Primary Election Date: 04/03/2012
General Election Date: 11/06/2012

Who Am I?

I am a far less than perfect candidate with many flaws and issues. I am a working-class candidate with three (3) children living at home, and more bills than money. I don't define myself as a liberal or conservative because I think, I reflect, and therefore my ideas depend on the issues...but I do like the term 'Progressive.' On matters of abortion for example, I think we should help mothers who want to keep their babies, by letting them know they are not alone, there is help with food, medicine, doctors and hospitals...and even continuing their education. I don't think we should throw people in jail, I don't think we should drive people into dark shadows where they die because of what I believe...but, we should help. I think that is a Pro-Life Progressive. I also think it's strange that to qualify for welfare, a family needs the father, husband, boyfriend to leave, wouldn't it make more sense to keep the male role model with the family? That would be a small, simple change, but would possibly keep at least some families together. Is that a Family Values Progressive? And, on gay rights...I simply believe in the dignity of all Americans and human beings. I believe everyone is entitled to live their lives with that dignity, and don't understand why anyone would try to deny this to anyone. Honestly, I have enough trouble in my own life, so I can't worry about what anyone does in the privacy of their own home between consenting adults. I believe in God, and if He gave us free will, who is anyone to take that away from anyone else to try to make people act in a way that they approve of? I guess I am a Christian Progressive.

Yet one thing I am very passionate about, is labor, organized labor, the working-class. To be honest, this (and family tradition) is why I am and will always be a Democrat. Because we stand for and with the American working people. The other side is regressive to the point of subscribing to a 19th century economic philosophy that believed in keeping the masses poor and ignorant. They are up to some old tricks, firing teachers, growing class sizes, talking about privatizing schools and even cutting funding for libraries (here in Texas, they cut the state budget for libraries by 99%). They are up to even older tricks reverting to using child and slave labor in places like Burma, Communist China, India and Pakistan to create an unemployment crises, so people will work for less while Corporate fat cats profit beyond their wildest dreams, destroying the middle-class, working-class, our economy and America! I am part of the working-class, I love our country, and I have children and want all our children to have a wonderful life and to live the American dream.

Why Am I Running?

I mentioned my children earlier, I have two daughters and two sons, my oldest daughter lives in California. They are why I am running. My parents went from liberal, to conservative, to extreme conservatives (before the Tea Party), to apathetic, but my Democratic father and Republican mother taught me a lot of lessons before they passed-away recently...and believe it or not, they are why I am running. But why for the 11th District Congressional seat?

I live in the heart of the 11th District, in a wonderful community called San Angelo where the people are conservative Republicans in large measure, although many seem more open minded than outsiders might suspect. In an area where they may listen to Rush Limbaugh and watch FOX News, but they have in large part been responsible for getting me on the ballot, by signing my petitions, and as I walked around gathering signatures, they invited me into their homes to talk, or even brought me and my daughter ice cold sodas on hot days!

We talk about issues and at their homes, they have agreed with me on the issues...and on the terrible job our Republican Congressman, and his buddies who control the House of Representatives have done. In one town, where I was told to watch out for 'Shiite Republicans,' I was greeted at one store by a crowd who gathered to see the one Democrat who came to meet them, the only Democrat in years. In the Odessa/Midland area, I was promoted as an upcomming guest on a radio station that plays Rush, Hannity, Ingram, and FOX News propaganda all day...for three days before the show, and treated decently by the host and their audience...invited back for future discussions.

How can't I run here and now? we have to be brave, step forward, explain our points of view...and not surrender Texas, or the 11th District to anyone. I love my community, this particular part of Texas and the 11th District. I have to run, for my kids, for our family, for the economy and our country.

Hold Me Accountable!

It's hard for a single Congressman to really have an impact in the House of Representatives, but my top two goals would be to stand up for what I believe in (Education, Infrastructure, Protecting our Rights, Social Security and Medicare) and make noise about what is going wrong in Congress, to call out people who aren't working for the American both in person, and in the press. To be the voice for working people and common sense, not another shill for the lobbyists, PACS and corporations.

In other words, trying to undo what the far, extreme right has been doing for the past two years.

My DFA values:

...getting rid of the 'Patriot Act' to reclaim our Cionstitution and Bill of Rights. removing the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% to bring tax rates back to the Clinton rates so we can start cutting the defecit and investing in America again through infrastructure projects. I would also suggest we bring teachers back and give all our children the best education we can afford as a nation and work to bring college to all students who want to get a degree.

Our community has been damaged by the polarization of radical far right politics, we have to work to bring people together again. While Republican leaders have misled their base, most republicans are good and decent people. We need to bring them in to the process with us and work together for our kids and for the future of our nation. I am a former military officer (U.S. Army) and appreciate President Obama's approach which makes us more respected and safer than the last administration. And, by viewing the Constitution (and not changing it like our Republican friends seem to want to do) as a blueprint, respecting it and the Bill of Rights, and getting rid of all the bills and orders that, like the Patriot Act, seem to shred the most sacred documents in our nation's history...we will be safer, more secure and more free than we have been in years. Ben Franklin said, "Those willing to surrender their freedom for security deserve neither..." I say we need to fight to restore our freedom!

My Campaign is People-Powered!

We have NO paid staff only eleven (11) volunteers (plus my children and wife) who have helped successfully get about 615 petition signatures from all over the district, to get on the primary ballot.
We chose the petitions, because of a very limited budget.
Our campaign contributions have ranged between five dollars ($5.00) and one-hundred dollars ($100.00).
We have no radio, television or print commercials/ads in the can yet.
Our biggest means of getting the word out is social media such as Facebook and Twitter and an e-newsletter that goes out to over 20,000 friends, businesses and people we have never met.
I am filling this out myself...and have knocked on hundreds of doors personally, meeting some of the most remarkable people you'd ever want to meet.