1. Lower taxes. Support tax cuts that help the state economy whether they are proven supply-side revenue driven taxes or pro-business tax cuts that bring new small and big businesses to the state. It is also important to support the proposed Tax Cap on Real & School Property Taxes.

2. Responsible Spending. Our budget is extremely large and spending appears out of control. NY is the second largest state budget (behind California) and far ahead of the third largest state budget. Our elected officials and candidates should champion transparency with where allocated district funding is put. Spending should benefit the community and also be no larger than it has to be. Our Party should advocate shrinking the size of State Government and privatize where possible.

3. Term Limits. A vote for the Republican Party should be a vote for supporting term limits on elected officials. The desire to perform public service should not be a career decision. The statewide offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller and Attorney General, should be limited to consecutive elections of two four-year terms, with no statewide official exceeding ten consecutive years (or 120 months) in office. Assembly & Senate seats should be limited to serving no more than twelve consecutive years, and limited to serving a leadership position for no more than eight consecutive years.

4. Crime. The Republican Party must reinvent the wheel on being the Party that fights crime. The 1990s saw Mayor Giuliani, Mayor Spencer, Governor Pataki and a number of other Republican leaders flex their muscle on fighting crime. With the success of reducing crime and making our streets safe, the Democrats have co-opted the tough-guy image of being crime fighters as well. This is great to see, but it has hurt Republicans, because they have not been able to adapt to taking the issue to the next level.

5. Education. The Republican Party needs to promote a more competitive and effective educational policy that can resonate combat failed union-driven policies and reach the voter who wants to see change. Repealing laws that prevent a voucher program and promoting tax credit incentives will help level the playing field in education, but the message that these changes will not cut funding in public schools needs to be emphasized.

6. Environmentalism. Theodore Roosevelt was a strong supporter of protecting wildlife and promoting parks. He believed in a safe and clean environment for New Yorkers. He was also a Republican. This was a progressive position that was started by the Republican Party and it should still be a key component of the GOP. We must continue to be the conservatives for conservation. Whether or not you believe man is responsible for some kind of "global warming" is irrelevant. We must balance the need to support environmentally friendly policies that are based on science and fact, as well as policies that open doors to the free markets and allow the economy to grow.

7. Government Reform. Some issues are not meant for the politician. They are meant for the People of the State. Republican candidates should support ballot referendums on issues that determine the progressive stature of New York. Our elected officials and candidates should return government back to the People. We must not support decisions made by the few and support the actions of the voters. When the People of the State support change, then it is the duty of our elected officials, both Republicans and Democrats, to come up with a policy that meets the desires of a referendum.

These are just some key points that our elected officials and candidates need to focus on during this election cycle. And our candidates need to remember that they must emphasize differences, not similarities, when distinguishing one's self from the Democratic opponent. You cannot win by saying why you are like your opponent. It'll have Republican voters question why they need to vote for you and it'll simply confirm the decision for Democratic voters to vote democrat.