
A Time for Choosing!
As the campaign draws to a close, I have been thinking of the themes of my campaign which also happen to reflect the speech that many believe propelled Ronald Reagan and his view of government and conservatism to a national level in 1964, that speech being A Time for Choosing. I love the history of Ronald Reagan (having grown up near Dixon, Illinois), noting his early struggles and by faith his overcoming those obstacles. As voters in the 1st District head to the polls and try to discern the best candidate for Congress, allow me to make one last case for my credentials and policies which I believe put me above the other candidates in the race.
First and foremost, as evidenced by my stated issues, I believe this election is about choosing between less government with its current overreach and the promotion of more individual freedom. With the election of President Trump, many of the executive orders signed (300+) have many of the policy goals I support. My policies include: less taxes nationally and locally, to providing the utmost care for our veterans, to limiting our foreign aid and involvement worldwide in wars not in our national interest, to greatly downsizing our federal government, to enforcing the law, including immigration and our borders, and finally, to supporting legislation and initiatives that raise our standard of living while lowering costs - I believe this district needs a nonpolitician and fighting Irishman in Washington.
I believe the district needs a Christian educator who has a thorough knowledge of Congress, the economy, government, and the U.S. Constitution. I have also served humbly as a true public servant for several years at the federal level, receiving the highest ratings with the three agencies I worked with. No other candidate in this race match these credentials.
What the district cannot afford is another politician seeking self-promotion. During this campaign I purposely limited contributions to under $500 and did not aggressively seek funding, instead I primarily self-funded this effort. Not so with the proclaimed leader in this race. He has accepted many large PAC contributions which could be inferred to be a conflict of interest with many of the contributions. If you have followed the campaign you know of the other issues confronting the so-called leader in this race, which I have raised repeatedly.
I will support President Trump and his policies wherein they also benefit all the residents of the 1st District. I am not seeking an office beyond the House of Representatives and pledged support for terms limits and a balance budget amendment. I would only serve three terms or six years total, God willing. I believe as Reagan stated, "You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a left or right, but I would like to suggest that there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down--up to a man's age-old dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order--or down to the ant heap totalitarianism, and regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course." As a district and nation we need to be vigilant against the forces of big government and those countries who still poise a threat to our national security. Economically, our district needs relief from regulations, promotion of growth of small businesses, and a representative that will work closely with state officials resolving the insurance crisis in Florida.
I know it seems like we are working harder and longer with little results to be shown. Reagan aptly stated, "The simple truth is: No matter how hard you work, no matter how strong this economy grows, no matter how much more tax money comes to Washington, it won't amount to a hill of beans if government won't curb its endless appetite to spend."
The generation I teach in the classroom is most concerned and frustrated about our federal debt of 36 trillion and the inability of their generation to get ahead as did my parents and grandparents post WWII. We have an obligation to help the younger generation reach their dreams as we did earlier with less government, less taxes, a reformed Social Security that will be there when they retire. Let us strive to make our country once again the City on a Hill.
Finally, it has been a pleasure meeting the public in each of the counties of the 1st District, the party leaders, and my fellow candidates. I believe God has a purpose for those who love Him and follow in obedience. Whatever God has for me with the result on Tuesday, I know it is His will. As Lincoln said, "If the end brings me out all right, what's said against me won't amount to anything."