Brian Heinrich for U.S. Congress

I received a questionnaire from KATU News yesterday.  I do not answer all questionnaires I get since many are biased or deceptive, but I liked this one.  It had some good questions that I think people should know about my campaign.  Below are the questions as well as my responses.

1)      What’s it like for you running as a republican in this election?  This is my first time running a political campaign.  Its has been educational to say the least.  

2)      Do you feel Donald is helping your candidacy, hurting your candidacy, or having little to no effect? Why?  I think the presidential election in general has been a distraction for all other candidates on the ballot.  We have two less than stellar Presidential candidates fighting it out for the highest position in the land making great headlines, but taking attention from the local candidates and issues.

3)      What’s happening now in the Republican party is called a “civil war” by several media outlets. Is that how you would describe it? Why or why not?  I have been focused on my campaign and really have not been involved directly in party politics let alone inter-party politics.  

4)      How much support are you getting from your national party?  None.  I am self funding my entire campaign.  I have been solicited several times by the party to donate to them as a registered Republican, but never has the party called me to congratulate me as the nominee let alone offer any financial support.  

5)      How much support are you getting from your state party?  Financially, None. I chose to self fund my own campaign and that is what I am doing.  I did not request any money nor has any been offered.  

6)      Both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have claimed that our election system is a rigged system. Do you agree? Why or why not?  There is a lot of truth to that statement.  Not only the corruption that was made known by Wikileaks with the Democratic National Committee emails, but also with the system itself.   Special interests heavily fund incumbents making it difficult for challengers  to raise the funds necessary to be able to secure a win.  Also, campaign finance laws passed by the establishment have been created to restrict the amount of money individuals and groups can donate to candidates.  This hurts challengers the most as they do not have an established funding network.  These regulations favor the establishment, and without term limits, we will continue to see very little change in Congress.  

7)      You’re running against an incumbent Democrat whose seat is considered safe, during an election where your party is in turmoil. What’s the biggest hurdle standing between you and winning the election? The only hurdle I have is getting the 165,000 votes I need to win.  If I am able to succeed by self funding, my votes will cost me 3 cents each.  My competitor Suzanne Bonamici, an incumbent who has taken a size-able amount of money from special interests that mostly reside out of this state will spend approximately 200 times that amount per vote.  

8)      What would be your number one priority, if elected?  My first goal is to shrink the size of government.  Large government is expensive, promotes corruption, and limits freedom.  I think a smaller federal government is something almost all Americans agree on.

9)      Why should Oregonians vote for you? People should vote for me because I am not beholding to any group or special interest.  My job is and will be to Represent the people of District one.

When I first began my run for Congress, I had no idea of the level of influence corporations, unions and various Political Action Committees (PACs) have on campaigns.  I truly believed a US Representative represented the people of their district and the money they spent was limited and mostly from constituents.  The sad thing is that is far from the truth.  Money dominates most political campaigns and the influence of groups is astonishing.  I am self funding my own campaign because I feel we should expect better from our elected officials.  We should elect based on character, integrity, and honesty….not on who has the largest campaign bank account.   My competitor Suzanne Bonamici is no better and no worse than the average politician.  She accepts donations and has continually amassed quite large “war chests” for her various reelection campaigns.  A list of her corporate, union, and PAC donors is available on the Federal Election Commission website.  The list was last updated at the end of June, so I am sure it has increased quite a bit since then.  I have included the list below.  I have also included my complete donation list for comparison.  If you are curious about some of the groups supporting Ms. Bonamici, I recommend “Googling” them. It is eye opening to say the least.

BRIAN HEINRICH FOR US CONGRESS- All Donors:

BRIAN HEINRICH (self) Dundee, OR     $5000 (limit)

BONAMICI FOR CONGRESS- Committee Contributions as of 6/30/2016:

A&B FED PAC Honolulu, HI $1000

AAJ PAC Washington DC $7000

ACADEMY OF NUTRITION & DIETETICS (AND PAC) Washington DC $4000

ACE GROUP PAC Philadelphia, PA $1500

ACTION COMMITTEE FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION Arlington, VA $1500

AFGE PAC Washington DC $1000

AFLAC PAC Columbus, GA $1000

AFSCME PEOPLE PAC Washington DC $1500

AFT COPE FUND Washington DC $5000

AICPA PAC Durham, NC $2500

AIR LINE PILOTS ASSN INT’L Washington DC $2000

AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC Frederick, MD $1000

ALASKA AIR GROUP INC PAC Washington DC $2000

ALLERGAN, INC. PAC Orange, CA $2500

ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC Fort Worth, TX $1500

AMERICAN APPAREL & FOOTWEAR ASSOC. PAC Arlington, VA $2000

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS Park Ridge, IL $4000

AMERICAN ASSOC. OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS PAC Austin, TX $1000

