blakeman

On October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated. Lady Liberty, a bold, large gift from the French, stands proud in NY Harbor as a symbol of our greatness as a free country.

On October 28, 2014, candidates all across the United States are applying the finishing touches to their campaigns. A week later, November 4, the American people will vote to choose their representatives in a free, democratic election.
Will we choose leaders who bring out our greatness, or who opt for America to continue down a disappointing path of enormous debt, weak foreign policy, and other troublesome issues?

Bruce Blakeman (R) seeks to represent the fourth Congressional District which includes the Five Towns. He proudly states that he believes in American exceptionalism, and he began our interview by stating he wants to “get America moving in the right direction.” His main plan would be to grow the private sector to create a strong economy.

According to data from the Small Business Administration, small businesses comprise 64% of new private sector jobs. Blakeman believes if we cut taxes and costly government regulations, we encourage the creation of good paying jobs, not part time or minimum wage work. He believes Obamacare is a disaster, a “tax on the middle class” and a “job killer” and would vote to repeal it in favor of an assigned risk policy. As he states on his website, “Millions of insured Americans have lost their health care. Now the Congressional Budget Office tells us that because of Obamacare more than 2 million more will decide to live on entitlements and government subsidies rather than work, and tens of millions more will lose their employer based health care.”

To help ease the burden on middle class families, Blakeman favors a tuition tax credit for high school students. Surprisingly, his opponent sees this as “subsidizing religious school students” even though those parents have already paid taxes to fund a school system they do not participate in.

His opponent also seeks to increase the tax on gas. Rather than encouraging the development of clean energy, this merely adds to the struggles of the middle and lower class, making it more expensive to get to work each day.

While Blakeman seeks to improve the quality of life for Americans on a domestic level, he also plans to impose strict policies regarding immigration and foreign policy. He believes we need secure borders and a comprehensive immigration plan. He has also called for the cancellation of flights from West Africa, where liberal guidelines have allowed Ebola to enter our country. Obama’s political appointee regarding the issue has failed to successfully educate the public, formulate a prevention plan, or put in place a treatment plan.

Finally, Blakeman plans to help reverse the damage of the Obama administration’s weakened military in favor of containing enemies rather than destroying them. Reliance on the United Nations, as his opponent suggests, is “a joke” and we have all seen the disastrous consequences of UN inaction in the past.

Though Bruce’s success as a businessman, lawyer, and politician serve as a basis for creating his plans for office, his childhood in Valley Stream as the son of World War II veterans and his current community involvement in Long Beach help him maintain his moral compass. Some of his local success stories include cofounding Hewlett House, the first Breast Cancer Learning Resource Center of its kind in America located right here in the 4th Congressional District, and  authoring legislation for  the revitalizing of downtown business districts and transportation centers in the 4th CD. As he explains, “What sets me apart is the knowledge and understanding I got from my other jobs — working as a bartender, a busboy, a dishwasher, and on the back of a garbage truck. It is these real-life experiences that allow me to understand what hard-working individuals and families are going through.”

A popular television talk show host asks his guests in unfortunate circumstances, “How’s that working for you?” Keep this question in mind as you head to the polls on November 4 and are offered a choice of “more of the same” in the form of a Congressional candidate who supports President Obama’s policies, or Bruce Blakeman who seeks to restore our position of greatness, a nation deserving of the beautiful gift of Lady Liberty.

By Michele Justic

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