WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

The giddy obsession of Rep. David Schweikert and the Gang of 40 House
Republicans to which he belongs with using government shutdowns as a
flawed problem-solving tool could compromise our country’s strength and
ability to act in a time of crisis. The fact that about 800,000 federal
employees were furloughed for about two weeks during the Fall 2013
Shutdown should be cause for concern for those contemplating how they will
cast their vote later on today at the polls in Congressional District 6.
(See my blog “The Future Can Be Ours: Schweikert’s Shutdown Shenanigans,”
Sept. 8, 2014, “What’s News” section, williamsonforuscongress.com).

This past July, the New York Times reported an unsettling development:
“The United States has concluded that Russia violated a landmark arms
control treaty by testing a prohibited ground-launched cruise missile,
according to senior American officials, a finding that was conveyed by
President Obama to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a letter on
Monday.

“It is the most serious allegation of an arms control treaty violation
that the Obama administration has leveled against Russia and adds another
dispute to a relationship already burdened by tensions over the Kremlin’s
support for separatists in Ukraine and its decision to grant asylum to
Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor.” (“U.S.
Says Russia Tested Cruise Missile, Violating Treaty,” by Michael R.
Gordon, New York Times, July 28, 2014, www.nytimes.com).

We are a nation, given the hazards in the world today, that cannot afford
to have 800,000 of our federal government workers disengaged from ensuring
our government runs efficiently. While escapading Tea Baggers like David
Schweikert certainly have the right to initiate a shutdown such as the
ones they engineered in 2011 and 2013, the voters need to take a hard look
at whether this is the kind of behavior that is in the best interests of
not only our economy, but also of our national defense. During the
government shutdown in the Fall of 2013, for example, the IRS agents were
furloughed and were not available to help taxpayers with tax-related
difficulties they were having. If a country’s people cannot receive timely
tax advice from their national tax-collecting agency, a collective
frustration grows that is not conducive to the effective conduct of life
within that country.

If people are distracted by their finances unduly, they cannot pay
attention to whether Russia is testing and possibly deploying medium-range
cruise missiles that could pose a threat to European and American
security. Not that a lot of people are interested in following what the
Russians do with their missile technology. It’s just that the Grover
Norquists and David Schweikert’s of this world are so enthralled with
their fiscal infatuations that they have caused, in my judgment, not only
the voters but elected officials to forget to keep their eye on the ball
of larger concerns that should demand, after a point, more of our
attention.

The New York Times article states further: “The New York Times reported in
January that American officials had informed the NATO allies that Russia
had tested a ground-launched cruise missile, raising serious concerns
about Russia’s compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces
Treaty, or I.N.F. Treaty as it is commonly called….

“In recent months…the issue has been taken up by top-level officials,
including a meeting early this month of the Principals’ Committee, a
cabinet-level body that includes Mr. Obama’s national security adviser,
the defense secretary, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
secretary of state and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Senior officials said the president’s most senior advisers unanimously
agreed that the test was a serious violation, and the allegation will be
made public soon in the State Department’s annual report on international
compliance with arms control agreements.” (From the same source referenced
above.)

My point is that there are, obviously, big things going on in the world
while the gang of renegade House Republicans that includes David
Schweikert perpetrates a government shutdown that takes the American
people hostage and disrupts American society to the point where our
national debt rating declines and people can’t even go to the Grand Canyon
to find relief for their stresses and problems.

Friend, when I am your congressman, I will not engage in this kind of
irresponsible shutdown behavior that has characterized the modus operandi
of Rep. Schweikert since he has been in office. We’ve got to focus on
other concerns such as health care, food insecurity within District 6
itself, bolstering public education by reinstituting the National Defense
Education Act, and making sure we are using all our public health knowhow
to keep the Ebola virus contained and treated expeditiously, if it occurs
within our borders. Finally, we must not forget that we live, as Thomas
Jefferson knew in 1776, in a cosmopolitan world amongst a cavalcade of
nations we need to respect and work with.

If you would like to contribute financially to my campaign, check out my
website at williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a Donation”
and, by means of safe and secure PayPal, donate to your dedicated
Democratic candidate who will represent your responsibly Democratic values
in Washington. If you’d like to send in a check, the address for that is
also to be found on the “Make a Donation” page on my website.

I’d like to thank not only those who have made a financial contribution to
my campaign, but also those who have volunteered to put up signs, have a
yard sign on your property, distribute flyers or make GOTV phone calls.
You all are a part of this campaign and I deeply appreciate your efforts
and resources.

The Future Will Be Ours if we acknowledge that we must, as a nation, and
as a people, stay extroverted towards the rest of the world not only for
our own protection but also for our own success. We cannot forget that
Russia exists and that we have to keep an eye on what she’s doing. We
should remember the writings of Alexander Solzhenitsyn who, in his
brilliant novel, ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH, told the story of
a zek who had been sent to a labor camp for saying something in a letter
that criticized Joseph Stalin. He was taken prisoner and sent to do hard
labor for a lengthy period of time. Let us not allow ourselves as a nation
to be taken hostage by the Gang of 40 House Republicans of which Rep.
David Schweikert is a member. Let us keep our freedom of movement so that
we don’t have to have them calling the plays of our lives.

Friend, please vote for me, if you have not already, later on today,
whether you are Democrat, Independent, Republican, Green Party, or
Libertarian. I’m a centrist Democrat who will work on your behalf; I
believe in the Democratic process; and I know tomorrow can be a better
day.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

Unlike my opponent David Schweikert, who voted against it, I support the
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. (“Inside Congress:
House Vote 55–Passes Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act,”
New York Times, Feb. 28, 2013, www.nytimes.com).

