President of Us: Buddy Crews

Each of the two final ‘President of Us’ candidates answered a series of questions on their views.

Click here to read Jason Watson’s response

Buddy Crews

See the vote totals and read the candidates’ positions here

‘President of Us’ election narrowed to two

Crews’ rival: Jason Watson

1. If we were to withdraw our military forces from Iraq before the Iraqi government is capable of supporting itself economically and militarily, isn’t there a danger that we might have to go back there again in five to 10 years?

Most definitely. We are dealing with about thirty thousand people with the average education of a sixth grade level, not to mention the average income being $3,600 a year. There are also the religious aspects to look at. Ninety-seven percent are Muslim and three percent are Christian. Just here recently, we seen in the news that nine hundred Christian families were forced to flee for their lives. These are prime conditions for another dictator to come in with militant armies and take over which will throw them right back into the same situation they were in before. I wouldn’t think that we’d be able to pull out all of our troops within the next twenty years, much less five to ten years. Some type of military presence from the US will have to be maintained there and it will have to be strong presence. We are talking about re-educating an entire small country of people. It is impossible for that to happen quickly.
2. There is only so much the President can do to affect the economy. But within your power, what would you do to help bring us out of this tailspin?

As of October 17, 2008, the national debt was at 10,338,133,956,838.32. It has continued to increase 3.45 billion dollars per day since September 28, 2007. This is ridiculous but no one wants to tax anyone. Let’s face it. Someone has got to pay. We are the United States. So that is how we will do it. United.

The first thing from the presidency down to each state’s local delegates, there will be a twenty-five percent pay decrease. The expense they incur while doing their jobs will be covered but audited closely. All this money will be split. Fifty percent will go into a health care fund for each state and the other fifty percent will go toward the national debt. It is not enough to say what you are going to do. It is time to put your money where your mouth is and be a part of a solution and not a problem.

In Virginia, in 2008, Virginia lotto sales were 1.3 billion dollars. 32.5 percent went to public education. The rest was split among the retailers and winnings. I suggest that ten cent on every dollar made in all thirty-eight states that participate be put toward the national debt. If we do this, one of two things will happen, the lottery will end, which will put more money in people’s pockets for other things and will stimulate the economy or the national debt will get some relief. Either way, I see it as a no lose situation.

Next there will be a higher tax on alcohol across the board, up to ten percent higher. This will be treated in the same way except five percent goes directly to Medicare and healthcare for that individual state and five percent goes directly to the national debt.

Tobacco tax is steadily increasing, yearly. All that did was force the “mom and pop” farmers out of business. An increase can be put in there also with at least five percent of that going toward the national debt and an additional five going toward health care for that state.

I know that people will say that as a preacher, I’m picking on these three really hard but as a nation we must realize that these are pleasures, not necessities of life. So, as the old saying goes, we have to pay to play.

We have illegal aliens flooding this country, seeking citizenship and reaping all the benefits from our nation and not paying any taxes. I would put in place a pre-citizenship tax. So,until they became a US citizen, they would pay taxes just like the rest of us. We would immediately need to stop all this importing and work on a policy change to export more. In 1994, the Clinton administration gave us away with NAFTA. Now we have got to bring our nation back. Countries break sanctions with the US all the time. Apparently, it is anything goes. I’m all for helping other countries but there comes a time that we must help ourselves so that in the future we may be able to help. So, anyone importing goods or services into the US would have special fees applied by a committee that I would appoint. These fees would go, once again, toward the national debt and toward health care for this nation. Countries who do not comply with the conditions would be fined. We would then make our own. Whatever the good or service is, the US is capable of doing. This would bring industry and jobs back to the US where they belong.

There would also be an additional two percent tax made on anything bought that wasn’t US made. One percent would go to national debt. One percent would go to social security. This would help keep US money within the US. As I said at the beginning, everyone will have to be united and help get us out of this fix. There would also be no ear marking or pork bellowing of funds. We need, in order to get a balanced budget, to get a plan and stick to it. This nation was founded on “In God We Trust.” God said he would supply our needs, not our wants. If we get back to that basic principle, we will be able to revive ourselves as a nation.
3. On what basis would you fill any Supreme Court vacancy?

He or she would first need to have an unblemished record with the Bar Association. Also, he or she would need to have served at least ten years on a criminal appeals court. He or she would have to be a Christian. If you are going to swear and lay your hand on the bible to hold an office, live by it. Morals, integrity, and honor would be a must. I would not just look at their professional life but their private life as well. I would find out for sure, what belief system they believe in. Since the United States supports the death penalty in so many states, we have to realize that the lives of human beings are in their hands. It is very important that the person we put there will not just make decisions based on law and politics but will also base their decisions on God’s law and the bible they lay their hand upon when they are sworn in.
4. How would you go about plugging every American into affordable health care?

