I announced in December that I am
running as a Republican for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional
District. I chose to run for Congress because I believe the United States is at
a critical crossroad in our history, and more of the same in Washington will
not serve our nation or our 8th District well now or for future
generations. I hope to be a different
voice representing the constituents of Bucks County, but I have no illusions
regarding the challenges of succeeding as a political outsider.
I was born and raised in Bucks
County, and I grew up believing that with hard work and determination, anybody
can become successful in America. This
belief was instilled in me by my parents, whose own lives were examples to me
of how people with humble beginnings can succeed in America by taking advantage
of the opportunities this country offers.
My grandfather was coal miner in
Scranton, Pennsylvania. My father grew
up poor during the Great Depression, and worked his way through college using
the GI Bill after serving in the US Army in World War II. I admired both of my parents for their determination
to create better lives for themselves and their children. For many middle class Americans today
however, this dream of a better life seems out of reach.
I am both a realist and an optimist,
and I firmly believe there are specific steps we can start implementing now that
can have both a short term and long term impact on the success of the American
middle class, especially here in our 8th District. I also believe Congress can take a critical
leadership role in the success of this plan.
Step 1.
Develop a National
Industrial Strategy with the goal of making the Unites States the world’s
leading manufacturing nation in the 21st century (read more in my
blog post)
Step 2.
Develop specific
plans to increase US exports to levels of other leading industrial nations over
the next 10 years (read more in my blog post)
Step 3.
Take immediate
steps to increase the quality of our educational and vocational training standards
so American jobs openings can be filled by American trained workers.
Step 4.
Make higher
education affordable for middle class American families so their sons and
daughters can achieve their potential and realize their American dream.
Step 5.
Understand the critical
need to maintain a strong national defense in order to achieve our long term
strategic national goals, and provide the necessary funding.
I have been helping US
manufacturers grow their businesses globally for over 20 years, so I understand
what is needed to make the “Made in the USA” label increasingly visible on products
sold to buyers around the world. More US exports create more US jobs.
I also spent over 10 years in the
classroom as a high school teacher, and I currently teach as an adjunct
instructor on the college level, so I also understand what is necessary to move
our educational system to a level where our graduates can effectively compete
in the global economy of the 21st century.
Finally, studying and teaching US
and world history for over 10 years has taught me that the world is a much
safer place when the United States projects strength and not weakness. We cannot achieve our other economic goals
without the stabilizing influence on the world that results from a strong US
defense.
I believe the American dream that
so many of my parents’ generation believed in is still possible in
America. The steps I listed above are
bipartisan, and should be ones that Congress can work on together to achieve. Good paying middle class jobs, a world class
and affordable educational system, and a strong national defense are what I
will work for if elected to Congress. Thomas4Congress@gmail.com
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96644353@N02/8880731807">Stars and stripes</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