“The newly passed legislation creates and expands federal programs to
assist local communities with law enforcement and aiding victims of
domestic and sexual abuse. Most notably, the bill goes further by offering
protections for gay, bisexual or transgender victims of domestic abuse, as
well as allowing American Indian women who are assaulted on reservations
by non-Indians to take their case to tribal courts, which otherwise would
not have jurisdiction over assailants who do not live on tribal land.”
(“House Renews Violence Against Women Measure,” by Ashley Parker, New York
Times, Feb. 28, 2013, www.nytimes.com).

Since Rep. Schweikert voted against the Reauthorization Act that passed,
he was presumably in favor of a previous alternative bill that had failed.
“The alternative unveiled by the House last Friday immediately came under
sharp criticism from Democrats and women’s and human rights groups for
failing to include protections in the Senate bill for gay, bisexual or
transgender victims of domestic abuse. The House bill eliminated ‘sexual
orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ from a list of ‘populations’ that face
barriers to receiving victim services — and also stripped certain
provisions regarding American Indian women on reservations.” (Same source
as above.)

Evidently, Rep. Schweikert does not believe that gay, bisexual or
transgender victims of domestic abuse have the same right to protections
as others. Further, he does not seem to think American Indian women on
reservations deserve adequate protections, either. This latter point is
critical to recognize since a large portion of the eastern part of
Congressional District 6–from Pima Road east to State Route 87 (the
Beeline Highway)–consists of the Pima Indian Reservation.

This is not the first time that Rep. Schweikert has been associated with
an apparaent lack of respect for the dignity of Native American women. In
my blog entitled “The Future Can Be Ours:: Schweikert to Loan Sharks: Let
Us Prey,” of Oct. 7, 2014, I refer to Schweikert’s support of the
“Consumers for Choice” website which backs the activities of predatory
lenders. On that website, a company called Western Sky Financial is
referenced. This company featured loans with interest rates of 355
percent.

A single $5,075 loan from Western Sky cost $40,872.72 to pay back—more
than eight times the original amount.

But here’s the kicker: A commercial from the company featured a Native
American woman exclaiming, ‘Making the six monthly payments is good for
your credit profile!’” (“Predatory Lenders Fight Regulators With Offer of
$500 Visa Gift Cards,” Lee Fang, The Nation, October 28, 2013,
www.thenation.com).

Again, Rep. Schweikert appears to have no qualms about letting Native
American women–people indigenous to Arizona–not only have limited
recourse against violence but also it does not seem to bother him that a
Native American woman might be presented in a commercial in a compromising
light.

I might add that about three years ago, I took a course at Scottsdale
Community College called “American Indian Law.” It was taught by Professor
Manuel Pino, and was completely fascinating.

Further, regarding women’s issues, I am a Pro-Choice candidate. I support
Planned Parenthood, and I believe women have the right to make their own
decisions about their healthcare concerns. Moreover, I would support the
Equal Rights Amendment–ERA–if it were to come to a vote in the House
during my tenure. I also believe in equal pay for women, absolutely.

My Mom was a Democratic activist for years; and I have been a single dad
to my daughter since she was six years old. So I have had a chance to gain
a strong awareness on these issues.

If you would like to make a financial contribution to my campaign, check
out my website at williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a
Donation” and, by means of safe and secure PayPal, donate to your
dedicated Democratic candidate. If you wish to send in a check, the
address for that is also on the “Make a Donation” page. Please provide, in
accordance with Federal Election Commission requirements, your name,
address, employer and occupation. If you would like a yard sign, please
let me know.

The Future Can Be Ours if, unlike our current congressman David
Schweikert, we respect the rights of women, Native Americans, gay,
bisexual, and transgender persons. A human being is a human being,
regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or racial group; and deserves to
be respected as such. When I am your member of Congress, I will not
discriminate against these groups, but treat them with the dignity and
respect they are entitled to. That’s the only way to run America in the
U.S. Congress, that’s for sure. As Thomas Jefferson said:

“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction,
is the first and only object of good government.” (www.brainyquote.com)

Please vote for me on Tuesday, November 4th, Election Day. You’ll be glad
you did.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

It amazes me how Conservatives constantly bad-mouth the stimulus package
implemented by President Obama in early 2009, even in the face of the fact
that it saved, basically, our nation’s economy. It’s true, there are still
problems with structural unemployment, and workers need to be paid a
living wage, but the economy never tanked, and we can thank Obama and
Timothy Geithner, the Treasury Secretary at that time, for that.

I’m concerned about the national debt and about deficits, but to be too
concerned about them can lead to not spending enough money, and that can
lead to recession. Economies are sustained by spending, not excessive
saving; and when the private sector isn’t spending, the only potential
spender left is the government.

Anatole Kaletsky, in his New York Times column “Econoclast,” shared this
view two days ago concerning the after-effects of the financial crisis of
2008: “…countries that ignored their deficit problems, as did the United
States for most of the post-crisis period, or where governments decided to
play down their fiscal tightening plans, as did Britain this year or Japan
in 2013, have generally done better, in terms of both economics and
finance….

“Thus the six years since 2008 have provided strong empirical support for
the supposedly outdated Keynesian view that government borrowing is at
least as powerful as monetary policy in stimulating depressed economies
and pulling them out of recession.” (“New Respect Is Bestowed on Fiscal
Policy,” by Anatole Kaletsky, New York Times, Oct. 30, 2014,
www.nytimes.com).

