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Why I am Running
for
U.S. House of Representatives
For The People
in Indiana’s
8th Congressional District
I am a financial advisor with Edward Jones, a company that
did not go out of business, and did not take a single dime in
federal bailout money, or any other money from our government. I
help individual investors plan for retirement, maintain their
lifestyle, and keep their taxes down.
The reason that I decided to enter this race, in addition to wanting
to
serve the people in this heartland state of our great nation
was conceived in my mind as I began to study the problems in
Washington, and how these problems affected my clients - individuals
just like you and me.
As I started researching the financial problems facing America, I
found myself looking into the tool sheds of American History - the
tool sheds of Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln,
to name a few, to study how they solved the problems of their day.
When I looked into these different periods of American History, a
picture began to emerge of how similar our problems are to theirs.
These tools have been in the tool shed so long, people have
forgotten how to use them.
That is why I decided to run for Congress. I am the financial
specialist that is uniquely ready to go to work and help craft the
legislation that will help all Americans. My education, profession,
experience and life research have prepared me to offer solutions
that will put our country back on solid financial ground. Nothing
fancy. Nothing new. Just solutions that work.
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In 1992 I
got to meet and spend time with my modern day political hero
President Ronald Reagan at his
Fox Plaza office
in California. Here I was, a young man, discussing policies with
"The Great Communicator"!
He was a very personable yet humble man who had recently changed our
country and the world for the better, kept us safe and set standards
of prosperity for future generations. We discussed streamlining and
ways to make government more efficient, and some of his policies
that worked then, and that I believe will work today.
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One policy
President Reagan discussed with me was The Grace Commission.
He directed
those serving on this commission
to be bold and
work like tireless bloodhounds, not leaving any stone unturned in
their search to root out inefficiency in government. For two years,
161 corporate executives and community leaders led an army of 2,000
volunteers on a waste hunt throughout the federal government. Funded
entirely by voluntary contributions of $76 million from the private
sector, the search cost taxpayers nothing. The Grace Commission
Report was presented to Congress in January 1984. The Report claimed
that if its recommendations were followed, $424 billion could be
saved in three years, rising to $1.9 trillion per year by the year
2000. It estimated
that the
national debt with these reforms in place would rise to only $2.5
trillion, but with the Congress voting
“No” to
the reforms, the debt actually reached $5.8 trillion in 2000!
The Report said that one-third of all income taxes
are consumed by waste and inefficiency in the Federal Government,
and another one-third escapes collection due to the underground
economy. "With two-thirds of everyone's personal income taxes wasted
or not collected, 100 percent of what is collected is absorbed
solely by interest on the Federal debt and by Federal Government
contributions to transfer payments. In other words, all individual
income tax revenues are gone before one nickel is spent on the
services which taxpayers expect from their Government."
Congress did NOT act on the recommendations.
I believe strongly in the proven conservative principles held by
Ronald Reagan that are distinctly American, those of less
government, less taxes, less waste, a strong military and a
commitment to traditional moral values.
Many will remember President Reagan as the "Great Communicator". But
the President himself said on numerous occasions that he wasn't a
great communicator, he just communicated great things. Those were
the traditional American values of this extraordinary leader. And,
as the President said, "they came from the heart of a great
nation."
Those ideals were simple and distinctly American. President Reagan
believed that freedom depended on limited government. Ronald Reagan
profoundly said "government is not the solution to our problem,
government is the problem."
Ronald Reagan was a deeply modest man who believed in the American
people and had an unshakable Christian faith. It was his voice, his
vision and his deeply held values that caused me to become a
Republican. President Reagan said at the end of his Presidency
“We left
America more
prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years
earlier.”
As the grandson of German/English immigrants, the son of a Naval
Pilot and School Teacher, a husband to my wonderful bride of nearly
22 years who is a Social Worker in the Evansville school system, and
a proud father of three delightful daughters and a 2:42 small group
leader and Church Elder for almost 20 years, I hold my values and
the true importance of our nation’s many freedoms very close to my
heart. A vote for me is a vote to give America back to the people.
But I can not do it alone. Today I’m asking you to show your support
for our fight by doing everything you can to sign up your friends
and build our grassroots team so we can truly change the way
liberals are running Washington. Please know I am humbled by the
support and encouragement so many of you have shown me already.
Today we are experiencing the fastest expansion of government and
vast erosion of values as never witnessed in America before. We need
real change that focuses on making decisions based on what is best
for our towns and its citizens. Let's work together to bring back
responsibility and accountability in our highest offices. Let’s
stand together and fight for real solutions to our nation’s
burgeoning problems, stand with me for our children’s sake, and the
future generations not yet born.
Ronald Reagan said that the key to overcoming "...does require,
however, our best effort, and our willingness to believe in
ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to
believe that together, with God's help, we can and will resolve the
problems which now confront us. After all, why shouldn't we believe
that? We are Americans."
May God bless you and may God bless America.
– John Lee Smith
Email:
brian@johnleesmith2010.com
Phone:
812-468-8225
Cell: 812-589-2781 |
