Michael Crimmins for Congress, Republican Candidate for California's 51st District

I am passionate about preserving the American Dream for our citizens and equally concerned about the current direction America is headed. The principle, “We the People”, is under constant attack by totally out of touch Washington politicians.  

The Federal Government cannot continue to tax, borrow, deficit spend, and print money. It is simply impossible to tax an economy into prosperity. If it were possible, it would have already happened. So unless we back away from these out of control spending policies, within a generation, we will not recognize America – not good news for our children and grandchildren! They will inherit and be saddled with massive debts which amounts to an immoral “generational theft” of their futures! 

We deserve principled representatives with moral clarity and integrity, who will be accountable to their voters and represent their interests – not special interests! We deserve a critical thinker who makes commonsense pragmatic decisions to move America forward devoid of political party considerations. In Washington, if you have not noticed, we have lost our system of checks and balances.

As a career public servant, the entirety of my life has been about deeds in service to America – her citizens come first. I am a retired Marine Corps Naval Flight Officer (Vietnam through Desert Storm), combat wounded veteran, San Diego City school teacher (General and Special Education), two education Master Degrees, nonpublic high school principal, the 2008 and 2010 Republican Nominee for Congress in CA-53 and a dad.

CA-51, as recently redrawn, is larger than the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware combined and extends along the entire length of California's border with Mexico and includes all of Imperial County. 

As your Congressman, my priorities would be:

1. Listening to you as you are my ultimate boss. The very reason why I have always maintained an "open door" policy is you just never know where the next best idea originates from. America is hurting now. The idea is to move our country forward out of the economic mess we are presently in.

2. Balancing the federal budget and being fiscally responsible. Congress cannot continue to tax, borrow, deficit spend, print money, and run these monster trillion dollar deficits without severe economic consequences for America and her future.

3. Increasing economic growth through private sector job creation and limiting intrusive government regulations. The Greater San Diego Area, which includes CA-51, brings jobs in generally 4 specific areas: tourism, light manufacturing to include biotech and green/clean tech, the Port of San Diego and the Department of Defense. DOD spending annually in San Diego amounts to 30 billion dollars; 1 out of every 7 dollars spent in San Diego is directly traceable back to DOD. One in every four paychecks in our region is part of the military-defense complex.That is significant and anything I can do to increase DOD's expenditure I will do, such as pushing for permanently positioning a third aircraft carrier at North Island, which represents $500 million in annual payroll alone.  

4. Reviving exceptionalism in education for our kids – America’s future. I support school choice and vouchers and that education money follows the child in their school placements.

5. Reopening up a safe and secure Friendship Park and also one in Calexico so our Spanish speaking communities have an opportunity for easier family gatherings without having to deal with long traffic delays often experienced at the traditional border vehicular traffic crossings. 

6. Repealing and replacing Obamacare with pragmatic and commonsense solutions we can all agree upon regardless of party affliation. E.g., allowing healthcare insurance to be sold across state lines much like auto insurance, prosecuting all cases of outright fraud, waste and abuse in Medicare & Medicaid, tort reform, and exempting individuals with pre-existing health conditions from being excluded from obtaining health insurance. Taking these simple commonsense actions will reduce the cost of healthcare premiums significantly.

Obamacare is not about healthcare per se. It's about controlling 1/6th of our national economy; i.e., one out of every six dollars spent and being controlled by "bean counters" destroying the traditional doctor-patient relationship. 

Thank you so much for your vote, trust, and support.