As I said in my campaign, first we need a cap on the rising insurance and drug cost. We need treatment centers in each county where no one is denied and with co-pays according to an individual’s income. Some of this money will come from our taxes on alcohol, lottery and tobacco. Prescription drugs will be like Wal-mart does now, for the uninsured, a flat co-pay for all generic drugs. If Wal-mart can do it, they can all do it. We all have to look out for each other. There will be no more lower class, middle class, and upper class. We will all have to be the United States. Each of us will have to take cuts where it hurts the most, our pocket books. With these caps that I place on health insurance and drug cost, everyone would still make money but the pharmaceutical companies and the insurance companies will lose, maybe, a twenty percent profit. Also, physicians would probably be affected in a slight pay cut but if they are following their calling which is to help people, to me, it wouldn’t affect them that bad. No one in this great nation should be denied affordable health coverage or have to make a decision between food and medication. Like I said at the beginning, we all have to pay.
5. Are you in favor of alternative energy sources, and if so, which ones would you explore first?

Yes. I’m definitely in favor of alternative energy sources. Tidal Power is great. It is similar to conventional hydro-electric dams. The tidal process utilizes the natural motion of tides to fill reservoirs which are slowly discharged through turbines to make electricity. The former USSR produced three hundred MW in its Lunkara plant using this method. It is proven to work and expensive to set up but it pays off big in the end. I believe we could use our rivers to create reservoirs and use the same process. It’s already being done. Also bio-diesel, which is bio-ethanol. This is produced from agricultural crops like sugar-cane. The good thing is that it can be used in existing cars with little or no changes. Another issue with this is that we will need mass quantities of the crops.  This would bring back some of the “mom and pop” farmers from thirty years ago. Since we can’t grow tobacco on some of this good farm land we have anymore, this would be a good agricultural opportunity for the small farmers to look at. This would create jobs and also help with the environment and economically.

6. John McCain seems to favor a hands-off approach on taxes; Barack Obama wants to largely limit them to the more affluent. What would your tax policy be?

As you can see, I would raise taxes. I don’t know why politicians are scared to say it. We all know that money has got to come from somewhere but just taxing the wealthy is not fair. Everyone fills that they work hard for their money. So if we must raise taxes, we must do it united. If we have to raise four percent, then we do that but families making less than fifty thousand a year would get additional tax breaks on child care, health care and education. These must be in place to secure the future of young Americans. Small businesses would also get additional tax breaks, business with 250 thousand a year and under. I would tax larger corporations harder. When you have a CEO of a large corporation making around 10.9 million a year, of course, he will be taxed harder than the blue collar worker on the line making 30 thousand a year. It’s simple math. He can afford it. The worker cannot.
7. What countries do you feel might represent a real threat to us in the coming years?

I see North Korea as the biggest threat we have. I don’t believe that they are serious about denuclearizing. They have a powerful nuclear weapons program. When the US brings up inspections, they balk. I think it’s just to buy time. This is a highly centralized communist state we are dealing with. They have the fourth largest army in the world, 1.21 million armed personnel highly trained and highly organized. They have an air support system that is probably fifth or sixth in the world. Their water support is said not to be that great but who knows? Diplomacy does not seem to work too well with them but yet no one seems to pay them much attention. Also, Afghanistan is still a threat. Maybe they are not as big of a threat as North Korea but the threat is still there. 
8. What do you consider some of the most important qualities of an American President?

I think we need an American president who believes in the power of prayer and one who is not afraid to pray with a nation before and after he gives a presidential address. I believe he must be a man of great honor and integrity and a man of his word. I believe he must be highly confident in each and every action he takes, never showing weakness. I believe he should be capable of diplomacy, when needed. He should be a man of compassion and a man of the people. I believe he should be a man that comes out and gets with the people and finds out their needs. He should not cater to one class of Americans or the other. He should be an equal-minded man and equal to all people. Most of all, he should be a believer in God’s word and know that God has the final say so in each and everything we do. He should try to implement that value into others. That is what I think is important. Our money says “In God We Trust”. We don’t mind spending it but we are afraid someone will get offended if we mention God’s name. So, to me, for the president to mention God, there should be no problem at all.
9. How can we rebuild our image in the rest of the world? Or do we need to?

I really don’t think we need to. I think our image has always been one that has led the way. I think maybe, the only thing we could do differently image wise, would be to be more vocal within the United nations about where we stand and what we expect of other countries, not just what they expect of us.
10. Can you think of an important issue the two mainstream candidates aren’t talking about?

Yes. Prison Reform. The US has no problem at all building new prisons. For one thing, I believe they fill it stimulates the economy by giving new jobs. Why don’t we try something different and try to rehabilitate the offenders we have now locked up? I’m talking about the non-violent offenders. I see so many young lives wasting away in our correctional institutions in my ministry. They are locked up because of drug crimes, robbery, and simple assault. Some of these young men just need guidance. I believe there should be more programs instituted for their guidance. I believe that more ministers and churches should be apart of that guidance.  A lot of these guys are just doing their time and paying their dues. All they need is someone to help them get back on the right track but I have yet to hear either one of the candidates speak of it. If they have, I missed it.