The “Mike Ferguson Interviews” are back! What follows is a look at the important issues of this election season, in the words of the candidates. Kicking off the 2010 series of interviews is Republican candidate for Congress, Brian Riley. Mr. Riley is running in the 4^th District.

Riley is a small business owner with a background in banking, finance and international business. You can learn more about Mr. Riley and his campaign at: http://web.me.com/raffleswest/Site_2/Welcome.html

 

Why have you decided to run for Congress?

Riley: I am running for office because of my parents, and people like them. Hard working Americans who have went their entire lives trying to do the right thing. They pay their bills and taxes, go to church, support their troops, and have tried to have faith in their government and their elected officials. These people, who are the foundation of our country, are slowing becoming “non-citizens” and are having their rights stripped away by a big intrusive government and multinational corporations that don’t care about them. We need elected officials who haven’t forgotten on whose back this country was built.

I’ve spent years working for some of the largest banks in the world…both at home and overseas. Our economy has spiraled out of control and that we have to elect people with “real world experience” to help turn it around; people who know how to create jobs and have an in-depth knowledge of what it will take to put America’s farmers and manufacturers back on an even playing field with our foreign competitors.  With my banking and small business background, and almost half my life living among our global competitors I offer real world solutions, not “political rhetoric” in restoring America back to the Republic that our Founding Fathers laid the groundwork for in the Constitution, my Grandfather fought for in World War II , and the place my parents spent years of hard work trying to create for myself, my son,  and future generations: A country where if you work hard, the “sky’s the limit”. We can take this country back…one person at a time. I’m running for office to be at least one of those people.

 

On the economy: which measurement(s) should we be using to determine if our economic policies are working or failing? What are the top three policy changes Congress should make in order to improve the nation's economic outlook?

Riley: It has been rumored that the Fed is considering raising interest rates. While I think this would be foolhardy in this economy I think any rise in rates would allow us to reevaluate where we really stand. Foreclosures and bankruptcy numbers are a good place to start. This would be non-traditional to say the least. 

Currently, many of the unemployed have exhausted their benefits so that measure it out….unemployment data is almost useless at this point. Housing starts are also fairly useless right now as well. We really need to identify the bottom, and desperate acts like bankruptcy and foreclosure reflect just that. 

Policy Changes

·         Implementation of an act similar to depression era Glass Steagal Act which was repealed in 1999. We need to start deleveraging our economy and the best place to start is with the banks. (In very short: the Glass Steagal Act separated certain banking activities in order to insure depositors weren’t caught up in the risk taking of certain aspects of the banking business)

 

·         While a topic often sidestepped by politicians, “entitlements” must be addressed. They are a subject that anger many, and a hodgepodge of mismanaged and expensive programs. They lead to billions of dollars going out the door that we simply don’t have.

 

·         Earmarks: We need line item vetoes of bills that allow for the jettisoning of waste often tied into bills.

 

 On health care: what role, if any, should the federal government have in health care?

Riley: The federal government has a long history of mismanagement. Programs that were originally set up with good intent have horrific records. The VA is improperly managed, social security coffers have been pilfered, and Medicaid/Medicare fraud is almost immeasurable. As such, I believe that the government should reevaluate the programs it already has in place to eliminate the fraud, waste, and abuse.

Secondly they should address tort reform for insurance claims. I do not think that the federal government needs to be further expanding their hand in day to day administration of healthcare.

 

Current Republican leaders in Congress are making the repeal of the new national health care law a campaign pledge in 2010. Do you want to repeal the national health care system? Why or why not? If you do, what policy changes do you think would improve the US health care system? 

Riley: In the 4^th Congressional District I am hearing almost exclusive support for repeal. As such, YES I would have to support repeal.

I believe the proposition on the table was thought out much too quickly to be effective…especially as there doesn’t appear to be solid evidence that the country can in any way afford it.

My main objection to allowing further government intervention into healthcare are outlined in [the answer to the previous question].

 

On energy: Now that the BP oil spill in the gulf is entering its third month, there are calls to limit or stop off shore and deep water drilling. Do you support this effort? Why or why not?

Riley: I would not support calls to limit offshore or deep water drilling. We need to cut our dependence on energy resources from countries I believe don’t have the US’s best interests at heart. I believe that many of these Middle Eastern countries are our friends only as long as we are buying their oil.

 

What is the best way to encourage the development and use of alternative energy sources?

Riley: Alternative energy is great, but Americans don’t want anything pushed down their throats by government. I believe that as technology increases, market forces will allow private companies to promote their products to the point where Americans will request their products. I recently rented a hybrid car in California and got 55 mpg. While it’s not my old Ford Pickup, I’m certainly a believer, and might consider such a vehicle.

 

On immigration: What changes, if any, should be made to national immigration laws and practices?

Riley: I believe we need to enforce the laws currently on the books. I know why people want to come to the “land of opportunity” but we need to make sure they come in through the front door…legally. I am the only candidate with deep international experience, having lived in Japan, China, Singapore, and Indonesia. I worked in three of those countries.

After being properly vetted with a criminal background check and being sponsored by a company who worked with immigration officials to insure them I would be paying taxes and be a productive member of society, I was given my working papers. Those papers were good as long as I maintained that particular job. The role I filled at the company was already on a list of specialty occupations that the country in question deemed as eligible for foreign workers. The countries had done a lot of research to make sure such jobs did not take away jobs from local workers. Because I was properly vetted, I was welcomed with open arms into society. If, I had not followed the rules I would have been treated as a criminal however.  I have so many thoughts on this topic based on personal experience, but we must enforce the laws we currently have and treat illegals and their employers as common criminals.

Lastly, I would be for a Constitutional amendment to disallow so called “anchor babies”. Few countries in the world make you a citizen by simply being born in their country…we shouldn’t either.

  

On banking and financial reform: The President is asking Congress to enact new regulations that he says will protect the consumer and stabilize large parts of the US economy. What impact would these changes have? What reforms, if any, should be made to national policy when it comes to regulating financial industries?

Riley: Once again I am the only candidate in the 4^th District with in-depth knowledge in this area (maybe one of the only Congressional Candidates in the nation). We need financial reform of big banks…and quickly. I didn’t say “bailouts” or “takeovers”. The transactions that have allowed dominoes to be built up in the financial system must be dismantled.

Right now the derivatives market has allowed not only a leveraging of the system but creates systematic risk. We have to slowly regulate certain derivatives out of the system as transactions mature. Right now they are like veins, not organs, and cannot just be sliced out. I believe the Volcker Act, which is similar to the Glass Steagal will allow for banks to separate the “hedging” and “risk” instruments in a manner than can get the banks back to fiscal sanity in a couple years time. This is not really a layman’s question….

 

How do you assess the impact of the Tea Party movement on the political process both in Missouri and nationally?

Riley: The tea parties are very interesting to me. I am seeing a lot of regular people… concerned citizens worried about their social security, pensions, or children’s future. They are just fed up with the “politics as usual” and are looking for “Missouri Common Sense” instead of the wastefulness and arrogance of Washington. Most importantly of being ignored and relegated to second class citizens.