Back Print Commentary By Scott Walker - - Thursday, August 10, 2023 OPINION:
elections are about the future, rarely the past. Moderators at the first presidential primary debate in Milwaukee should remember that simple truth when asking questions. Voters are tired of the media talking endlessly about Jan. 6th. They are tired of hearing about the 2020
election. They are tired of hearing about old tweets and statements. The voters in Wisconsin, my state, and others like them across the country want to hear about things that matter in their lives and those of their families. They want to know who is going to move America forward. We are facing a real invasion on our southern border. During the Biden presidency, encounters between Border Patrol agents and migrants attempting to cross illegally into the
United States from
Mexico remain at levels not seen in more than two decades, according to the Pew Research Center. This is more than a border crisis. It is a national security crisis as fentanyl is streaming into the U.S. via the drug cartels after being manufactured in Mexico with chemicals made in
China. The horrible impact of that drug is felt nationwide. According to the organization Families Against Fentanyl , “Synthetic opioid ( fentanyl ) poisoning” is the leading cause of death among Americans 18 to 45. Their research notes that fentanyl fatalities among children are rising faster than any other age group. They note that “in just two years, synthetic opioid ( fentanyl ) deaths among children ages 1 to 4 more than tripled, and increased fourfold among infants less than one, and children ages 5 to 14.” The federal Drug Enforcement Administration seized nearly 44 million fentanyl pills and more than 6,500 pounds of fentanyl powder in the past year. During President Biden’s first year in office, there was a 25% increase in fentanyl overdose deaths, nearly double that of 2019. Too many of the people crossing our southern border are illegally involved in the trafficking of guns, people and drugs. Voters should be more worried than they are, as illegal drugs are a major threat to more than just the typical drug addict. Increasingly, fentanyl is being mixed with legal drugs. Tragically, just one exposure can lead to death, depending on the mixture and strength of the drug. Americans deserve to hear from the candidates who want to be the next president about what their plans are to tackle this national security crisis. We need more than talk. We need action. The fentanyl crisis also contributes to the public safety crisis faced by many people living and working in our major urban centers. Violent crime has gone up over the past several years and is devastating once-great cities including
Chicago,
New York, Seattle,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, the District of Columbia, and Portland, Oregon. Years of “defunding the
police,” reducing penalties for crimes such as shoplifting, and early release of convicted criminals have contributed to the unrest. Retailers are moving out of these cities as their financial losses build. Residents who remain are forced to fend for themselves while facing a critical lack of stores where they can buy food and clothing. Voters want to hear what candidates for president plan to do to make these communities safe again — something all citizens deserve. Massive increases in government spending over the past few years have dramatically increased the federal debt while contributing to the increases in inflation. The practical impact on the
American people has been higher costs for food, fuel and housing. Voters deserve to know what each candidate plans to do to slow the growth or cut government spending and how that will impact inflation. Mr. Biden’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from
Afghanistan was a colossal failure that cost the lives of 13 American service members. Not only did our government fail those heroes and the people of that country, but it also empowered
Russian leader
Vladimir Putin to invade
Ukraine. Weakness opened the door to evil. Voters want to know what the candidates plan to do to protect our national security and keep us out of war. Parents want to be involved in the education of their children. And they want schools to teach objective facts, not liberal indoctrination. They want their children to be taught how to think for themselves instead of what to think. College students also want respect. This means institutions should provide them with a balanced education that allows them to reach their own conclusions. They want colleges to keep tuition at reasonable levels, put resources into the classroom instead of bureaucracy, and find ways to help them pursue meaningful careers. Voters deserve to hear what the candidates think about these and plenty of other legitimate issues. It would be wise for the debate moderators to focus their questions on the future. • Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019. Copyright © 2023 The
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