In our Democracy different levels of government make important decisions, which affect each of us directly. The municipal/county government has the task to assure police protection, garbage collection, and provision of proper utility services, park maintenance and the like. Party affiliation for County or City officials is therefore of marginal importance and, indeed, most city council elections are non-partisan.
Things are different on the Federal and State governing bodies whose decisions affect the entire county or state. Which party your representative belongs to does matter? The party who controls Congress determines the national agenda. The most important issue facing the nation is the security of the country and fighting the war on terror. Think of it: Who do you trust to keep us safe – Nancy Pelosi, John Conyers, Maxine Waters and John Kerry or President Bush, Condi Rice, Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts?
The majority party in each Chamber of Congress and the State Legislature also make Chairmanship and Committee assignments. It is in committee where bills are formulated and finalized before they come to a vote on the floor. Therefore, party affiliation does matter. It might not be the only reason to vote for a candidate, but it ought to be one good reason to do so. Which party will serve your interests best? That depends on those interests. You can inform yourself by reading the party platforms, which are published on the respective party websites.
I am a proud, traditional Republican. My views, values and principles are best represented by the GOP. My personal experiences led me to the party. I am living the American dream. As a very young man, I came to this country as a legal immigrant with very little money. Leaving war-ravaged Europe for the land of unlimited opportunity, I was determined to take advantage of the freedoms and opportunities to create a successful life. And, America has been good to me and more than fulfilled its promise.
I arrived in Chicago on July 26th and started working at $1.45 per hour as an orderly in a great hospital, one of many jobs I held over the years. The greatest piece of fortune in taking this job was that I met a beautiful young nurse. We have been married 43 years. We raised our family and adore our 7 grandchildren. America has afforded me a good education. My undergraduate degree in Economics/Business took 7 12 years. I did it the old fashioned way – I worked for it. My graduate degree was earned by my wife, who worked so I could go to school.
We started a business in 1976. Having to make a payroll taught me a lesson in economic reality, and how high taxes stifle growth and development. Through hard work, determination and a measure of luck we became successful beyond our expectations. As I could not afford to draw a salary during the first year, I started to teach college courses at night, something I enjoyed so much that I kept doing it until last December.
After my retirement, I was recruited to compete for the 43rd district seat and honored by being elected. This is the highpoint of my life and I\’m most grateful. I unabashedly love this country and I believe the best is yet to come for our progeny and us. I stand in awe of the foresight and wisdom of our founding fathers that gave us the most successful form of government in the history of the world. Our duty is to defend our democracy.
Republicans are optimists, many in the other party tend to blame America first, and they seem to enjoy focusing on our blemishes rather than offering solutions. Republicans believe in the Capitalist free enterprise system, in competition and in minimal government interference with commerce and industry.
This has given us the great standard of life we enjoy. Many on the other side are more interested in re-distributing the income and wealth created by those who are productive to those who can only consume. Most of all, Republicans mean to preserve the opportunities which allow a poor immigrant to rise to represent the people. It is my goal to preserve this opportunity for your children and my grandchildren.
We ought to remind people that when it comes to a helping hand, they should look first at the end of their arm, before demanding government handouts. We also need to take better care of the truly needy who are unable to take care of themselves. And we need to protect the 1st right mentioned in our Declaration of Independence: the Right to Life.