Jack On The Record
Supporting Our Troops & Veterans
The brave men and women of our armed forces are the guardians of our democracy and defenders of the Republic.
They are the most capable, best-trained and best-led military force in the world. They deserve our support AND the necessary, training, tools, weaponry and resources to carry out their missions.
Jack Martins will vote “YES” to fully funding our troops --- regardless of one’s position on the Iraq War or any conflict in which U.S. troops are engaged --- our troops deserve nothing less than the very best equipment and support.
We owe our fighting forces and every veteran who has served our nation, our enduring gratitude and appreciation for their selfless dedication and service. We must provide for our troops and their families while they serve, do everything we can to help those who return from combat to adjust to civilian life, and always honor and pay tribute to those who do not return.
Jack Martins will fight to give veterans the kind of high quality benefits and services they deserve, including better health care, help for disabled veterans and improving VA hospital facilities.
The Economy
Help for Long Island Families… Right Now!
Long Island’s economy is in trouble...
Rising gas and energy bills, higher prices for food and groceries…
Local property taxes are out of control, home foreclosures at an all-time high…
Unemployment is on the rise; every worker fears he or she may be the next to be let go.
Long Islanders are bearing the burden for Washington’s failure to address the needs of middle-class families and seniors on fixed incomes. Despite her promises, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy has done nothing to address the real needs of the people of Nassau County.
Jack Martins has a “10 Point Economic Action Plan” to turn things around:
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Immediately reduce the pain of high gas prices by suspending the 18.4-cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax; move America toward energy independence.
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Stop Filling The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) To Reduce Demand. While oils is so expensive, there is no reason to continue filling the SPR which only pushes prices higher.
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Permanently repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) – a tax that hits Long Islanders harder than anyone else.
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Double the personal exemption for dependents. The cost of raising a family on Long Island is the highest in the country; raising the personal exemption for each dependent from $3,500 to $7,000 is the right thing to do.
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Require a 3/5-majority vote in Congress to raise taxes, period.
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Allow corporations to immediately deduct the cost of investing in new equipment investment that would provide an immediate boost to capital expenditures and reward investments in cutting-edge technologies.
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Fight the Democrats' Plans For A Crippling Tax Increase In 2011. Democrats will impose a massive $100 billion tax hike, almost $700 per taxpayer every year. We must make the tax cuts permanent, reform the estate tax and raise the exemption from taxation on estates up to $10 million while cutting the tax rate to 15 percent.
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Simplify the Tax System – give taxpayers a choice. Taxpayers should have the right to choose to stay under the current system or choose a vastly less complicated system with two tax rates and a generous standard deduction.
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Relief for homeowners in crisis. Support John McCain’s HOME Plan, whereby every deserving American family or homeowner will be afforded the opportunity to trade a burdensome mortgage for a manageable loan that reflects their home's market value.
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Lower Medicare Premiums. Long Island seniors face a growing threat from higher Medicare premiums that tax away their Social Security and retirement savings. We need a comprehensive, pro-market health care and Medicare reforms that reduce health care costs and control increases in premiums – while delivering high-quality health care.
Reform Washington
In 2006, Democrats led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Carolyn McCarthy, took control of Congress promising to turn things around. But two years later, their partisan bickering and “do-nothing” attitude has made things worse. Congresswoman McCarthy is a captive of Washington’s special interest lobbyists who “control the agenda” while picking the pockets of hardworking Nassau taxpayers.
Jack Martins Will Fight to Eliminate Wasteful Spending by:
Stopping Earmarks, Pork-Barrel Spending, And Waste. Jack Martins will fight every pork-laden spending bill. He will vote to give the President the line-item veto to reduce waste and eliminate earmarks that have led to corruption. Unlike Congresswoman McCarthy who supported billions in special interest spending, Jack Martins will say NO.
Supporting A One-Year Spending Pause To Evaluate Programs. Jack Martins believes that outside of essential military and veterans programs there should be a one-year pause in discretionary spending growth that should be used for a top-to-bottom review of the effectiveness of federal programs.
