Blogger Candidate Forum: Governor John Kasich

Governor John Kasich (R-Ohio)
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Hello Everyone:

It is Tuesday, which means it is time for Blogger Candidate Forum. Today it is Governor John Kasich's (R-Ohio) (http://www.johnkasich.com) turn in the Forum.  Before we meet the candidate, Blogger just wants to remind American readers to register to vote.  If you missed out on the deadline for your state's primary election, there is still time to register for the General Elections on November 8, 2016.  Please consult your state's Secretary of State office for information.  One more item, tomorrow Blogger will bring you the weekly Primary Election wrap from Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio.  Now, let us get know Gov. Kasich.

Gov. John Kasich is originally from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Gov. Kasich was a successful investment banker, best-selling author, and FOX News commentator before turning to politics.  As a member of Congress, Gov. Kasich served as the chair of the Budget Committee, leading efforts to balance the federal budget and on the House Armed Services Committee.  Gov. Kasich is married and the father of twin sixteen-year-old daughters.

American Economy
grace university.edu

Kasich Action Plan

Gov. Kasich targets Washington D.C. as the source of America's economic problems.  He blames weak economic growth on the federal government doing too much.  The Kasich Action Plan calls for smaller government that is less costly and more responsive to the people's needs in order to get the economy moving again.  Gov. Kasich pledges that in his first hundred days as president, he will send Congress "a comprehensive plan that creates the climate for job creation by balancing the budget in eight years, cutting taxes for families and businesses, reining in federal regulations, tearing down barriers to increased energy production, and returning major responsibilities back to our states and communities..."

Pres. Ronald Reagan on the federal budget
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To accomplish these goals, the Kasich campaign pledges to balance the budget and keep it balanced by working with Congress to pass a resolution amending the Constitution, requiring a balanced budget.  The second component of the Kasich Action Plan is reducing taxes and making the tax code more simple and fair.  Gov. Kasich believes that high taxes and complicated tax codes are barriers to growth.  As president, Gov. Kasich will work with Congress to reduce personal and business taxes, simplify the Internal Revenue code, and undertake a top-to-bottom audit of the tax system to remove barriers to innovation, eliminate bias and corruption in the Internal Revenue Service.  Common sense regulatory reform is another part of the Action Plan.  As president, Gov. Kasich pledges to reduce federal power in transportation, education, the workforce, Medicaid, and low-income public assistance; returning it to the individual states.  Gov. Kasich believes, "Not only do states have the ability to execute faster and more efficiently, but because they are on the frontline they better understand American's needs and can be more responsive to them." A fifth component of the Kasich Action Plan is low-cost, reliable energy, which the Governor believes is the backbone of the American economy.  Gov. Kasich believes "that Americans need an energy that encourages more energy production from a broad based of sources.  At the same time we need environmental regulations that strike the right balance between needed protection and the needs for jobs."  Finally as president, Gov. Kasich would dismantle the Department of Commerce, transferring the essential work to other agencies and eliminate unnecessary programs, political projects, and bureaucracy.

Healthcare blue cross
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A Conservative Approach To Better Health Care

Like his fellow Republicans, Gov. Kasich would love to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with initiatives that improve access by actually lowering costs without interfering in personal health care decisions or imposing any burdens on job creators.  Additionally, like his colleagues, Gov. Kasich believes that ACA has restricted access to affordable health insurance and driven up the costs of health care "approximately 80 percent in Ohio's individual and small group market and raised taxes to help subsidize health insurance coverage for families making up to $94,000 annually."

Gov. Kasich's conservative approach to health care is two-pronged: improved primary care and rewarding value over volume.  Improved primary care means a more patient-centered practice that take the extra step to keep people healthy and control costs.  This could translate into more preventive care that might reduce health care costs.  Under the proposed Kasich health care plan, doctors, nurses, therapists, hospitals, medical device manufactures, and pharmaceutical companies would have incentives to work together while keeping costs down.

National Security
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National Security Plan

Gov. Kasich believes that it is past time for the United States to lead the fight against terrorism and resurgent powers.  The governor has proposed a comprehensive plan to defeat IS, strengthen the military, and work with allies to confront ongoing threats to mutual security.  While he believes that military intervention is necessary, Gov. Kasich also emphasizes the re-assertion of the Western values of democracy, human rights, and individual freedom as a path to secure long-term American stability and way of life.

Gov. Katich's approach to defeating IS involves a complex collaborative strategy involving military action and intelligence sharing with European and Middle Eastern allies.  Gov. Kasich has identified Russia and China as regional aggressors.  He believes that America's unwillingness to lead the charge against terrorism has erroneously signaled to these nations their belligerent expansionist actions will be tolerated.  The governor has proposed strengthening new NATO member states on the front lines with Russia by "...supplying them, repositioning existing U.S. forces onto their eastern borders supported by a new, strong, integrated air defense system there,..."  In order to stand up to China, Gov. Kasich  proposes working with regional allies to "...significantly increase our military presence in region and ensure freedom of navigation for the $5.3 trillion in annual trade..."  As part of his national security plan, Gov. Kasich would increase military spending by $102 billion for improvements to conventional capabilities and create a cyber defense system.  This would be accomplished with a strong economy and streamlining military bureaucracy to the process of getting supplies and material to the troop is more efficient.  He would also renew our alliances with our allies, especially in the Middle East and a recommitment to American fundamental values of tolerance, democracy, civil and individual liberties.

Quick primary update: Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump won the state Florida.  Senator Marco Rubio has officially suspended his campaign.

The Second Amendment
cdh2a.com

Defending The Second Amendment

Like Senator Ted Cruz, Gov. John Kasich is a strong supporter of the right to bear arms and has enacted sensible gun control legislation that defends this  right.  As president, Gov. Kasich would remove heavy restriction for law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.  Gov. Kasich opposes President Barack Obama's gun control executive orders.  Further as governor, John Kasich has removed hunting and fishing licensing restrictions and expanded hunting rights in Ohio.


Quick primary update: Secretary Clinton has won North Carolina.

Budget Control
conservative byte.com

Fiscal Responsibility And Balancing Budgets

Fiscal responsibility and balancing budgets are an important value for Gov. Kasich.  The governor trumpeted his success balancing the Ohio state budget, implementing conservative budget policies to create jobs and bring common sense to government.  As chair of the House Budget Committee, John Kasich led the effort to balance the federal budget by cutting taxes, paying down the national debt, and generating a projected $5 trillion surplus.  In Ohio, the governor was faced with a 350,000 loss of private-sector job loss and a massive $8 billion projected budget shortfall, burdensome regulations that blocked job creation, a failed economic development model when he took office in 2011.  By making job creation a top priority, Gov Kasich helped create hundreds of thousands private-sector jobs and reduce the state's unemployment rate.  He also helped grow the state's "rainy day" fund and reduced the size of the state's bureaucracy.  Since 2011, Gov. Kasich has enacted a $5 billion in tax cuts, including eliminating the estate tax, reducing the state income tax 16 percent, eliminating income tax for small businesses, and provided targeted tax relief to low- and middle-income workers.  

Quick primary update: in a blow to the Sanders campaign, Secretary Clinton won Ohio.  Gov. Kasich is projected to win the Republican Ohio primary

As always, Blogger encourages everyone to check out the candidates's website http://www.johnkasich.com.  American readers, please remember to register to vote, if not in time for your state's primary, then for the General Election.  Blogger will make her decision on California's Primary day.  Tomorrow is our Primary wrap up and next week the forum will feature the one candidate you all have been waiting for....