AMERICAN CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION PAC Arlington, VA $2000

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY ASSOC. PAC Reston, VA $2000

AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING CO. PAC Washington DC $1500

AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LIFE INSURERS PAC Washington DC $3000

AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR PAC Moorhead, MN $10000

AMERICAN DENTAL PAC Washington DC $2500

AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION PAC Washington DC $1000

AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION PAC Washington DC $1000

AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION Washington DC $1000

AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION PAC Silver Spring, MD $4000

AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCiATION PAC Alexandria, VA $3500

AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOC. PAC Alexandria, VA $1500

AMERICAN PODIATRIC MEDICAL ASSN APMA PAC Bethesda, MD $1500

AMER. SHORT LINE & REG. RAILROAD ASSOC. PAC Washington DC $1500

AMERICAN SUGARBEET GROWERS ASSOC. PAC Washington DC $1000

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS ACTION FUND Washington DC $5000

ANHEUSER-BUSCH PAC Saint Louis, MO $1500

BADGER PAC La Crosse, WI $2000

BALL CORPORATION PAC Broomfield, CO $2000

BNSF RAILPAC Fort Worth, TX $5000

BOEING PAC Arlington, VA $6000

CAMBIA HEALTH SOLUTIONS PAC Portland, OR $2500

CIGNA CORPORATION PAC Washington DC $1500

CISCO SYSTEMS E-PAC Sacramento, CA $1500

COMCAST CORP. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Philadelphia, PA $1500

COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM PAC Washington DC $3000

CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION PAC Arlington, VA $2500

COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS Washington DC $4500

COVINGTON & BURLING LLP PAC Washington DC $2500

CULAC THE PAC OF CREDIT UNION NAT. ASSOC. Washington DC $10000

DAVITA HEALTHCARE PARTNERS, INC. PAC Federal Way, WA $1000

DEALERS ELECTION ACTION COMMITTEE Mc Lean, WA $1000

DEMOCRATS RESHAPING AMERICA (DREAMPAC) Washington DC $1000

EBAY INC COMMITTEE Alexandria, VA $1500

ELECT ELLEN ROSENBLUM FOR ATTORNEY GEN. Portland, OR $250

EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN PAC Falls Church, VA $3000

ERNST & YOUNG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Washington DC $2500

FEDERAL EXPRESS PAC Memphis, TN $1500

FLIR SYSTEMS INC EMPLOYEE PAC Wilsonville, OR $2500

FLUOR CORPORATION PAC Washington DC $4000

FOOTWEAR DIST. & RETAILERS OF AMER. PAC Washington DC $1000

FRIENDS OF RYAN DECKERT Portland, OR $400

GENENPAC San Francisco, CA $5000

GENERAL ELECTRIC PAC Washington DC $1000

GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY PAC Washington DC $2500

GENESEE & WYOMING INC PAC York, PA $2500

GOOGLE NET PAC Washington DC $1500

HARDWOOD FEDERATION PAC Washington DC $1000

HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL PAC Washington DC $7500

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN PAC Washington DC $1000

IBEW COPE Washington DC $2500

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IND. COUNCIL PAC Washington DC $1000

INSURED RETIREMENT INSTITUTE INC. PAC Washington DC $1000

INTEL PAC Washington DC $10000

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS Washington DC $3500

INTL. BROTHERHOOD OF BOILERMAKERS CAF Kansas City, KS $1000

INTERNATIONAL PAPER PAC Washington DC $5500

INTL. UNION OF PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES Hanover, MD $10000

J STREET PAC Washington DC $3000

JOBS, OPPORTUNITIES AND EDU. PAC (JOE PAC) Washington DC $1000

K&L GATES LLP PAC Washington DC $2000

LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS PAC Washington DC $2558

LIUNA PAC Washington DC $2500

LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEE’S PAC Arlington, VA $6000

MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO PAC Springfield, MA $2500

METLIFE INC. EMPLOYEES’ PPF-A FEDERAL ONLY New York, NY $2000

MICHIGAN SUGAR COMPANY GROWERS PAC Bay City, MI $3500

MICRONPAC Boise, ID $1000

MICROSOFT CORP. PAC Redmond, WA $3000

MINN-DAK FARMERS COOP. SUGAR (MDS PAC) Wahpeton, ND $2000

MORGAN STANLEY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE New York, NY $1000