I would attempt to explain this with an analogy this way: Let’s say a
father has a daughter who is in her early 20’s and making her way in the
world. But the daughter does not have a high-paying job. So the father
pays half her car payment, and helps her buy her groceries from time to
time with a check, periodically, of $100. Also, the father still has his
daughter on his health insurance plan, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
An amount of money–not small–is deducted from his paycheck every two
weeks to support this.

Now Conservatives, such as Rep. Schweikert, would seem to say this. “You
should not be helping your daughter make her car payment–even half of it.
Your daughter is out in the real world now and must fend for herself. She
needs to be independent. Otherwise, she’s not pulling her weight. You give
your daughter $100 periodically for groceries. What are you–an enabler?
She will be dependent on you forever, if you’re not careful. Health
insurance? What are you helping her for? She’s got to learn to stand on
her own two feet.”

One can see the parent as the “government,” and the child as the
“economy.”

The “government”–the parent, in this case–does not have as much money
for itself, but in this time of low-paying jobs for young people, the
daughter is at least able to drive a safe car and get herself to work. She
can also, with the “government’s”–her father’s–help make sure she eats
enough healthy food so that she doesn’t get sick from malnutrition. The
health insurance which the “government”–her father–provides enables her
to get good counseling from doctors about such things as birth control so
that she can avoid getting pregnant at too early an age, which could
interfere, or destroy, any plans and efforts she is making to take college
classes to earn a degree or certificate so that she can be more
employable. If the “government”–the father–wasn’t there to help out, she
could, conceivably, as a worst case scenario, lapse into a life of crime
to get money to pay her expenses. If she was caught, went to court, and
was convicted, this would go on her record and could ruin her life.

If an economy is depressed, sometimes there is no other source of money to
spend except the government. If that money is not available to spend, the
economy falters and may lapse into a catastrophic depression.

Conservatives don’t seem to get that. They don’t seem to understand that
sometimes one must extend oneself to help another person; or that one must
ask that help be extended to them so that they can survive. Doug Ducey
says he’s a Conservative, but he’s really a hypocrite, because he wants
the Arizona state government to extend itself to help pay the tuition for
students who want to go to elite private schools. He wants to give a
government hand-out–money that should go to the public schools so that
inner-city kids can have quality textbooks and other necessities–to the
parents of those students.

President George W. Bush said he was a Conservative, yet he gave two
rounds of tax cuts to the wealthy that are one of the main causes for the
increase of the national debt and deficits that we now face. Welfare for
the wealthy is what those tax cuts amounted to, and we’ve been paying a
terrible price for that ever since.

If you would like to contribute financially to my campaign, check out my
website at williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a Donation”
and, by means of safe and secure PayPal, donate to your dedicated
Democratic candidate. If you wish to send a check, the address for that is
also on the “Make a Donation” page on my website. Remember, according to
FEC requirements, you must provide your name, address, employer and
occupation.

If you would like a yard sign, please let me know. You may pick it up, or
I can bring it to you.

The Future Can Be Ours if we reject the bottleneck economics of such
Conservatives as Rep. David Schweikert. Bottleneck economics is the view
that everything, in terms of money, can only be seen with one view:
namely, that government debts and spending are necessarily bad. This
narrow view excludes the notion that sometimes debt and spending serve a
constructive purpose and may even save a nation from economic collapse. If
not enough money is being spent in a faltering economy, sometimes the
government will be the only source of that money which is needed to be
spent; and sometimes the only way to get that money is to borrow it. This
approach, developed by the British economist John Maynard Keynes, and put
forth in 1935 in his Economics classic THE GENERAL THEORY OF EMPLOYMENT,
INTEREST, AND MONEY, can save a nation, as it did our own country and
Britain in the Great Depression and the Great Recession, from economic
annihilation. Conservatives are loathe to admit this because the concept
of helping another or being helped by someone else is contrary to their
view of themselves as being self-sufficient.

Please vote for me on November 4th. I will represent your best economic
interests in Washington.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

Conservatives seem often to want to say that they believe in the U.S.
Constitution and that, if only we could follow that, everything would be
okay. Do they feel the same way about the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE by
Thomas Jefferson? In the last sentence of the first paragraph of that
document, Jefferson states: “…a decent respect to the opinions of
mankind requires that they” (the people who are dissolving the political
bands which have connected them with another) “should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.” Jefferson was turning outward in a
respectful way to the rest of the world to explain to people in other
countries why the colonies were breaking away from Great Britain.

Yet, unless there has been a miscommunication, which I doubt, Rep.
Schweikert was not respectful to me, a constituent in his District, when I
made a proposal recently that he and I have a debate, possibly at Saguaro
High School, the alma mater for both of us. I mean, he could have
responded and said that he felt it was too late for a debate; and yet I
received no response whatsoever. I sent him an e-mail in which I told him
about my idea, I talked with a member of his staff–his District director,
Kevin–, and I left a voicemail at his campaign headquarters that was
never answered.

So it appears that he ignores his constituents when to communicate with
them does not serve his purpose.

Is that the proper attitude of a congressman who is supposed to be serving
the people in his district?

Rep. Schweikert turns a deaf ear towards whatever does not serve his
morally parsimonious Conservative agenda. For example, on Sept. 19, 2013,
he voted for the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013 which
approved deep cuts in food stamps. To wit: “House Republicans narrowly
pushed through a bill on Thursday that slashes billions of dollars from
the food stamp program, over the objections of Democrats and a veto threat
from President Obama.” (“House Republicans Pass Deep Cuts in Food Stamps,”
by Ron Nixon, New York Times, Sept. 19, 2013, www.nytimes.com).

