Opinion : Speaking in favor of Rod Blum for Congress

To the Editor:

The First District of Iowa has the distinction of having two solid, committed and well versed candidates vying for the top spot on the Republican ticket for this fall’s election. That selection will be made during the primary to be conducted on June 5th. Given the quality of our Republican candidates, I thought I would share my reason making Rod my choice.

It has to do with thought processes really. I’ve been an engineer for over 35 years. And, that’s how I think – it defines my very thought process. Whether a problem is regarding what the best way is to build a foundation for a new flower bed wall, or how best to install a new computer system or even how to lay out a new shooting range – I fall back on my engineering back ground, thoroughly research out the individual problem in question and draw up a comprehensive plan working towards a solution.

I am also a business owner – running my own small business here in Vinton for the past 30 years. In this environment I spend a great deal of time on ways to expand our business, ensuring our customers are satisfied, reviewing our various software products to make sure they meet the needs of our customers, paying bills, making payroll, paying taxes – all the daily nitty-gritty that determines whether our doors remain open or go shut.

When I hear questions asked about how to reduce government spending, whether we should raise the debt ceiling yet again, if social security and Medicare are truly sustainable, how are we going to pay down the mountain of debt brought down on us by President Obama’s reckless spending habits – I fall back on my 30 years of business experience to gather my thoughts and to formulate ideas that I believe would help resolve our precarious fiscal position.

These are my two primary thought processes – engineering based solutions and business based options – it’s simply how I think.

And that is why I find the scales tip dramatically towards Rob Blum as the candidate that can best lead our nation towards fiscal stability. He’s a business man, he’s started and grown multiple businesses over his career and has a sound foundation in responsible, reasonable and doable business practices. He’s made payroll, paid taxes, responded to customers, responded to investors and formulated plans that resulted in sustained and dramatic business growth. This is the experience and mindset we need in Washington. For too long Washingtonhas been the playground of the legal profession. Honestly, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with attorneys running for office – especially men as dedicated as Ben Lang. Yet, the mindset of an attorney – like the mindset of an engineer or a business man – is to use their experience to solve problems. And, that experience is based in “the law” and has resulted in the creation of hundreds of thousands of laws covered by millions of pages of text – all with the express purpose of controlling the behavior of American citizens. Honestly, we do not need more laws – we need more practical, business based solutions.

It’s time to change our path, it’s time to choose people who understand how to grow American business and have the mindset and life experience to do just that. And that is why I am recommending a vote for Rob Blum for the 1st Congressional District of Iowa in the upcoming June 5th primary.

Sincerely,

Bill Keller

President

Keller Information Systems

Vinton