Ron Paul

www.ronpaul2008.com

The bolded Divided We Fail principle is listed first, then the statement we identified for the candidate. In some cases, we may not have identified a statement for the corresponding principle.

We believe all Americans should have access to affordable health care, including prescription drugs, and these costs should not burden future generations.

"So what we need to do is… medical savings accounts…. [L]egalize freedom of choice. That is, get people an ability to put money aside and get it back from their taxes, a tax credit. If they don't spend the money, they get to keep it. So the incentive is to spend less…. If you allow the patient to make the decision, he can pick and choose his doctor; he can pick and choose the type of medicine…."
(http://www.expertvoter.org/PlayVideo.asp?VideoID=167)

"Congress must remove bureaucratic regulations that prevent America's seniors from enjoying lower prices available from Internet and foreign pharmacies. The key to lowering drug prices is to create a true, competitive free market for prescription drugs."
("Congress Must Work for Seniors," Texas Straight Talk, A Weekly Column, September 18, 2000)

We believe wellness and prevention efforts, including changes in personal behavior such diet and exercise, should be top national priorities.

"Decisions about nutrition and treatment for living a healthy life need to be made in the home and in the examining room, not in Washington, DC, or in a pharmaceutical company's board room."
("Government prescription for health is bad medicine," Texas Straight Talk, January 19, 1998)

We believe Americans should have choices when it comes to long-term care - allowing them to maintain their independence at home or in their communities with expanded and affordable financing options.

"The Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act puts individuals back in charge of their own health care by providing Americans with large tax credits and tax deductions for their health care expenses, including a deduction for premiums for a high-deductible insurance policy purchased in combination with a Health Savings Account. Putting individuals back in charge of their own health care decisions will enable patients to work with providers to ensure they receive the best possible health care at the lowest possible price."
("Introducing the Quality Health Care Coalition Act," Speech to Congress, August 2, 2007)

We believe our children and grandchildren should have an adequate quality of life when they retire. Social Security must be strengthened without burdening future generations.

"The proposed solutions, ranging from lower benefits to higher taxes to increasing the age of eligibility, are NOT solutions; they are betrayals…. In Congress, I have introduced the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act (H.R. 191), which repeals ALL taxes on Social Security benefits, to eliminate political theft of our seniors' income and raise their standard of living…. We should cut payroll taxes and give workers the opportunity to seek better returns in the private market…. We must significantly reduce spending so that our nation can keep its promise to our seniors."
(Campaign website November 1, 2007) http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/social-security/

"The best private solution… is simply to allow the American people to keep more of their paychecks and invest for retirement as they see fit."
("Social Security: House of Cards," Texas Straight Talk, November 8, 2004.)

We believe workers should be provided with financial incentives to save, should have access to effective retirement plans, and should be able to keep working and contributing to society regardless of age.

"American taxpayers know that the best way for them to save for their retirement is to invest their pre-tax dollars in private pensions and retirement accounts. Taxpayers, rather than the federal government, should be the stewards of their own hard-earned retirement savings…. We can encourage retirement saving simply by allowing employees to put more of their paychecks into IRAs and pension funds, instead of sending taxes to the federal government."
("Lower Taxes Encourage Saving for Retirement," Texas Straight Talk, July 24, 2000)

We believe Americans of all ages should have access to tools to help manage their finances, and save for the future and better, easy to understand information to help them increase their financial literacy and manage their money wisely.

"People should not be punished for working hard, saving, and building wealth…. The American dream is based on making a better life for one's children, despite the empty rhetoric of the class-warfare politicians in Washington. Building wealth is not sinister, it is admirable. Our tax rules should encourage the decidedly American virtue of saving for the future."
("Will the Estate Tax ever be Repealed?" Texas Straight Talk, October 24, 2005)

Republicans Mike Huckabee John McCain Ron Paul Mitt Romney

Democrats Hillary Clinton Barack Obama