Rep. Schweikert voted for these deep cuts even though 16.2%, or just over
117,000 people, in Congressional District 6 are food insecure. The food
insecurity rate for children in our district is, incredibly, 24.6%–1 in 4
kids–just under 37,000 children. This information was given to me by
David Martinez, the Advocacy and Outreach coordinator for the St. Mary’s
Food Bank Alliance based in Phoenix.

Mr. Martinez further told me that “food insecurity” is defined as when
people “don’t know where the next meal is coming from.”

When I am your representative in Congress, I will not vote for cuts in the
food stamp program.

Another area where David Schweikert–whose net worth in 2010 was $6.2
million–(Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com)–has shown himself to
be insensitive to his constituents is in his lack of empathy for those
with pre-existing medical conditions who, prior to the Affordable Care
Act, were unable to enroll in quality health insurance programs.

Going back about a year, this is what we find: “The House GOP has voted to
repeal Obamacare 41 times, as of last count, but that link is from Sept.12
and maybe by now the number is higher yet.” (“Is Republican Intransigence
Reasonable?” by Ross Douthat, Opinion Pages, New York Times, Sept. 30,
2013, www.nytimes.com).

So as of a year ago, Rep. Schweikert was still determined to be
indifferent to those who could not get quality medical care due to a
pre-existing condition. As far as I know, his position remains the same.
Moreover, with just over 117,000 people suffering from food insecurity in
Congressional District 6, one can only speculate at the number who,
without Obamacare, would not have quality health insurance.

This past April, a budding success story bloomed: “In an afternoon Rose
Garden ceremony, Mr. Obama announced that a late surge of customers to
HealthCare.gov before Monday’s deadline had pushed insurance signups to
7.1 million, slightly more than the administration’s original goal. The
achievement was somewhat remarkable considering the bureaucratic and
technical nightmare that surrounded the website’s debut last October.”
(“Obama Claims Victory in Push for Insurance,” by Michael D. Shear and
Robert Pear, New York Times, April 1, 2014, www.nytimes.com). This was not
an April Fool’s joke.

The news this past week is as follows: “The number of uninsured Americans
has fallen by about 25 percent this year, or about eight million to 11
million people.” (“Is the Affordable Care Act Working?” by Margot
Sanger-Katz, New York Times, Oct. 26, 2014, www.nytimes.com).

When I am your congressman, I will continue to support the full
implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

If you would like to make a financial contribution to my campaign, check
out my website at williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a
Donation” and, by means of safe and secure PayPal, donate to your
dedicated Democratic candidate.

If you would like a yard sign, please let me know. I still have some
available.

The Future Will Be Ours when we acknowledge that Rep. David
Schweikert–“King David”–shows a high-handed obliviousness to the
sufferings of many of his constituents. He has voted for bills to
drastically reduce the funding for food stamps. And he has persisted
perversely in trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, even though it has
reduced the number of uninsured in our country over the past year by 25%.

In the same way that Jefferson wrote of the British people, so also King
David of Congressional District 6 has “been deaf to the voice of justice
and of consanguinity” (Rep. Schweikert and I are both graduates of Saguaro
High School.) And in the same way that the early Americans disencumbered
themselves of King George III, so also should the voters of Congressional
District 6 throw off the yoke of the social conscienceless leadership of
David Schweikert.

Please vote for me this Tuesday, November 4th, on Election Day.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

Every morning, after I pick up a breakfast to go at the cafeteria of
Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn campus, I stop by to visit my Mom for about
15 minutes at the assisted living place where she lives. It’s on my way to
work.

I’ve learned from having both the health and financial power of attorney
for my mother how important the monthly Social Security payment check can
be; and it’s not right that David Schweikert and his Conservative buddies
want to mess with it. They want to attach what is called a Chained CPI to
it; which would mean that as time goes by, the amount of the Social
Security payment a person receives will, each month, become less and less.

The following is what Doug Hart, President of the Arizona Alliance for
Retired Americans, proclaimed on October 3, 2013 during a demonstration in
Washington, D.C. in the midst of the Schweikert-supported government
shutdown:

“Today scores of seniors came to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC,
joined hands with Members of Congress, and formed a human chain in
opposition to the Chained CPI cost-of-living adjustment formula and all
benefit cuts to Social Security.

“By doing so, they sent a message: We are standing up for our hard-earned
benefits and will not allow a government shutdown to force cuts to our
Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid!

“I encourage Reps. Schweikert, Gosar, and Franks in Arizona who have
expressed support for the Chained CPI in the past, to re-think their
position, given the growing number of activists telling Congress, ‘Hands
off Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid!’”(Arizona Alliance for
Retired Americans, Oct. 3, 2013, as posted by Tory Anderson,
www.arizonaretiredamericans.org.)

If you are a senior, do you feel comfortable knowing that your current
congressman is actively attempting to decrease your Social Security
benefit?

Social Security, according, as I recall, to Professor Michael Nagano who
taught the Microeconomics course I took at Scottsdale Community College
two summers ago, is a pay-as-you-go system. All we have to do to keep it
going is to pay enough money into it. It’s not going to go bankrupt unless
we don’t pay that money. I don’t think the amount people pay in is
unreasonable to require. It’s put to worthwhile use.

Another thing I’ve noticed since Mom has been living in an assisted living
place is that not a few people visit their elderly parents, brothers or
sisters or friends in the facility. I’m saying this because lots of times,
people have told me how sad it is when elderly people don’t get visited by
anybody. Yes, I know that happens; and it is sad. But I’ve seen the
opposite, too: that many people visit their elderly loved ones. In other
words, they care.

