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| Interview with Jesse Kelly 9-12 Candidate for Congress Arizona District 8 |
Host: You and I both live in Arizona where we are lucky enough to have the sun shine almost every single day of the year, so of course with that
I want to bring up the subject of energy, then I will go to another hot button here in Arizona: immigration. Then the national hot button: health
care. Then I will finish up with education. But… before I even go with energy, I want to ask you one question: you signed up to the 9-12
Candidates Pledge, why?
Candidate: Because I love everything on that pledge. The 9-12 Candidates, they approached me, they explained to me who they were,
obviously I looked into it, they sent me a contract and asked me if I wanted to get involved, and I think that is absolutely a fantastic pledge. I
wish every single person running for political office would sign that pledge.
Host: Amen to that! Ok, let’s go to energy. You support developing our domestic resources in order to increase our economic and political
security. What specific domestic resources do you have in mind?
Candidate: Specifically, I love oil, I love natural gas, and I really love nuclear power. I am all for solar and wind as well, but right now our
economy runs on oil, gas, coal and nuclear. And especially these nuclear plants with the advancements we’ve made in them, I think we really
are selling ourselves short by not investing more in nuclear power, especially here in Arizona.
Host: Well, zooming in on Arizona for a moment and given our weather, I know you mentioned very briefly solar energy, why don’t we take more
advantage of what Mother Nature has blessed us with, namely the sun, to create more solar power?
Candidate: Well, I love it as I said, especially because this is Arizona. I do love solar power. But the bottom line is: the technology is not yet
there to power significant entities with solar power. To power the state of Arizona, you’d need to cover the state of California with solar panels. It’s
nice. I believe the technology will one day be there but it is not there yet. Since it is not, we can explore things that we do know work.
Host: OK, so pretty much then you feel that solar power would be a little bit of a band aid for the time being. Couldn’t we then use it as bridge?
Candidate: Correct! Absolutely! It could be there to complement what we have; it can complement what works until the technology is there to
power completely. I have the same dream, to power this entire state using the power of the sun. I think it’s an amazing idea and a great goal to
strive for, but what I don’t like is holding back other sources of energy to go for solar power.
Host: So, if I ask you to give me your top 3 list of energy, what would it be?
Candidate: Nuclear power, coal and oil.
Host: Let’s go to immigration. You live virtually on the front raw, in Tucson AZ. You know what the problems are on the border, and so far
Arizona officials have not really stepped up to the plate when it comes to securing our border, and also stop the drug trafficking and gang
violence. When you are elected, how do you plan to seriously address this issue?
Candidate: I plan to seriously address this issue by backing up Congressman Duncan D. Hunter of California 52 and his legislation that he is
trying to pass right now. We obviously know it will probably not pass with this Congress, but that legislation calls for the completion for the
border fence that was already started, it was already federal legislation. It is a double border fence to secure the border. They did it in San
Diego. As soon as it was complete in San Diego, according to FBI statistics, violent crime dropped by 54%, once it was complete. We need to
help our border patrol; we need to protect our citizens by stopping the violence and the drug at the border. We need to secure the border first.
Host: What would you do with the problem that we already have in house, namely the amount of illegal immigrants who are already here? And
you know like I do that each time we talk about illegal immigrants, other groups claim that we are anti-immigrants, which is not at all the case.
We have a problem here on our hand with people who are already here. What do you plan to do about that?
Candidate: Let me first just say that I don’t know anybody, not in the circles I run, who is anti-immigrant. This country was founded on
immigration, it is the way it is, we are the ultimate melting pot. The problem is when people cross into this country illegally, we lose
accountability, we lose our sovereignty. As far as what to do with the people who are already here, I am a big believer that this government can
only handle one problem at a time and usually not that, meaning you stop the leak first before you start bailing water, but in order to address
the situation that is here, I believe people like Sheriff Joe Arpaio have the right idea: to simply enforce the laws on the books, the laws that are
already there. People who commit crimes, if they are illegal aliens deport them immediately. We need more strict fines and sanctions on any
city that declares itself a sanctuary city. To declare yourself a city that violates the law of our land, is unacceptable.
Host: Moving on to health care, and boy, you and I could talk all day just about that, but I want to address specifically two points that are very
much on people’s mind and that, of course, Congress is not addressing: tort reform and giving our politicians the same pill that they want to
give to all of us, namely that they will be on the same plan as we, the people. What is your position on those two fronts?
Candidate: One hundred percent agree on both fronts. James Madison was very, very, adamant that Congress should live under every single
piece of legislation they propose. It’s imperative. It’s the only way to keep them honest. They should live under the same plan.
When it comes to tort reform, the whole health care problem if you want to call it a problem, starts and end with tort reform. The unnecessary
tests that they talk about? They have to be done because doctors need to protect themselves. The cost of health care is artificially high
because anybody can sue their doctor for anything.