Eliminating Broken Government Programs. The federal government itself admits that one in five programs do not perform up to standards. Jack Martins will fight to reform our civil service system to promote accountability and good performance in our federal workforce.
Imposing Budget Reform To Stop Damaging Tax Hikes. Congress has unfairly stacked the deck to spend more and raise taxes. If a spending program is on the books, budgets assume that it is on the books forever – and continues to grow – even if the law says it expires. If low taxes are on the books, budgets don't assume that they last forever. When they expire, those taxes are automatically raised.
Controlling Medicare Growth. The growth of spending on Medicare threatens our fiscal future. Jack Martins supports comprehensive health care reforms that will reduce the growth in Medicare spending, protect seniors against rising Medicare premium payments, and preserve the advancements in medical science central to providing quality care.
Border Security and Immigration Reform
Jack Martins believes that our border must be secure and that the federal government has utterly failed in its responsibility. As the son of immigrants from Portugal who “stood in line, played by the rules” and earned the blessings of U.S. citizenship, Jack Martins has a special insight and understanding of immigration reform.
Priority number one is to secure the border. We must restore the trust Americans should have in the basic competency of their government. A secure border is an essential element of our national security. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our ports and other points of entry --- where New York is most vulnerable.
As the son of immigrants, Jack Martins recognizes the importance of assimilation of our immigrant population, which includes learning English, American history and civics, and respecting the values of a democratic society.
As Ronald Reagan was fond of reminding us, America will always be that "shining city upon a hill," a beacon of hope and opportunity for those seeking a better life built on hard work and optimism.
Border security and our failed immigration system are more examples of Congresswoman McCarthy’s and the Democrat-controlled Congress’ failure to reform and regain the trust of the American people.
Reform Health Care
Every American deserves access to quality, affordable health care.
For too long, Carolyn McCarthy has “talked” about reforming health care, but has done nothing.
Long Islanders are worried about health care costs. The problems with health care are well known: it is too expensive and too many Long Islanders lack quality, affordable health insurance.
The key to health care reform is to restore control to patients themselves. We want a system of health care in which everyone can afford and acquire the treatment and preventative care they need. Health care should be available to all and not limited by where you work or how much you make. Families should be in charge of their health care dollars and have more control over care.
Make It Easier For Individuals And Families To Obtain Insurance. Jack Martins supports using competition to improve the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match people's needs, lower prices, and portability. Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines.
Reform The Tax Code To Offer More Choices Beyond Employer-Based Health Insurance Coverage. While still having the option of employer-based coverage, every family should also have the option of receiving a direct refundable tax credit - effectively cash - of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of insurance. Families will be able to choose the insurance provider that suits them best and the money would be sent directly to the insurance provider. Those obtaining innovative insurance that costs less than the credit can deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.
Make Insurance More Portable. We need insurance that follows us from job to job; insurance that is still there if we retire early and does not change if you take a few years off to raise the kids.
Encourage And Expand The Benefits Of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) For Families. When families are informed about medical choices, they are more capable of making their own decisions and often decide against unnecessary options. Health Savings Accounts take an important step in the direction of putting families in charge of what they pay for.
National Security
Dangers At Home and Abroad
Protecting America's national security requires a strong military and a vigilant homeland defense. America faces dangers both here and abroad --- the global war on terrorism and radical Islam, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, threats from rogue states like Iran and North Korea, and the ever present threat of domestic terrorism.
Jack Martins believes in the philosophy of the great President Ronald Reagan --- “Peace Through Strength” --- that in order to keep the peace in the world and here at home, America must be strong, determined and deliberate. Jack Martins believes that the “greatest fighting force in the history of man” deserves the training, resources and support that will enable our military to continue to
Jack Martins supports:
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Increasing the size of the American military
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Fighting against violent Islamic extremists
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Developing an effective missile defense
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Modernizing our armed services
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Securing our nation’s borders
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Completing victory in Iraq --- no “cut & run” policies
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Improving foreign intelligence operations