NAT’L ASSN OF POSTAL SUPERVISORS PAC (SPAC) Alexandria, VA $1000

NAT’L EMERGENCY MEDICINE PAC (NEMPAC) Dallas, TX $3500

NARFE PAC Alexandria, VA $1000

NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS PAC Washington DC $1000

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FOREST OWNERS PAC Washington DC $1000

NAT. ASSOC. OF INS. & FINANCIAL ADVISORS PAC Fall Church, VA $5500

NATIONAL BEER WHOLESALERS ASSN PAC Alexandria, VA $3500

NAT. CABLE & TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSN PAC Washington DC $1000

NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOC. PAC Bethesda, MD $2500

NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES PAC Washington DC $1000

NAT. WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEES ORG. PAC Washington DC $3000

NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH PAC Columbia, SC $3000

NEW DEMOCRAT COALITION PAC Washington DC $2000

NIKE, INC. PAC Beaverton, OR $10000

NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS PAC Portland, OR $1500

NOVO NORDISK PAC Washington DC $1000

OCEAN CHAMPIONS PAC Capitola, CA $10000

OFF THE SIDELINES PAC Washington, DC $2500

ORBITAL ATK INC. PAC Arlington, VA $5000

OREGON NURSES PAC Tualatin, OR $500

PACIFIC SEAFOOD GROUP EMPLOYEE PAC Clackamas, OR   $500

PACIFICORP-PAC. POWER/ROCKY MTN. POWER PAC Portland, OR $1000

PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF INC GROUP PAC New York, NY $1000

PFIZER PAC New York, NY $1000

PGE BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE Portland, OR $5500

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND New York, NY $1500

PROFESSIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SPECIALISTS PAC Washington DC $1500

PRUDENTIAL INS. COMPANY OF AMERICA PAC Newark, NJ $2000

RAYTHEON PAC Arlington VA $5000

REALTORS PAC Chicago, IL $4000

RETAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS ASSOC. PAC Arlington, VA $1000

SEIU C.O.P.E. Washington DC $5000

SEMI POLITICAL ALLIANCE SEMICONDUCTOR E & M Sacramento, CA $2000

SENIORS HOUSING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Washington DC $2000

SNAKE RIVER SUGAR CO. PAC Boise, ID $2000

SOUTHERN MINNESOTA BEET SUGAR COOP PAC Renville, MN $1000

STANDARD INSURANCE PAC Portland, OR $1000

STOEL RIVES LLP POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Portland, OR $1000

SUGAR CANE GROWERS COOP OF FLORIDA PAC Belle Glade, FL $1000

TARGET CORP CITIZENS POLITICAL FORUM Minneapolis, MN $1000

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED PAC Dallas, TX $1000

THE COMMITTEE FOR A LIVABLE FUTURE Portland, OR   $5000

THE GAP INC. PAC San Francisco, CA $1000

THE HOME DEPOT PAC Washington DC $10000

THE NEA FUND FOR CHILDREN & PUBLIC EDU. Washington DC $2000

TIAA-CREF PAC Washington DC $7500

TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION PAC Washington DC $1500

UNION PACIFIC CORP FUND FOR EFFECTIVE GOVT. Washington DC $5000

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES PAC Hartford, CT $3000

UNITED TRANSPORTATION UNION North Olmsted, OH $2500

UPS PAC Atlanta, GA $6000

VERIZON GOOD GOVERNMENT PAC Washington DC $1500

WAL-MART STORES INC. PAC Bentonville, AR $5000

WESTERN SUGAR COOPERATIVE PAC Denver, CO $2000

WEYERHAEUSER PAC Federal Way, WA $5000

I started my campaign roughly 16 months ago with one basic idea in mind, that it is not right to take money from my fellow Oregonians for their voices to be heard.  People work hard for their money and they deserve to keep it.  They also deserve representation that works hard to keep their taxes low and the government limited.  That is why my tagline is, “I don’t want your money, I just want your vote.”  It is short, to the point, and true.  My name is Brian Heinrich, and with your support, I will be your next Representative for Oregon’s 1st Congressional District.     