Host: But realistically though, how are we going to get any legislation that will reform tort, when the very people who are in Congress, a lot of
them are actually lawyers?
Candidate: Well that’s the problem Danielle. People tend to stick together with their own profession. However, I believe there are plenty of
people, even those who were lawyers before they became congressmen and senators, they will go for tort reform if we get the right people
elected to Congress. They are already people there who are fighting for it. If we can get them some help, we can win this battle.
Host: You talk about the health court. Would you please explain that?
Candidate: Well, I believe strongly that the court should be taken out of a lot of the malpractice decisions. We need independent arbitrators
who can decide many of these malpractice cases. We do need the tort reform to cap on the pain and suffering lawsuits, and it needs to be
decided by a separate panel of doctors and patients, and people who are in the field and experienced.
Host: Do you have any hope that this concept will eventually be applied?
Candidate: I think there is no question that it will eventually be applied. Once this health care bill is defeated, and Lord willing it will be
defeated, this H.R.3200 right now, I believe the national awareness for the need for health care reform will still be there. So when we get a
Congress in there, that wants to bring real solutions, I believe they will be able to do it. I think this is something we can do. I won’t accept that we
will just go for the status quo. I think we can do the things to get government out of health care to bring the cost down to the consumer.
Host: Let’s go a little bit to education. You are the father of a very young child yourself, so surely you are concerned about the state of the
education system in Arizona. To say the least, it is kind of dismal. On July 30th of this year, the superintendent of the AZ Department of
Education, Mr. Tom Horne, announced that the AZ Department of Education was awarded $14 million from the US Department of Education to
open new charter schools in the state, that will offer rigorous academic programs. What is your overall position on charter schools and home
schooling?
Candidate: I love both of them! I think it’s fantastic. The charter schools, the home schools, even the private schools, anything that give the
parents more choice over how they want their child educated, because no matter where you are, and with even the best intentions, the politician
does not know how to better educate your child than you do. No one in this world knows what’s better for my son than I do. I know where I want
him educated, so anything that increases the choice of a parent, I am all for it.
Host: We are about to start a new election year. We’re in the middle of August as we are recording this interview, and after Labor Day all the
politicians are going to get into campaign mode, if they are not already. How do you plan to conduct your campaign? Will you be holding
meetings? Will you encourage citizens to either mail you or email you their concerns or questions, and if they do, how do you plan to address
them? And are you going to be an accessible candidate?
Candidate: There is no question about it, we already are conducting ourselves that way as a campaign. Almost every weekend we have a
house party in a different neighborhood, we just did a health care town hall event at the American Legion down in Green Valley. This is a
grassroots campaign, and it’s the grassroots that matter. We want your calls, we want your emails! Send your letters. I am asking to be the
representative of district 8. They will be my boss and they will be treated as such.
Host: You know, a lot of the big beef of the citizens who write to their congressmen, email their congressmen, telephone their congressmen,
always say “there’s no use, we don’t get any answers!”
Candidate: Well you know, all the people think it’s no use, and even if you don’t get an answer, trust me, that congressman, that senator, they
read the letters. And if they don’t, their staff comes to tell them that this many letters about this subject came in. They definitely keep score. That
phone call, that fax, that letter you write, it does matter. I think it is a dangerous thing when people think that their efforts are in vein. They are
absolutely not. What you do matters. They do hear you. Let them know you will punish them at the ballot box if they do not vote the right way.
They will hear you.
Host: I believe that this is the very first time that you are running?
Candidate: Yes, it is.
Host: What made you decide to run?
Candidate: You know, I know it sounds kind of idealistic but I love my country. I love it very, very much. I enjoy being a businessman like I am
now, a project manager right now, but I cannot take what is happening to this nation from Washington, by the politicians in Washington, I
cannot take it!
And the signing of that $787 billion stimulus bill that is already so full with fraud and waste, that was the final straw for me. When that bill was
signed I decided that I am going to take back a congressional seat in this district.
Host: Let’s assume for a second that you have been elected. You are now a freshman in Congress. What is dear to your heart that you would
sponsor legislation for?
Candidate: We need to get government spending under control in this country. Obviously, as you know, I feel very strongly about lowering
taxes for every single tax paying citizen in this country, but the spending is what matters. No matter what tax revenue they bring in, they seem
to spend double. If we do not reign in government spending and government waste, which is everywhere, then we will bankrupt this nation. We
are borrowing too much money from
China. We are currently in massive debt to China. Right now that is a dangerous place to be. We must reign in spending. We must get back to
a limited government that lets the free market work and gives the liberty to own their own labor.
Host: Mr. Kelly, I wish you good luck with your campaign and I will invite you again to do a follow up, maybe in six months down the road, to see
where you are at that point. Are you open to that?
Candidate: I would be honored, I would be absolutely honored.
