Mary Bono Mack rails against government bureaucracy

The congresswoman railed against government overspending and overregulation, and took questions from an audience concerned about fiscal issues.

She talked about her endorsement of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential primary race.
“I love the fact that he is a man who has talked about the early stages of starting a company and how he had to take risks, not expect the government to back him up or create the business,” she said.

She said she believed many aspects of health care reform could be rolled back if Republicans come to dominate the federal branch after next year’s election, but it would also take feedback from the American people to accomplish.

Doing so would help turn the economy around, she said: “This is a perfect example of the government creating disincentives. If you have 49 employees you’re exempt, if you have 50 employees, you aren’t. It’s ridiculous.”

She said most in the Coachella Valley favor taking an “all of the above” approach to energy policy, continuing to find new sources for fossil fuels while developing alternative methods.

She said going to a “flat tax” system might be appealing, but would get rid of some popular deductions, like homeowner interest and charitable donations.

“But there’s no question we need a fairer, flatter tax structure, she said.