Candidate for
United States Representative; District 4; Republican Party

Our very way of American life continues to erode with the ever-increasing growth and socialistic actions of our government. We need strong leadership from citizen-legislators, as intended by our Constitutional framers. Article I, Section 2, of the Constitution authorizes us to have a Representative. The framers' intended definition is for one to stand or act for another through delegated authority from the people. We need a functional and effective conservative in Congress who understands our community first-hand. As a strong conservative living within your District, I have the real-world experiences needed to address the problems with which we are faced.

Your Local Candidate

True conservatives get it: Low taxes, small government. However, it is extreme to have representation that acts as if we are under the Articles of Confederation. There is indeed a place for Constitutional use of our funds to improve and protect California and the United States republic. To use a business term, I ask, do you feel that there has been a return on your investment? How much of your money has come back to our district for issues that include education without filtering through powerful union hands, improved transportation from the Bay Area-to-Reno, maintaining a national defense posture with active military support units such as the Sierra Army Depot, and small business innovation incentives?

We're not talking waste here, but rather using our hard earned dollars to position the Northern Sierra Nevada region for economic growth while considering the environment (through smart legislation the two needn't be opposites). We must 1) employ spending priorities that create economic multipliers, 2) cap the budget as a GDP percentage and 3) initiate the Presidential line item veto amendment.

It is no secret that we now have a dysfunctional form of federal government. The question is, where do you want your representative to stand on the role of government? Conservative Republicans may vote "correctly" as the "Party of NO" because it has indeed helped stem the tide of an overreaching government (notwithstanding the recent passage of the healthcare law). But where are the novel ideas and creativity to move forward with efficiency to solve today's problems? Your representative can be part of the solution or part of the problem. Voting "NO" is a tactic, not a strategy. We need a proven strategic planner in office.

Historical Context

Early in our country, Federalists and Anti-Federalists were often in opposition, but they were all patriots who agreed that government can be dangerous to liberty. Today, the issues have become a matter of left vs. right, instead of right vs. wrong. After decades of discussion we are no further ahead on our water and energy crises, education is being removed from local control, and personal and states' rights are being disregarded systematically. We need a representative that has a battle plan for victory.

We have never heard of Obama-Republicans, nor Clinton-Republicans, or for that matter Bush-Democrats. But we did have Reagan-Democrats (or "boll weevil" Democrats). Did President Reagan have to compromise his ideals in order to gain widespread support? For 30 years as an Army Officer I was willing to place my life and energy towards protecting the liberties of all my countrymen and women. So there is something to having a person who can take charge, yet present reason and dialog with our fellow citizens...no matter how far off the political spectrum we think they may be. That is a trait few career politicians possess.

Truthfully, the electorate bears some responsibility for our current governmental problems. How many have expressed with disdain the term "career politicians", and yet we continue to vote them into office? Most incumbents rely upon the power of name recognition and there are few challengers from the working citizenry because they are doing just that...working instead of running for public office. Ronald Reagan once said that "The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away." Today's politics unfortunately make it very unsavory for the private citizen to run for office, no matter how creative in ideas or well-qualified they may be. Let's move past the comfort zone in this election and vote boldly for a candidate that with the "real-world" experience and qualifications to do the job.

Personal Perspective

First-hand community knowledge comes not only being the only candidate who actually lives in our District, but also through life experiences such as the graduation of my children from Placer High School and the spirited competitions such as when our ski team (and my daughter) raced against the likes of Portola, Quincy, and Colfax. We enjoy and know the Truckee/Tahoe region by heart. We also shop, gather to worship, recreate, and know the roadways.

I have diversified my work to include vocational teaching and mentoring from Grass Valley-to-Roseville-to-Orangevale because it is so vital to our future to better position adults for jobs. Most high school graduates have been geared towards college, but most never enter or complete college. Where are the skills, the arts, and what was formerly was known as common sense?

Seemingly lost in the recent rhetoric on healthcare and party politics is how local families have sacrificed to protect America. Soldiers deserve proven leaders to construct a clear path to victory with a safe return home.

Should we entrust the future of our national defense, foreign policy, education, and healthcare to career bureaucrats or to a true community representative with real-world experiences?

Credentials

It is imperative to have a representative that possesses the credentials and savvy to navigate through the unpredictable future. It is one thing to address key issues of the present, but quite another thing to be decisive, clear and of sound logic for those issues that are yet to come. In this regard, several honors accompany my following credentials:

1) Colonel, US Army Reserves for 30 years, with over half my service in key leadership and command positions;

2) PhD degree as a biomedical scientist and healthcare professional with numerous publications, research grants, and collaborations worldwide;

3) Financed and developed start-up companies, most recently focused on cancer treatments with international regulatory approvals;

4) Educator (Sierra College, Heald College, UC Davis) to a range of students that include top-level academics, returning adults, single mothers, late-bloomers and the underprivileged.

From these experiences come the leadership, communication, and innovation essential to develop a vision and strategy to move America forward. As your representative, I will challenge Congress to uphold our forefathers' convictions, return tax dollars to benefit our region, and lead legislation to improve our district.