Candidate for
United States Representative; District 43

Why Run? Along with a loving wife, my children are my most precious belongings. I see the world they are growing up in and I can't help but think I am not doing enough. I am running as an Independent with a focus not on supporting a certain party but instead trying to do what best for the country. I work for a State Agency full-time and work nights on the weekends and still find it hard to be the sole financial supporter for my family. Rising cost of gasoline, electric and food only make it harder. While there are many issues facing this country, here in the South Bay I feel it's as easy as A B C. My platform is as follows:

A merican Energy. With the cost of gas over $4.00 gallon in the South Bay and rising electric prices, I have less money to spend on the things I enjoy. North America and specifically the United States have an abundance of natural resources, yet government keeps us from utilizing these resources. As your congressman, I would only support legislation that helps to lower these cost. Let's build the Keystone XL Pipeline. Let's expand drilling for oil on federal lands. Let's stop closing oil and coal refineries with EPA regulations. Reducing energy costs helps those at the bottom who need it the most.

B usiness. As congressman I will only support legislation that creates jobs and never any that takes jobs away from the economy. Again, the Keystone XL pipeline promises to provide 9,000 jobs to hardworking Americans. Many of these jobs are hourly positions for those who were hardest hit by the recession. Furthermore, I would oppose legislation like Obamacare, which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will result in 2 million less people working. It also taxes business that "keep their plans", better plans than are offered on the exchanges, 40% on the cost of those plans. I would also oppose a federal minimum wage hike. The CBO estimates that such adjustment would reduce total employment by 500,000 workers. While the news touts that that unemployment is dropping and dropping, if you look at the U-6 figures, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers, the figures tell a much different story. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' reports that thorough first quarter 2014 the U-6 figure shows that nationally 13.4% of Americans are unemployed. In California, the rate is even higher at 16.7%. But here in Los Angeles county it even worse; the unemployment rate for Los Angeles County is 18.6%. Let's not make it harder for business to create jobs with higher costs and new taxes.

C ost of Living. This is the biggest bipartisan issue affecting all Americans. Taxes, spending, debt, nothing affect the average American more than the rise in cost of living. The rise in the cost of food could be the greatest threat to the American household. This one touches everyone. Some people don't drive so they don't care about the price of gas. Some people have not been affected by rising health care costs, but everyone is affected by the rise in food cost. The poorest amongst us are hit the hardest. From milk to meat to fast food, all of food is costing more. Right or left, the progressive agenda being pushed on this country is affecting our pocket books the hardest. Over regulation of energy, farming and private business are the key driver's in the rise in our cost of living. As your representative, I will fight aggressively against legislation that will cause a rise in the cost of living in America.

The problems every American faces are as simple as A B C. The solution is as A B C as well. A vote4 B randon C ook