge of Margaret Thatcher, her beliefs, and her remarkable accomplishments. She was a proud capitalist bent of fighting socialism. She cut taxes, spending and regulations, privatized state industries and state housing, reformed education and the welfare systems, was tough on crime and espoused traditional values.
Today, we desperately need leaders who espouse the values of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.
There is still time to change the course that is currently being forced upon us.
The 2010 elections can give us new leadership, leadership that understands the dynamics of a prosperous, robust economic environment that empowers and gives incentives to individuals and small businesses to invest and create jobs.
As voters, the power is in our hands as we cast our votes for new leadership this election season.
We have the power to change the course of our state and our country. Do not let this opportunity slip through our fingers this election season.
Vote in both the primary and general elections and let your voice be heard.
(Lorraine Hunt-Bono is a Commissioner on The Nevada Commission on Tourism and a former Nevada Lt. Governor)