Indifferent politicians like David Schweikert who want to cut Social
Security benefits don’t seem to get that. People care about their elderly
loved ones. They WANT their loved ones to continue to receive their Social
Security checks without seeing the rate of yearly percentage increase go
down.

If you’d like to contribute financially to my campaign, it’s not too late
to do so. Check out my website at: williamsonforuscongress.com. Click
on “Make a Donation” and, via safe and secure PayPal, donate to your
dedicated Democratic candidate. How dedicated? Well, in talking with Jane
C. on the phone last night, she told me that I’m the only Democratic
candidate she knows of in Arizona who’s not trying to hide that I’m a
Democrat. She said when she saw that donkey on my sign, she had no doubt
what party I belonged to. That’s right: I’m not ashamed to be a Democrat.

I remember Dennis DeConcini’s signs during his successful campaign for the
U.S. Senate in 1976: DECONCINI: DEMOCRAT FOR U.S. SENATE. So you see I’m
operating in a great tradition.

Yes, when I’m elected your congressman on November 4th, I will be happy to
continue in the tradition of Dennis DeConcini, Mo Udall, Harry Mitchell,
Ernest McFarland, Lela Alston, and others who have served. Our time is here again: the
selfish Conservatism of glibspeakers like Rep. Schweikert who doesn’t
listen can’t last forever. He didn’t even acknowledge my phone and e-mail
communications to him about having a debate! I’m a constituent and he
didn’t even dignify my status as such by responding to me.

The Future Will Be Ours if we elect members of Congress who are willing to
give their constituents the time of day. I am such a person. It’s
exhausting to be that way sometimes; but it’s the only way that
communication can happen.

Every day on my way home from work, I stop by to see how Mom is doing and
eat dinner with her. I know every octogenarian is different, but there is
joy in every day if a person wants to find it. Mom is such a person. The
glass, as Senator DeConcini told us when he spoke to the Scottsdale
Democratic Luncheon Club about a year ago, is half full. In a contest,
there is, on a deeper level, no winning or losing but only being a part of
life by participating.

If you haven’t already, be sure to participate in this election as a voter
and value your American citizenship. So many would like to have it, but
don’t. If you’ve got it, go for it and cast your vote in 2014.

And when you vote, vote for me. I’ve got a social conscience. I support
Social Security. And I visit my Mom every day.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

The idea, as proposed by Texas Governor Rick Perry, to ban travel to and
from Ebola-afflicted countries is not a good one. “Mr. Perry…” held “a
news conference in Austin covered live by CNN and expressing support for
the first time for a travel ban for people traveling from countries in
West Africa that are the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak.” (“Health Scare
in Texas Also Sends Political Ripples,” by Manny Fernandez, New York
Times, Oct. 17, 2014, www.nytimes.com). Such a travel ban would, in my
view, further isolate those countries from the help they need from the
world, particularly from our own country that has much knowledge about the
disease and how to treat it.

Further, “For the worst-hit countries, ‘isolating and stigmatizing them
and making it difficult to transport supplies, personnel and other
resources’ can only make things worse, the World Health Organization’s
regional director for Africa, Luis Gomes Sambo, said at a meeting in Ghana
last week.” (“Ebola Is Taking a Second Toll, on Economies,” Adam Nossiter,
New York Times, Sept. 5, 2014, www.nytimes.com).

A strong federal government with a strong CDC, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in Atlanta, is also critical at this time. The President
and our federal agencies can coordinate efforts to control the spread of
the disease and bring resources to bear where needed.

Now, in the near future, or even in the long-term, would not be a good
time for the Republicans, one of whom is Rep. David Schweikert, my
opponent, to stage another government shutdown. The shutdown in Fall of
2013 (see my blog “The Future Can Be Ours: Schweikert’s Shutdown
Shenanigans,” Sept. 8, 2014, in the “What’s News” section,
williamsonforuscongress.com) resulted in about 800,000 federal
employees being furloughed for about two weeks. For that to happen now or
in the near future would weaken our national government’s ability to
respond to the Ebola crisis.

The Republican and Tea Party efforts to dismantle and weaken the federal
government make it less effective in a crisis such as this. The
Republicans and Tea Party folks don’t think of that when they talk about
having less government. They seek to weaken the government; then, after
they have succeeded, they bash the government for not being able to
respond strongly, swiftly, and effectively in a crisis such as the one
Ebola presents to us.

“As health officials struggle to contain the disease in Texas, the
political fight in Washington over funding levels for public health
agencies — and whether reductions have left the country unprepared for a
public-health crisis — has reached a fever pitch.

“The C.D.C.’s overall budget of $6.8 billion in the 2014 fiscal year was
roughly similar to what it was four years earlier — a substantial cut,
when one factors in inflation, said Sherri Berger, the agency’s chief
operating officer. The National Institutes of Health saw its budget
decrease to $30.1 billion in the 2014 fiscal year from $31.2 billion in
the 2010 fiscal year.” (“C.D.C. Rethinking Methods to Stop Spread of
Ebola,” by Manny Fernandez, Sabrina Tavernise, and Richard Fausset, New
York Times, Oct. 13, 2014, www.nytimes.com).

When I am elected your congressman on November 4th, I will support
increased funding to the CDC and other federal agencies that are essential
for the effective control and elimination of Ebola. I will also support
all efforts to professionally screen travelers coming from those countries
to our own. A strong federal government is a sine qua non for the
successful control, treatment, and elimination of this disease.