Host. Kelly, thank you very much for being on The 9-12 Project Show today.
I want to bring up the subject of energy, then I will go to another hot button here in Arizona: immigration. Then the national hot button: health
care. Then I will finish up with education. But… before I even go with energy, I want to ask you one question: you signed up to the 9-12
Candidates Pledge, why?
Candidate: Because I love everything on that pledge. The 9-12 Candidates, they approached me, they explained to me who they were,
obviously I looked into it, they sent me a contract and asked me if I wanted to get involved, and I think that is absolutely a fantastic pledge. I
wish every single person running for political office would sign that pledge.
Host: Amen to that! Ok, let’s go to energy. You support developing our domestic resources in order to increase our economic and political
security. What specific domestic resources do you have in mind?
Candidate: Specifically, I love oil, I love natural gas, and I really love nuclear power. I am all for solar and wind as well, but right now our
economy runs on oil, gas, coal and nuclear. And especially these nuclear plants with the advancements we’ve made in them, I think we really
are selling ourselves short by not investing more in nuclear power, especially here in Arizona.
Host: Well, zooming in on Arizona for a moment and given our weather, I know you mentioned very briefly solar energy, why don’t we take more
advantage of what Mother Nature has blessed us with, namely the sun, to create more solar power?
Candidate: Well, I love it as I said, especially because this is Arizona. I do love solar power. But the bottom line is: the technology is not yet
there to power significant entities with solar power. To power the state of Arizona, you’d need to cover the state of California with solar panels. It’s
nice. I believe the technology will one day be there but it is not there yet. Since it is not, we can explore things that we do know work.
Host: OK, so pretty much then you feel that solar power would be a little bit of a band aid for the time being. Couldn’t we then use it as bridge?
Candidate: Correct! Absolutely! It could be there to complement what we have; it can complement what works until the technology is there to
power completely. I have the same dream, to power this entire state using the power of the sun. I think it’s an amazing idea and a great goal to
strive for, but what I don’t like is holding back other sources of energy to go for solar power.
Host: So, if I ask you to give me your top 3 list of energy, what would it be?
Candidate: Nuclear power, coal and oil.
Host: Let’s go to immigration. You live virtually on the front raw, in Tucson AZ. You know what the problems are on the border, and so far
Arizona officials have not really stepped up to the plate when it comes to securing our border, and also stop the drug trafficking and gang
violence. When you are elected, how do you plan to seriously address this issue?
Candidate: I plan to seriously address this issue by backing up Congressman Duncan D. Hunter of California 52 and his legislation that he is
trying to pass right now. We obviously know it will probably not pass with this Congress, but that legislation calls for the completion for the
border fence that was already started, it was already federal legislation. It is a double border fence to secure the border. They did it in San
Diego. As soon as it was complete in San Diego, according to FBI statistics, violent crime dropped by 54%, once it was complete. We need to
help our border patrol; we need to protect our citizens by stopping the violence and the drug at the border. We need to secure the border first.
Host: What would you do with the problem that we already have in house, namely the amount of illegal immigrants who are already here? And
you know like I do that each time we talk about illegal immigrants, other groups claim that we are anti-immigrants, which is not at all the case.
We have a problem here on our hand with people who are already here. What do you plan to do about that?
Candidate: Let me first just say that I don’t know anybody, not in the circles I run, who is anti-immigrant. This country was founded on
immigration, it is the way it is, we are the ultimate melting pot. The problem is when people cross into this country illegally, we lose
accountability, we lose our sovereignty. As far as what to do with the people who are already here, I am a big believer that this government can
only handle one problem at a time and usually not that, meaning you stop the leak first before you start bailing water, but in order to address
the situation that is here, I believe people like Sheriff Joe Arpaio have the right idea: to simply enforce the laws on the books, the laws that are
already there. People who commit crimes, if they are illegal aliens deport them immediately. We need more strict fines and sanctions on any
city that declares itself a sanctuary city. To declare yourself a city that violates the law of our land, is unacceptable.
Host: Moving on to health care, and boy, you and I could talk all day just about that, but I want to address specifically two points that are very
much on people’s mind and that, of course, Congress is not addressing: tort reform and giving our politicians the same pill that they want to
give to all of us, namely that they will be on the same plan as we, the people. What is your position on those two fronts?
Candidate: One hundred percent agree on both fronts. James Madison was very, very, adamant that Congress should live under every single
piece of legislation they propose. It’s imperative. It’s the only way to keep them honest. They should live under the same plan.
When it comes to tort reform, the whole health care problem if you want to call it a problem, starts and end with tort reform. The unnecessary
tests that they talk about? They have to be done because doctors need to protect themselves. The cost of health care is artificially high
because anybody can sue their doctor for anything.
Host: But realistically though, how are we going to get any legislation that will reform tort, when the very people who are in Congress, a lot of
them are actually lawyers?
