All politics is local

For this concerned constituent, paying attention to detail is every bit as important as a candidate's record on the issues.

By: Matthew Johnson

Posted: 7/2/09

In the little town of Bremond, Texas, 42 miles north of College Station, there is a festival on the fourth Saturday of June. It is known as the Bremond Summer Festival, or the Bremond Polish Day Festival, whichever you prefer. I was fortunate enough to come across this celebration Saturday, where polka music and the smell of bratwurst sausage and pickles danced in the air with the hum of trucks, tractors and four-wheelers.
All that aside, the thing I found the most interesting at the festival was the campaign for Rob Curnock. He is running for Congress in the 2010 mid-term elections, and I hope he wins. He has been active politically for 18 years, but more importantly, the ideas and principles on which he stands have been proven to work. The most notable of these is that of strengthening and empowering local governments. I find the belief that local people are best equipped to solve local problems refreshing in a world where governments want to centralize and consolidate power to a perceived intellectual elite who live in a far and distant capital.
Curnock's platform does not end there. He believes in the rights written and expressed in the U.S. Constitution, not rights which are perceived. We should be wary of inventing or finding rights in the Constitution, because a government that has the capacity to give people rights will someday have the will and the means to take away those rights.
He promotes a national sales tax, otherwise known as the Fair Tax. It would abolish the Internal Revenue Service and use this sales tax on new purchases to replace the present revenue collection system. From an economic viewpoint this makes sense because it would put money back into peoples' wallets. It gives them the freedom to use all of their hard-earned money in whatever way they see fit.
Moreover, without a massive income tax, corporations will be attracted to the U.S. like never before, and it goes without saying that our economy could use a boost.
Curnock supports the idea of energy independence, but more importantly he approaches achieving energy independence through a proven source - nuclear power. He believes that we must first secure our borders if we are to ever create sensible immigration and assimilation policies, and argues that life is sacred (from the womb to the tomb). Curnock wants to see Congress listen to men and women who are bravely serving this country; if Congress were to listen, our armed forces would be allowed to win the war on terror instead of just keeping the peace.
But what struck me the most about Curnock is his attendance. Congressional District 17 Rep. Chet Edwards was not in attendance. Now, I fully understand that Edwards is a busy man and has a lot to do in Washington, but I find it odd that state Rep. Jim Dunham managed to be present and Edwards was nowhere to be found. Surely, Edwards is not so busy that he cannot spare his constituents, when invited, one weekend. The festival had no more than 1,000 people and only lasted a few hours.
The fact that Curnock was at the festival says a lot. The fact that someone is willing to attend a festival at a town of 876 people speaks volumes. It reveals that he is not a typical long-distance politician; he is the rare statesman - someone whose policies and character reflects a genuine care and concern for the well-being of all: white and black, rich and poor, conservative and liberal. And for that, I applaud Curnock, and more importantly, will be giving him my vote when the elections roll back around.

Matt Johnson is a sophomore economics major.