If you would like to contribute financially to my campaign, please check
out my website at: williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a
Donation” and, by means of safe and secure PayPal, donate to your
dedicated Democratic candidate. If you wish to send a check, the address
for that is listed on the “Make a Donation” page as well. Please be sure,
as per Federal Election Commission requirements, to include your name,
address, employer and occupation.

If you would like a yard sign, please let me know.

The Future Can Be Ours when we realize that isolating the Ebola-afflicted
countries in western Africa is not the best way to help those countries
cope with the disease, nor to make the world safer. Further, we must have
a strong federal government in order to respond effectively to the Ebola
threat. A strong CDC and a strong communications network are needed. David
Schweikert, and the Tea Party and Republicans who back him and are
constantly seeking to degrade, disrespect, and weaken our government,
will, if they decide to stage another government shutdown as they did in
2011 and 2013, not be part of the Ebola crisis solution. We need our
federal workers to be able to be on the front lines to respond quickly
when and where they are required. One might even say it’s a matter of
national security for them to be ready in that way to protect our people
from this disease in a way that does not cause unnecessary hysteria and
panic.

Yet, who knows what Tea Baggers in the House such as David Schweikert will
do if they don’t get their way with the immigration issue? “Republican
leaders in the House and Senate say they have no intention of shutting
down the government just weeks before the midterm elections. But the
conservatives who are the most passionate opponents of any immigration
action could press the issue when lawmakers return.” (“Immigration Clash
Could Lead to Shutdown,” by Michael D. Shear and Julie Hirschfeld Davis,
New York Times, Aug. 27, 2014, www.nytimes.com).

If David “Shutdown Shenanigans” Schweikert and his Gang of 40 friends in
the House insist on having another government shutdown to get their way
with immigration, this could hamstring our government’s efforts in the
fight against Ebola.

David Schweikert should not be re-elected.

Vote for me during the mail-in ballot period, or on November 4th, Election
Day, so that I will be able, vis a vis the Ebola crisis, to represent your
best interests in Washington.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

SCOTTSDALE DEMOCRATIC LUNCHEON CLUB

“Since 1976–at least!”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

ROBB ASBJORNSEN, Founder and Chair of the Father Figure Foundation, will
be the featured speaker at the SCOTTSDALE DEMOCRATIC
LUNCHEON CLUB TODAY, Saturday, October 25, at 2:00 PM at the DENNY’S at
Scottsdale and Osborn Roads. The title of his presentation will be:
“Father Figure Foundation: Its Mission to Strengthen Families and
Obligations.” There will be a question and answer period following his
talk, which will include a power point presentation as well.

The Father Figure Foundation is an organization one of whose purposes is
to intervene on behalf of fathers who, TEMPORARILY through no fault of
their own, are unable to make their child support payments. Mr. Asbjornsen
is concerned that the courts have a “one size fits all” approach to child
support that does not allow for special circumstances that are beyond the
control of the payor. The courts, in other words, he says, make their
judgements based on stereotypes and not individual situations.

Don’t miss ROBB ASBJORNSEN’S talk TODAY, Saturday, October 25. He’s a
passionate, motivated, and articulate speaker that you won’t soon forget.

Please remember that DENNY’S requires that each person attending purchase
a meal or significant dessert.

Pleae RSVP to let me know if you are going to be attending. Either call
the above number or send me an e-mail.

Thanks, and see you THIS AFTERNOON! And bring a friend!!

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson
Chair
SCOTTSDALE DEMOCRATIC LUNCHEON CLUB
480-607-9726

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

Consistent with his insouciant approach to respecting the views of others,
Rep. David Schweikert has not responded to my e-mail I sent him about a
week ago in which I ask for his participation in a congressional debate to
be held at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale.

The idea is that, since both he and I are graduates of Saguaro High
School, it would be cool if the student government at Saguaro could
sponsor a debate between he and I. I graduated from Saguaro in 1969; I
believe he graduated about 10 years later.

Further, also about a week ago, I called his District Office in Scottsdale
and talked with Kevin, his District Director. Kevin seemed receptive to
the debate, but he never called me back for further information or
cooperation.

Moreover, I called Rep. Schweikert’s campaign headquarters and left a
voicemail telling about my debate idea, but I received no call back.

I e-mailed Mr. Brian Corte, Principal of Saguaro, to tell him of my idea.
I herein include a copy of this e-mail below:

—————————- Original Message
—————————-
> Subject: Alumni Congressional Candidate Debate Proposal
> From: [email protected]
> Date: Fri, October 10, 2014 1:36 pm
> To: “Brian Corte, Principal, Saguaro High School”

> Cc: “James Brown, STUGO Advisor”
> ————————————————————————–
Brian Corte
> Principal
> Saguaro High School
> Dear Mr. Corte:
> I am a graduate of Saguaro High School, class of 1969, and I am the
Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress this year in Congressional
District
> 6 in which Saguaro is located.
> The Republican candidate, the incumbent, is David Schweikert, also a
graduate of Saguaro High School, about 10 years after me.
> I thought it would be fun, and a great community event, if the Student
Government at Saguaro would sponsor a Congressional Debate between Rep.
Schweikert and myself. It would be a celebration, in part, of the
greatness of Saguaro in having graduates who go on to participate in the
community and make contributions to society in that way. I think the
students would really enjoy it. They could ask questions of the
candidates
> and so on.
> Please respond as soon as you can. I first called your office two weeks
ago, but people don’t seem to pay much attention to voicemails at your
school. I called Mr. Brown a few days ago, too, but got no response. My
cell phone number is 480-283-5147.
> Please contact me as soon as possible so we can make this happen.
Thanks.
> Sincerely,
> John
> W. John Williamson

I never received a response to this e-mail. I had also called Mr. Corte’s
office about three weeks ago and left a voicemail for his secretary, but
never received a response. I also left a voicemail for the student
government sponsor, but he never replied either. I then called the
Scottsdale Public Schools District office to report that nobody was
responding to my voicemails at Saguaro. The lady I talked with told me to
send Mr. Corte an e-mail and he would answer; but he never did.

