artin Travis graduated from North Attleboro public schools in 1988, and then attended Bridgewater State College. While attending Bridgewater State, Travis was selected for employment as a project manager with a local construction company. Having worked as a project manager for over seven years, Travis has left this position to run for Congress. He served in the Massachusetts National Guard for 10 years.
Question: Given the current economic climate, what are your priorities for the budget surplus and why?
Answer: My top three priorities for the budget surplus include passing tax cuts, shoring up our national defense and making Social Security truly secure. Budget surpluses are excess tax revenue generated from overtaxation of the citizens of America. Therefore, it is not only a priority for me, it is the right thing to do. We must repeal the 1993 gas tax to help all families this winter. We must reduce middle-class tax rates, increase per child tax credits, and reduce the capital gains tax. Be doing this we will extend the opportunity this economy has to offer to all of the residents in our district.
While it is important to focus on increasing opportunity through tax reductions, we must not forget our seniors who are currently on Social Security. I believe that true reform is needed to our Social Security program so that the money we are paying into it will not be wasted on frivolous government bureaucracies. To this end, we must pass a lockbox bill as well as shore up our current Social Security trust funds, to make sure that those who have paid into the system and now rely on that system to survive do not have to worry about the Social Security program going bankrupt.
Nothing the government does is more important than providing for our national defense. Military morale is low, recruitment is down, equipment is becoming outdated, and more than ever our men and women in the military are overly engaged in missions.
