By Lawrence Zupan
An American genius died this week. But fortunately for America and the world, the innovations of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen survive him. They will enrich daily life and prosperity for years to come. Next month, Vermonters will choose their next U.S. senator. I hope they will pick a senator who, in the spirit of Allen, will apply 21st century tools to the challenges of a fast-changing future.
Unfortunately, incumbent Bernie Sanders is still peddling the economic, educational, energy and social welfare ideas that became popular in “progressive” circles decades ago but have failed in practice. His mind made up, he demonstrates little knowledge or even interest in real innovation. As your senator, I will continue to study, champion and promote the examples and dynamism of our nation’s education and technology innovators.
Economy: Bernie Sanders thinks the solution to an economic downturn is big spending by Big Government. It’s been tried. It hasn’t worked. Historically, Big Government has redirected huge sums of tax revenue into work programs and bailouts. These “recovery” programs created more debt than recovery. World War II ended the Great Depression. The Great Recession ended for good in 2017 only after a Republican Congress removed burdensome taxes and regulations.
Congress empowered — or maybe just got out of the way of — entrepreneurs and their investors waiting for a less hostile tax and regulatory environment in which to pursue energy, finance, manufacturing and high-tech leadership. Congress told these leaders, “We can’t save the economy, but we know you can. Here are the tools, now get to it.” This strategy is working, and will always work.
Education: Bernie Sanders is still stuck on the fanciful idea of tenured professors instructing full-time college students learning for “free” in bricks-and-mortar classrooms. Birthrates, demographics, unprecedented demand for workers, and above all, the internet, have made expansion of residential four-year schooling recklessly expensive and obsolete. Building more dorms and classrooms when there are fewer students and more cyber-learning platforms no longer makes sense. Instead we should affordably support existing institutions, build corporate-academic partnerships, and invest in broadbased cyber-education for Americans eager to thrive in a growing 21st century economy.
Energy: Sanders believes we can meet our energy needs if only we will build low-output wind and solar power and drive smaller cars and live in smaller homes. In other words, he wants us to go small in energy generation and go backwards in our quality of life. I believe technology can make the air cleaner, the water purer, and Americans more prosperous all at the same time. This will be done through encouraging our technological progress, not subsidizing inefficient energy at taxpayer or ratepayer expense. Locking us into a national energy system that makes a virtue of scarcity would be the deathknell of prosperity and is totally unnecessary. My policies will achieve a magnification of clean and renewable energy capability in just a few short years.
Social welfare: Many federal social programs still adhere to the Great Society idea that the more food, housing and other basic needs society gives the needy, the more compassionate it is. A trillion dollars later, even with vastly increased numbers of people dependent upon government across generations, the amount of poverty has only increased. Our government needs innovative policies that break the self-fulfilling cycle of entitlement poverty. When ‘help’ stops being helpful, it ceases to be compassionate and accomplishes the opposite of its stated purpose. Congress needs to focus less on entitlement and more on productivity and incentive.
The wonderfully inescapable truth is that the liberty-based American system of free enterprise has fed, housed, and clothed more people securely, and in the shortest time, here in America, than any other system or country in the history of the world. Let’s keep Bernie Sanders’ hands off of it. I ask for your vote and your support as your next U.S. Senator for Vermont.
Lawrence Zupan, a Manchester resident, is the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate.
It is time for a change. What have we got to lose? He has done nothing for Vermont. We need to give all senators and representatives term limits. They have become a joke clinging to their position all for the love of money. Our founding fathers never wanted this to happen. they knew what it would do to our country. They were so wise!
If you have ever wondered where the work ethic of Vermonters has gone remember Bernie has promised us something for nothing for years, we should no longer have to work hard to achieve what he can take from others to improve our lives because it is not fair and we deserve it anyway.
But is that really a good enough reason to support him? Shouldn’t Vermonters want more than just a Robinhood to make their lives easier?
The first step to restoring our work ethic is to realize it is missing, but helping us understand where it went would be greatly increased if Bernie would agree to debate Lawrence Zupan.
Vermont is in dire need of replacing it’s three stooges,what have any of the three done for Vermont. They most certainly are not the best representation of the people of Vermont,however their personal wealth grows exponentially at Vermonters expense.
Bernie ” Soapbox ” Sanders, that’s all he needs is a podium of any sort and watch him go
he has more BS than a bull !!
I would love to see Bernie’s accomplishments while in the Senate or how many times he
missed a vote ……None really stick out that I remember.
It’s a good thing he got into politics, as he surely would have never kept a real job for this
long, I don’t think he’d even make a good panhandler. I cannot believe people follow this fool.
I want to see a Debate with Mr. Zupan and the Bern……..
Let’s avoid the “definition of insanity” and allow free enterprise entrepreneurs to make smart moves instead of expecting others to take care of us.
Vermonter’s, get rid of the bum, Bernie, before he spreads anymore of his poison.
Lawrence you should be calling the family out as the 1st crime family of Vermont for 1. Burlington College, 2. the sweetheart deal paying $500K for 1 woodworking class, 3. the stiffing of law enforcement of over $400K in police security across the country, and 5. selling out his campaign for a new lake property. Maybe you will get his attention then.
Bernie already declared himself the winner in Vt according to the BFP today. That’s why he is going to spend all his time campaigning across the US, To hell with Vermont. What arrogance.
Mr Zupan should really look at Sanders record for the whole time that he’s been a Senator. What has he ever accomplished? I’d love someone to fill me in on any bill or any idea that he has initiated that has ever passed and made it into law.What has he done other than to bellow out hate and discontent.
He’s no Senator. He’s useless. It’s time to vote him out…