I just want you, as a voter, to know that I have tried to set up and have
a debate with Rep. Schweikert. I believe that, if he had worked with me,
this could have happened. It would, I believe, have been good for the
students of Saguaro and good for our community.

Perhaps Rep. Schweikert is worried that his arguments will not stand up to
mine in a competitive debate. Maybe he is concerned that I will mention
such things as his support of the predatory lending industry, his
multitudinous votes–at taxpayer expense–to repeal the Affordable Care
Act, his causing–during the government shutdown of 2013–about 800,000
federal employees to be furloughed for about two weeks with consequent
loss of paychecks; maybe he is afraid that I will bring up his infamous
remark about how being on NPR while thousands of citizens in the U.S. were
suffering from the effects of the shutdown was his “idea of fun.”

Maybe he doesn’t want me to call to the attention of a youthful audience
and an informed audience that he is a “climate change denier.” Maybe he
would not want me to hold him accountable for how, as a result of the Gang
of 40’s actions–of which he was a part–in the House during the
government shutdown in 2011, the U.S. debt rating went down.

I’d also like to ask him: Which party are you a member of: the Tea Party
or the Republican Party? Also: What have you done to alleviate food
insecurity in Congressional District 6 lately? Furthermore: Do you favor
immigration reform and a path to citizenship? If you do not favor a path
to citizenship, why not? I’d also like to ask him: Are you happy with the
recent U.S. Supreme Court actions that allowed gay marriage to become
legal in our state? Finally, I would want to challenge him to state if he
thinks the funding for public education in our state should be increased
that might allow the tuition cost at our state universities to go down.

It would be nice to have a debate. Perhaps there is still time for it to
happen. I’m still interested; I’ve asserted that I’d be happy to debate
Rep. Schweikert. If he would coordinate with me on this, I think we could
still bring it off.

It would mainly be for the students, really: an educational event in which
the community as a whole could participate as well.

If you would like to contribute financially to my campaign, please check
out my website at: williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a
Donation,” and by means of safe and secure PayPal, donate to your
dedicated Democrat running for the U.S. Congress in CD6. You can donate
even if you live outside the District or even in another state. Moreover,
if you’d like a yard sign, please let me know, so you can pick it up or I
can deliver it to you.

Are you out there, Rep. David Schweikert? Are you a Sabercat, or not? I’ve
proposed a congressional debate; that’s your line of work, isn’t it? Don’t
you want to serve the interests of your constituents in your District by
participating in a civic engagement activity that will let them know how
you stack up against the challenger in this election, myself? Perhaps you
don’t stack up, which is why you are remaining on the sidelines. Then the
voters need to know this; they need to know that your views do not hold up
under the scrutiny of reasoned and informed criticism. They need to know
that you are not the better choice.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, who was appointed the head of the House
Environment Subcommittee this past January, “has argued that the idea of
man-made global warming may be ‘folklore.'” (“House Republicans Pick
Climate Skeptic to Head Environment Subcommittee,” by Kate Sheppard,
Huffington Post, Jan. 16, 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com).

A recent article on the website “Global Climate Change News and Analysis”
states: “Climate change is already damaging crops and coral reefs,
changing seasons and melting glaciers and Arctic ice, while recent heat
waves and storms illustrate a rising threat, the UN’s climate panel said
on Monday.”

Further: “In one of the most dangerous early impacts, the IPCC” (the
U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) “found that climate
change was already undermining food production, threatening the world’s
poorest people.

“’Based on many studies covering a wide range of regions and crops,
negative impacts of climate change on crop yields have been more common
than positive impacts,’ it said.

“’Climate change has negatively affected wheat and maize yields for many
regions and in the global aggregate.’

“Warming had also impacted natural systems, including fish stocks and
coral reefs, with ocean acidification a rising threat this century.

“’Many terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species have shifted their
geographic ranges. Glaciers continue to shrink almost worldwide due to
climate change.’

“Without cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, more serious impacts would
damage the world economy and wipe out species.” (“Climate Change is
already here, poses serious threat–IPCC,” by Gerard Wynn, Global Climate
Change News and Analysis, March 31, 2014, www.rtcc.org).

Because of obtuse and obstructionist Republicans in the House and Senate,
President Obama has had to develop another strategy: “The Obama
administration is working to forge a sweeping international climate change
agreement to compel nations to cut their planet-warming fossil fuel
emissions, but without ratification from Congress.

“In preparation for this agreement, to be signed at a United Nations
summit meeting in 2015 in Paris, the negotiators are meeting with
diplomats from other countries to broker a deal to commit some of the
world’s largest economies to enact laws to reduce their carbon pollution.
But under the Constitution, a president may enter into a legally binding
treaty only if it is approved by a two-thirds majority of the Senate.”
(“Obama Pursuing Climate Accord in Lieu of Treaty,” by Coral Davenport,
New York Times, Aug. 26, 2014, www.nytimes.com).

