The James FAQ.

The James FAQ

Quick Jump to Issue:

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Why are you running for U.S. Congress?

I’m running to save our kids’ future.  Our government is off the rails and moving – fast – in the wrong direction.  The economy is in a tailspin.  Companies aren’t hiring, and millions are out of work.  Meanwhile, government is growing by leaps and bounds and making things worse.  Our personal liberties shrink while our economic health declines.  Poorly chosen politicians have dug a hole we need to work our way out of.

President Bush grew the government and increased our debt, the 2007 Democrat Congress doubled down, and President Obama is on track to double that.  My kids’ share of the U.S. debt is $132,000.  They’re on the hook for another $1 million of unfunded federal liabilities.   That looks to me like it’s pretty much everything they might earn in their working careers – and that’s not right.  

I know I can make a difference in Congress – I can help fix the country with my common sense and real world experience.  I’m the only person running who has actually helped shrink spending at the federal level AND helped create thousands of private sector jobs across the Unites States.  I’ve competed for business against companies from India and China.  We need more of that experience in D.C. - not just career politicians looking to climb the political ladder!

Back to top.

 

Why should I support you?

I’m the only guy running who has the experience of shrinking spending at the federal level AND helping to create thousands of private sector jobs – and can do it at a national level.  I’m also the only guy who has spent the past two years going to every corner of the district and learning about what our neighbors really think, what they need, and what they believe.

I’ve got experience working at senior levels in Washington D.C. on spending and policy issues, but I’ve worked in the productive, private sector for the majority of my career.  In short, I know my way around D.C. and can get things done, but I’m not from D.C.  I’m FROM Main Street – Main Streets in Kirkland, Bothell, Lynnwood, and Poulsbo.  

My background is unique and perfect for the times we face.  I grew up overseas in a military family; started my career as an auto mechanic; earned my MBA; helped shrink a federal agency; helped start and grow businesses across the country; have done business across the world; am raising my family in Redmond; and work hard at grass-roots activism locally.  

More than anything, as a result of working with businesses of every size and kind, I know what it’s going to take to get the economy moving again, get companies hiring, and put people back to work.  I earned an MBA, but I don’t just have ‘book knowledge’ or some abstract academic economic theory – I have the practical, personal experience I’ve earned competing in business.  

Back to top.

 

Can you win?

Absolutely!  When I ran for this seat against Jay Inslee in the 2010 election it was my first political race as a candidate.  I did better than any challenger in a decade!  It was a great experience, and I learned a lot.  We had some great achievements:

  • I built a grassroots volunteer army of political activists who forced my opponent to spend $1.4 million to retain his 14 year incumbency;
  • I did more than 150 live events in ranging from living rooms to convention centers;
  • I forced my opponent into his first real campaign debate;
  • I earned great endorsements, including the general election endorsement from a major paper; and 
  • I ultimately earned a percentage of the vote 35% higher than the last guy to run against Jay Inslee!  

Most of all, I earned a reputation as a hard working campaigner and man of the people.  In this election cycle, running for an open seat, I’ll be able to build on past success and our hard work from the previous election.

Back to top.

 

What about the other guys running?  Why Will you do better?

This is kind of tough to answer since we don’t know for sure who will actually file official papers and run for office.  Several politicians have expressed interest, but only a handful have officially filed.  

Regardless, in 2012 we have to figure out who we trust to fix our country.  Do we want to hire another lawyer to go to Congress?  A political fundraiser?  An environmental entrepreneur funded by various governments?  Local politicians who care more about winning the next election for higher office than doing the right thing?  Maybe we should hire an academic or economist?

Of course not.  The impact of this election will be huge – and the choices stark.  As a country, we can’t afford more of the same failed big government policies, implemented by the same old usual suspects.  We need a private sector problem solver more concerned about the country than his party; more concerned about the people in the district than the people in D.C.; more concerned about the interests of the voters than the special interests in Seattle, Olympia, and D.C; and with the experience to have an impact.

I think I’m the guy - and so did 120,000 of your neighbors in the last election.

Back to top.

 

How do we know you’re not going to turn into ‘one of them’ and drink the D.C. kool-aid?

I get asked this question nearly every time I do a Q&A.  It’s a real concern that the folks we send to D.C. seem to go the cocktail parties, get absorbed into the D.C. culture, drink from the Potomac and somehow turn into a beltway insider and forget about us.

First, I’m not like that.  As she says at every live event she attends, my wife is your guarantee that won’t happen!  I’ve been happily married for 26 years and she hasn’t let me get out of line yet.

Second, I’ve already lived and worked in D.C. and didn’t drink the kool-aid.  With my wife, I made the choice to return to the productive, private sector and raise my kids in the real Washington.  I live here, and will live here – even when I’m working in D.C.  

Back to top.

 

Why don’t you highlight your political party on your signs?  Aren’t you a Republican?

In my campaign, I try to get voters to look beyond the labels – to consider my individual positions as a candidate.  For too long, politicians have used labels to separate us, to isolate us, to demonize the other guy, and to force lemming-like group behavior.  It’s time we moved past that.

As a friend of mine said during the last election – We have too many Democrats, too many Republicans, but not enough Americans. 

That said, in our system of government, you pretty much have to declare as a Republican or Democrat to run for office.  To be crystal clear, I’m running as a Republican.  The Party of Lincoln.  The Party that drove the civil rights movement.  The party that believes in the worth of individuals over groups.  The party that most closely aligns with my personal beliefs.  The GOP.  

I come to it honestly – my Dad was from the South, and was raised as a Democrat.  But he CHOSE to be a Republican when he realized it was Democrats standing on the steps of the schools fighting for segregation.  And that didn’t represent the values he stood for.  He never called himself a Democrat again.    

The catalyst for my personal choice was the contrast between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.  And now, it kind of looks like we’ve got a second Jimmy Carter scenario playing out.  

Back to top.

 

How can we fix the United States?

Right now, we have a crisis in confidence.  Our world view has been shaken – our houses aren’t the great investments we thought they were, our 401K’s are shrinking, and our jobs are moving overseas.  We don’t trust the government to do the right thing and we don’t trust politicians to look after our interests.  It’s clear we can’t afford our government – what’s less clear is who’s going to pay for it.  Right now, it looks like our children and grandchildren will pay the price for our government’s irresponsibility.  It’s the ‘new normal’ – and I reject it.

In business, FUD is the enemy – fear, uncertainty, and doubt.  It distorts the truth, creates false choices, and produces paralysis.  Now, more than ever, FUD is taking over America.  We’re supposed to be a nation of laws, but we look at the news and see a country where success seems to be determined by how good your lawyers, lobbyists, and accountants are.  Companies backed by insiders get billions from the government, and Main Street businesses in Lynnwood can’t get their bank to return phone calls.  Nobody knows when the next shoe will drop.

It sounds simplistic, but fix the FUD, fix the Country.

Back to top.

 

How do you fix the FUD?

We need predictability, transparency, and real reform that rewards hard work, gives everybody a fair shot at success, and provides a very clear message to the world that America is competitive and open for business.  Please check out my in-depth policy pieces for a full discussion.

Back to top.

 

Are you a TEA Party guy?

I’m a proud member of a loosely organized local group that formed to protest the bailouts and failed stimulus programs.  We get together occasionally to discuss local and national issues, work for local candidates, and work to inform our fellow citizens that we’re ‘taxed enough already.’  We don’t do social issues, we’re multi-racial, and are open to all.  

What!?  That’s not what you heard about the TEA Party?  Hmm – I guess you shouldn’t believe everything you see on TV.  Come to one of my events and let’s talk!

Back to top.

 

Where do you stand on the environment?

I was accused of a lot of things during the last campaign, but the lowest blow was when Jay Inslee and Carole King accused me of being a tool of coal and oil companies!  

Seriously? I was a bicycle guy before cycling was cool (assuming that it was ever “cool”).  I’ve commuted year round for 25 years on my bicycle and motorcycle because it worked for me – good for my wallet and good for the environment.  I bought a hybrid before gas prices jumped because it was the right thing to do.  I’m a scuba diver and treasure the complex underwater eco-systems.   I love the Northwest, our clean environment, and quality of life – and I’ll fight to preserve it.

But to be clear, I believe the way to best preserve the environment is to focus on real solutions, designed and implemented by the free market.  When private enterprise innovates, we win.  Enormous bureaucracies aren’t effective at much of anything but spending massive amounts of money and maintaining the status quo.

Back to top.