Paul Targets Federal Reserve, Military Spending...
PORTSMOUTH — During what organizers described as perhaps the most widely attended town hall-style meeting Ron Paul has held yet, the Republican presidential hopeful said he would "slash" military spending, stated a goal of eliminating the Federal Reserve and took jabs at recent campaign flubs of a fellow candidate.
Paul, a Texas congressman, took a handful of questions from moderator Andy Sanborn, R-Henniker, before opening it up to a crowd of roughly 250 packed into the ballroom at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel. His overriding message was shrinking the government, cutting spending and defending personal liberties. He told the audience the government drains from the economy, distorts markets and has broad impacts when it makes bad decisions.
Individuals, on the other hand, can stand or fall when given freedom to make their own decisions, Paul said.
"I want people to spend the money," he said. "It's your money; it's your life."
Paul said he has a "modest approach" for reducing the size of government, but added he would "slash" spending on military efforts overseas. America may have an obligation to uplift people around the world, but the current system is failing, taking money from American people in need and spending it ineffectually in other countries, he said.
"I want to spend this money back at home," he said, adding America can have more international influence by setting a good example than by imposing its will by force.
Paul also said there are five government departments he would eliminate, and in the process he poked fun at fellow Texan Rick Perry, who during a recent debate blanked on which agencies he would do away with. Paul said he would eliminate the departments of Energy, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce and Interior.
He added that some functions of the agencies are needed and should not disappear. Nuclear materials, for instance, should be regulated, but the Department of Energy should not be setting energy policy, he said.
"The market does the energy policy, and not the government," he said.
He expressed strong opposition to the Federal Reserve, or "Fed," as well. The Fed is an independent federal entity but is subject to congressional oversight. Paul said Congress should demand to know more about the Fed, advocating for it to be audited and saying the country should return to the gold standard and legal private mints.
On the issue of mandates, such as those in health-care reform that require everyone to purchase health insurance, Paul said he would provide "blanket exemptions" and tax credits to people who opt out of certain programs.
"Opting out should always be the principle that we're looking at," he said.
Paul will be in the area today, as well, with scheduled visits to the Portsmouth Health Food Store on Congress Street at 10 a.m. and a Portsmouth Rotary Club meeting at the Portsmouth Country Club in Greenland at 11:45 a.m.
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