Candidate: Well that’s the problem Danielle. People tend to stick together with their own profession. However, I believe there are plenty of
people, even those who were lawyers before they became congressmen and senators, they will go for tort reform if we get the right people
elected to Congress. They are already people there who are fighting for it. If we can get them some help, we can win this battle.
Host: You talk about the health court. Would you please explain that?
Candidate: Well, I believe strongly that the court should be taken out of a lot of the malpractice decisions. We need independent arbitrators
who can decide many of these malpractice cases. We do need the tort reform to cap on the pain and suffering lawsuits, and it needs to be
decided by a separate panel of doctors and patients, and people who are in the field and experienced.
Host: Do you have any hope that this concept will eventually be applied?
Candidate: I think there is no question that it will eventually be applied. Once this health care bill is defeated, and Lord willing it will be
defeated, this H.R.3200 right now, I believe the national awareness for the need for health care reform will still be there. So when we get a
Congress in there, that wants to bring real solutions, I believe they will be able to do it. I think this is something we can do. I won’t accept that we
will just go for the status quo. I think we can do the things to get government out of health care to bring the cost down to the consumer.
Host: Let’s go a little bit to education. You are the father of a very young child yourself, so surely you are concerned about the state of the
education system in Arizona. To say the least, it is kind of dismal. On July 30th of this year, the superintendent of the AZ Department of
Education, Mr. Tom Horne, announced that the AZ Department of Education was awarded $14 million from the US Department of Education to
open new charter schools in the state, that will offer rigorous academic programs. What is your overall position on charter schools and home
schooling?
Candidate: I love both of them! I think it’s fantastic. The charter schools, the home schools, even the private schools, anything that give the
parents more choice over how they want their child educated, because no matter where you are, and with even the best intentions, the politician
does not know how to better educate your child than you do. No one in this world knows what’s better for my son than I do. I know where I want
him educated, so anything that increases the choice of a parent, I am all for it.
Host: We are about to start a new election year. We’re in the middle of August as we are recording this interview, and after Labor Day all the
politicians are going to get into campaign mode, if they are not already. How do you plan to conduct your campaign? Will you be holding
meetings? Will you encourage citizens to either mail you or email you their concerns or questions, and if they do, how do you plan to address
them? And are you going to be an accessible candidate?
Candidate: There is no question about it, we already are conducting ourselves that way as a campaign. Almost every weekend we have a
house party in a different neighborhood, we just did a health care town hall event at the American Legion down in Green Valley. This is a
grassroots campaign, and it’s the grassroots that matter. We want your calls, we want your emails! Send your letters. I am asking to be the
representative of district 8. They will be my boss and they will be treated as such.
Host: You know, a lot of the big beef of the citizens who write to their congressmen, email their congressmen, telephone their congressmen,
always say “there’s no use, we don’t get any answers!”
Candidate: Well you know, all the people think it’s no use, and even if you don’t get an answer, trust me, that congressman, that senator, they
read the letters. And if they don’t, their staff comes to tell them that this many letters about this subject came in. They definitely keep score. That
phone call, that fax, that letter you write, it does matter. I think it is a dangerous thing when people think that their efforts are in vein. They are
absolutely not. What you do matters. They do hear you. Let them know you will punish them at the ballot box if they do not vote the right way.
They will hear you.
Host: I believe that this is the very first time that you are running?
Candidate: Yes, it is.
Host: What made you decide to run?
Candidate: You know, I know it sounds kind of idealistic but I love my country. I love it very, very much. I enjoy being a businessman like I am
now, a project manager right now, but I cannot take what is happening to this nation from Washington, by the politicians in Washington, I
cannot take it!
And the signing of that $787 billion stimulus bill that is already so full with fraud and waste, that was the final straw for me. When that bill was
signed I decided that I am going to take back a congressional seat in this district.
Host: Let’s assume for a second that you have been elected. You are now a freshman in Congress. What is dear to your heart that you would
sponsor legislation for?
Candidate: We need to get government spending under control in this country. Obviously, as you know, I feel very strongly about lowering
taxes for every single tax paying citizen in this country, but the spending is what matters. No matter what tax revenue they bring in, they seem
to spend double. If we do not reign in government spending and government waste, which is everywhere, then we will bankrupt this nation. We
are borrowing too much money from
China. We are currently in massive debt to China. Right now that is a dangerous place to be. We must reign in spending. We must get back to
a limited government that lets the free market work and gives the liberty to own their own labor.
Host: Mr. Kelly, I wish you good luck with your campaign and I will invite you again to do a follow up, maybe in six months down the road, to see
where you are at that point. Are you open to that?
Candidate: I would be honored, I would be absolutely honored.
Host. Kelly, thank you very much for being on The 9-12 Project Show today.
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Interview Transcript
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