Moreover, to understand where the opposition to President Obama’s efforts
comes from, Senator Mitch McConnell, “who has been one of the fiercest
opponents of Mr. Obama’s climate change policy, comes from a coal-heavy
state” (Kentucky) “that could be an economic loser in any climate-change
protocol that targets coal-fired power plants, the world’s largest source
of carbon pollution.” (Ibid., Davenport, New York Times).

Obviously, I am sympathetic to the workers in the coal industry if their
jobs should be threatened by efforts to cut back on carbon pollution, but
neither can we back off on our attempts to make the earth a habitable
planet. We don’t want there to be food shortages, nor do we want our
coastal cities to be engulfed in water from the melting glaciers.

My approach to this crisis–and, yes, it is a crisis–is, as I said to one
of my Junior English classes where I teach, not to throw up my hands and
say “We’re all going to die,” but instead to ask the question: “What can
you do to solve this problem? Let’s get to work.”

When elected to Congress on November 4th, I will support the President’s
efforts to get meaningful climate change legislation passed in the House.
In addition, I will support his efforts to bring into being an
international “climate accord” that will be respected by all parties so
that greenhouse gases and carbon emissions can be effectively reduced. We
owe it to our children, and ourselves, to do this.

If you would like to contribute financially to my campaign, please check
out my website at williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a
Donation,” and, by means of safe and secure PayPal, join many others who
have made a monetary contribution to support my efforts as a dedicated
Democrat to become your next member of Congress from CD6. You may also
contribute if you live outside the District, or even in another state.

Please note: If you wish to pick up a yard sign, please let me know, or I
can take one to you.

The Future Can Be Ours if we reject the glibspeak of such climate change
“deniers” as David Schweikert and accept the reality of the abject crisis
that we face with global warming. So many species of animal have become
extinct or are nearing extinction already; elephants, tigers, lions,
zebras, and other wild animals we have taken for granted are becoming more
threatened every day. Are we heading for a world where we will be
surrounded only by computers and cell phones? Studies have shown that to
be creative mechanical and civil engineers, kids must grow up in a natural
environment and spend time outdoors so that their spatial imaginations can
develop properly. I reject Rep. Schweikert’s skepticism about global
warming. He and the other members of the Flat Earth Society can babble all
they want and deny the existence of climate change; but let him do that as
a NON-member of Congress. Elect me as your next congressman from
Congressional District 6 so that someone responsible and aware can
represent your interests in Washington.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona

WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS

DEMOCRAT

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

When the Arizona Corporation Commission voted last November in favor of an
average power grid fee of only $5 per month to be charged by our state’s
biggest utility, the sun came out from behind the clouds of political
posturing by the utility.

People should not be penalized for putting solar panels on their roofs.
The utility had wanted to charge as much as $100 a month for the power
grid fee.(“Fissures in G.O.P. as Some Conservatives Embrace Renewable
Energy,” by John Schwartz, New York Times, Jan. 25, 2014,
www.nytimes.com).

“The utilities, backed by conservative business interests, argue that
solar users who have lower power bills because of government subsidies are
not paying their fair share to maintain the power grid.” Former
congressman Barry Goldwater, Jr., however, “and other advocates have
struck back by calling the proposed fees a ‘solar tax,’ and have pushed
their message in ads on Fox News and the Drudge Report.” (same source as
above.)

“Tom Morrissey, a former state Republican Party chairman in Arizona who
was embraced by the state’s Tea Party groups, called the party’s national
leaders ‘knuckleheads’ on this issue. Domestically produced energy is a
national security issue, he said, adding, ‘If we can keep one dollar from
going to people who are killing our kids in Afghanistan, it’s a good thing
— and I feel that’s what solar energy does.’ (Same source as above.)

I agree with former congressman Goldwater and with Mr. Morrissey in their
efforts to facilitate the use of solar power in our state. With our almost
ever-present sun in the daytime, our state is a natural for heliocentric
energy; we would be foolish not to do everything we can to promote its use
both by industry and the private consumer. Technologies will have to be
adapted to expedite the use of this renewable energy source.

When I am your congressman beginning in January, I will support the
development of not only solar power but also wind power, where that is a
feasible energy source. I think we’ve all seen those wind towers on the
way to San Diego on Interstate 8 as the highway goes over that ridge
before descending into California. Mother Nature will work with us if we
give her a chance. Respecting Her power and facilitating its use will be
one of my priorities as we move through the second decade of the 21st
Century.

If you wish to make a financial contribution to my campaign, please check
out my website at: williamsonforuscongress.com. Click on “Make a
Donation,” and, by means of safe and secure PayPal, donate to your
dedicated Democrat running for Congress in CD6. Don’t delay: step up and
be a part of things. Your participation is needed. If you wish to send in
a check, the address for that is also on the “Make a Donation” page on my
website. You may contribute even if you live outside District 6 or out of
state. If you’d like a yard sign, please let me know. I’d be happy to
deliver it to you, or you can pick it up if you like.

The Future Can Be Ours when we accept whole-heartedly that the time for
solar power has come and we should not stand in its way if we can help it.
We should not be averse to windpower, either. In the same way that the
Native Americans have seen themselves as one with Nature, we must also
adopt that paradigm and not pit ourselves in competition with Her to our
own detriment. I will work with people on all political sides to bring
about the use of renewable energy that we so intensely need in our
country. I will not isolate myself in a partisan cocoon, demonizing the
other side as if they have nothing to offer. I will problem-solve, not
bear unending grudges. I will facilitate, not obstruct, solutions.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona