The time is almost at hand to cast my first-ever vote, and I have decided to vote for the person based on three issues that are important to me. The first one I briefly mentioned in my last column. Whom would I trust to provide protection for my family if we were stranded overseas during or prior to conflict? The second issue is taxation. Both candidates have said much on this subject, but I’m not sure if either one of them will be able to pull off what they promised. When it comes to money, alliance and stance can easily be influenced. So instead of looking at what they promise, I looked at their principles to decide on my vote. A couple of thing about Obama bother me on the issue of money. Last month he raised over $150 million. When someone has the ability to get that much money I am leery about what might be expected in return. The quid pro quo is very alive in the arena of politics. I’m not saying that Obama is corrupt or unethical, but when he makes himself available for others to give him that much money, one day they will call in a favor. Obama might do the right thing and not succumb, but the fact that he could put himself in that predicament concerns me.Obama’s plan to tax those who make more than $250,000 sounds like a noble idea, but I find fault in the principle of it. Follow me on this example. Say Mark Mangino goes to his quarterback Todd Reesing and tells him that if his passing efficiency is over 60 percent, he needs to sit out and let the back-up quarterbacks play because it’s not fair for him to be so efficient. Life is not fair, and to make it fair is ridiculous. How many of you who have kids teach them not to aspire to be the best they can be because in doing so they might be better off than their friends or that they cannot do better than others because it’s not fair? And if they do, they should be penalized and/or share their success with the classmates who don’t do so well. That’s what Obama’s tax plan means to me. Imagine if Bill Gates decides that he wants to shut down his company, Microsoft. That would truly create a worldwide recession and a major technological setback, but yet Obama’s tax policy says it’s wrong that Microsoft makes too much money and needs to spread the wealth. What right does Obama or anyone have to punish those who are successful? Many immigrants still come to this country because this is the only country that rewards hard work and provides opportunity to become wealthy. If we start to punish that behavior, then the so-called “American Dream” will cease to exist and there would be no incentive for someone to work hard and become successful. Why work hard when the government will take it from someone else and give it to him or her?The action of a good friend of mine directly influenced my last criterion. He was looking for a CFO for the company that he works for, and after one of his interviews with a potential candidate I asked him if that person was qualified for the job. Mind you, this was a high-level, high-paying position for a major U.S. corporation. My friend told me that while he was qualified, he didn’t have enough experience to assume this position. Enough experience, not without experience. Why should I “hire” someone to run this country without enough experience if major corporations won’t hire someone to run theirs? Based on those three things, I’m going to vote for McCain, as I believe he is the best candidate for the job of president of my country, the United States of America.