West Weekly Wrap-up (W3) Report for the week of Sept. 1, 2009

Greetings friends and the weeks just keep on rolling by. Soon it will be the end of the year and we will be embarking on a magnificent ride to victory in 2010! I truly hope all of you enjoyed a very relaxing Labor Day weekend. For me, this is the greatest time of the year, COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON!!!! Already we've witnessed an upset, BYU over Oklahoma and a near upset in the Navy-Ohio State game. The big game for me comes in a few weeks, Tennessee vs. Florida. Our new head coach Lane Kiffin has really angered the Gator Nation and I have been invited to countless game day parties......if you don't get a W3 report that week, just let me have my period of sorrow. This week's highlight was undoubtedly the health care panel discussion held in West Palm Beach. The panel consisted of myself, Ed Lynch (candidate for Congressional District 19), Dr. Ben Graber, and Congressman Alcee Hastings. I had heard that Congressman Hastings was outspoken and sometimes bombastic and I found out quickly how true that description is. Many citizens showed up to question us and, while I disagree with Congressman Hastings on just about everything there is to discuss, I admire his willingness to attend a town hall and face his constituents. It appears Alcee missed the memo from Nancy Pelosi to avoid his constituents at all costs. We all know Ron Klein follows Pelosi's orders to a "T" and stayed as far away from voters as possible this past month. It is a reflection on how most Democrats like Ron Klein and Nancy Pelosi feel about their fellow Americans when they head back to their jobs in Washington having never taken the opportunity to meet with their bosses, their constituents. Representatives that avoid the voters in their districts avoid the issues and the concerns of the people. I promise as your Congressman for District 22, I will always have time to schedule town halls to discuss the important issues of the day. Whether you agree with me or not, you will be given the opportunity to question the ideas and plans being debated in Washington. In terms of the health care policy debate, I stressed viable, free-market health care reforms based upon individual responsibility and accountability, limited government, and liberty. Nancy Pelosi and Ron Klein hope to control your health care with a giant, expensive government bureacracy....similar to the government sponsored Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Imagine how our health care will turn out if they make decisions to control our medical care the way they "helped" the mortgage industry. It never ceases to amaze me that the liberals ignore that we already have public options: Medicaid for the poor, Medicare for the elderly, SCHIP for children, and the VA Hospital for veterans. Until our federal government can prove themselves capable of effectively and efficiently operating these programs, why trust them with more? What was most shocking during this forum was when a gentleman wearing an Obama hat came up to ask a question. He inquired, "Why do we need a private sector"? Such a statement seriously concerns me as it is a further example of one man willing to surrender his liberty to the whims of the government while wishing me to abdicate mine as well. That dawg dont hunt! History shows that socialized schemes like the ones offered by Ron Klein and Nancy Pelosi never work so the question to ask is, why do they want control over your medical decisions? Thursday evening we had a great time at Wings Plus in Coral Springs. Brian Walsh is the owner and a great American. Karin Hoffman's DC Works for Us welcomed us and there were a couple hundred people in attendance. The energized crowd took up over half of Brian's establishment. The evening brought to mind the history of the pre-Revolutionary War days when American patriots gathered at tavern's and talked about their independence and freedom. The group was filled with excitement and well read on pressing issues. What was most satisfying was the amount of young people in the audience since they are the citizens whose lives will be most affected by the irresponsible spending of the schemes being floated in Washington. Brian was so astonished at the crowd that he has offered to hold a monthly meet and greet called, "Wings with West". Standby and be on the lookout for an announcement of our first event at Wings Plus in Coral Springs. I look forward to monthly meetings there with the voters in District 22 and the chance to listen to everyone's questions and concerns. I will be there to take orders and meet all of you, and the chow is so good, perhaps we can convince Ron Klein to finally show up in front of the voters! Friday morning we returned to West Palm Beach to address the Palm Beach Business Group, consisting of many small business owners. The head of the Palm Beach County Business Development Board spoke first and offered an impeccable briefing outlining the private sector growth possibilities coming to Palm Beach County, a great place for a corporate headquarters. As a former soldier who has traveled the world, I've made South Florida my home for a reason and I know of the great many opportunities available to businesses and families here. I hope to represent South Florida in Congress and pass the word about the many great things about our area! My portion of the presentation addressed the HR 3200 health care reform legislation and how it will adversely affect businesses. I also expanded the discussion to address my concerns regarding America's economic growth under this current Reid/Pelosi/Klein reckless spending triumvirate. If we do not transfer the wealth from government back to the American citizen, then innovation, investment, and ingenuity will stagnate. The continued emphasis on growing the federal government, which means higher taxes and large amounts of waste, will stymie the economic recovery of our nation. If Cap and Trade, Socialized medicine, and another Stimulus bill come to fruition, it will damage our economy and alter our freedoms forever. I encouraged the small business owners to stay aware of what is happening in Washington because they all have targets on their back with the liberals aiming at them for higher taxes. They are all very in tune to the fact that if Ron Klein stays in Congress, they should grow accustomed to him agreeing with Nancy Pelosi's idea of big government, left coast liberalism. I think they are getting a taste of California-style high taxes and wasteful spending and they don't like it! Lastly, Angela and I enjoyed a wonderful Saturday evening in Boca Raton celebrating Brazilian Independence Day. The Brazilian community is growing and thriving here in South Florida, namely Pompano Beach, Deerfield, and some into Boca Raton. I look forward to continued interaction with the leaders in the community as we welcome their growing involvement in politics here in our area. In closing, I have two daughters, one a junior in high school and the other a 7th grader. My family has chosen to send them both to private schools and I hope many other families in our community are offered the same opportunities to attend private schools when public school fail them. Liberal "concern" for the children is always suspiciously trumped by their "concern" for the teacher's unions. I hope to change some of that and return more of the balance in education to families and their children. Regarding President Obama addressing public school students, encouraging them to do well in school is a message we can all agree with. However, if the President wishes to make himself a part of the plan for the day, complete with worksheets, homework requirements, and reading list, he is engaging in politics and most parents believe this to be out of bounds in the classroom . The decision to air his political message without the consultation of parents is very wrong. I do not want Big Brother or any other person of a political nature addressing my children about principles because that is my job as a parent. At the end of the week, it was good to see Obama's environmental czar,Van Jones, resign after his involvement in 9/11 conspiracy groups and socialist troublemakers came to light. Better late than never. But as the folks say down South, you are known by the company you keep so we should all maintain a watchful eye on the schemes coming out of Washington. I think we are getting a clear understanding of where President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Ron Klein wish to take us. Finally, we are in the final month of another FEC financial reporting quarter. Your contribution to our campaign ensures we get our message out and we need you. Please help me send the proper message to Ron Klein and his big money, inside the beltway supporters that we are coming to Washington DC to return our country to the ideals that made us great!. You'll find a donation link on our home page at www.allenwestforcongress.com or, as always, find us at one of our speeches or rallies. Next weekend I shall be speaking at the Sheraton National in Arlington Va on 9-11 and 9-12 for the Free Republic convention. I hope to see many of you there. Steadfast and Loyal, Allen