On Saturday, I was down in Corvallis at the Oregon State football game with my family when a friend of mine mentioned that the Oregonian released their endorsements for the 2016 general election.  He jokingly said, “They gave you a whole sentence….”  I was shocked since the Oregonian never interviewed me for their endorsement.  A week or so earlier, a person on their staff emailed me and scheduled a time to call, but failed to do so.  On Sunday, I looked up the Oregonian endorsement page.  My friend was wrong….they gave me half a sentence.  Needless to say it is not the lack of their endorsement that upsets me, but the fact that they present themselves as doing their due diligence in vetting the candidates, but in reality did very little.  In response to their failed effort, I submitted the following letter to the editor:

To the Oregonian Editorial Board,

My name is Brian Heinrich and I am running for US Congress in Oregon’s first district. I would like to express my surprise and disappointment by the lack of effort of your editorial board regarding your endorsements for the 2016 general election. I was contacted on October 4th by Len Reed, your associate editor, regarding my candidacy. I responded rapidly and provided multiple opportunities for him to contact me, and I gave him my personal cell phone number. While he did respond by email and say he would contact me via phone later in the day, I received no calls nor voice mails, nor any follow up communication. Therefore, you can understand my disappointment when I was informed by a friend that you endorsed my opponent, Suzanne Bonamici. Also, the portion of the single sentence that you dedicated to me provided information that is easily found on my website (https://heinrichfororegon.org)

It is this lack of thorough investigation and research that makes people distrust the media, and rightfully so. I am saddened to discover that this is what has become of our free press. You are no longer assisting the public but intentionally misinforming them.

I encourage your readers to contact me directly at (503) 307-0139 or via email at heinrichfororegon@gmail.com. I will be happy to answer any of the questions your readers might have.

Yours truly,

Brian J. Heinrich

Candidate for US Congress, Oregon District 1

So with this letter, I encourage anyone who would like to know more about me or my candidacy, to please contact me.  I will be happy to take your phone call, text, or email.  Do keep in mind as I am self funding this campaign, that I work full time and may not be able to answer immediately.  I will respond and I look forward to earning your vote. As listed in the letter, you can reach me via phone/txt at (503) 307-0139 and email at heinrichfororegon@gmail.com   Thank you for your interest and support.  And as I have said since the beginning, “I do not want your money, I just want your vote.”

So I have been getting a lot of requests for yard signs.  Believe it or not, those can be a little expensive. The sign company I have been using had a price of $10 per sign with a minimum order of 50 signs.  I said, “That is great, but I am under a very tight budget, so let me know if you have any ideas on how to cut the cost.”  Living under a budget is actually a good thing.  It forces one to prioritize and decide what is important.  Something all politicians should do.   It also helps create innovative ideas.  Just like in this case.  My sign company said, “If we go with a 12”x24” sign (instead of the standard 18”x24”), it will lower the cost even more.”   Not only will it save me money, it will actually stand out from the rest of the political signs blighting the landscape.  So, I have 50 signs coming and would like to get them on high traffic areas within the next week.  If you feel you have an ideal location for a sign inside District 1, please email me at heinrichfororegon@gmail.com and I will deliver it personally to your door.  Thank you again for your continued support.  This has been an amazing adventure and I can’t wait until November 8th.

So with the Beaverton Celebration parade over, the last parade of the campaign season is done. For all those who cheered for me while I walked with my friends and family, thank you. I had a lot of fun shaking hands and giving out candy. I don’t know if you noticed, but I always entered the parade as myself-Brian Heinrich for US Congress. My competitor’s campaign always joined in with her Party’s entry. I separated myself intentionally. You see, the job of a Congressional Representative is to represent the people of his or her district. Now it is true, I am the Republican nominee, but ultimately I am conservative. This means I believe we need limited government, lower taxes, more state rights and more individual liberty. With these basic principles in mind, that is how I intend to represent you. Now I have met the incumbent for my position, Suzanne Bonamici a couple of times. She seems like a very nice and genuine person. I think she has a good heart. Where I disagree with her is on two major policies. She is liberal, and believes in even more government involvement in our daily lives through the theft of our own tax dollars. She is also very political party oriented. She often votes party lines regardless of the needs and wants of the people of district 1. Her votes align very well with those of Nancy Pelosi’s. I prefer independent thinkers. I am one. My name is Brian Heinrich and I am going to be your next Representative for Oregon’s 1st Congressional District.

My father handed me a copy of the News-Register paper from McMinnville today.  On Friday the 22nd there was a fluff piece on Suzanne Bonamici, the incumbent for District 1.  The Congresswoman I am challenging.   

The title says, “Suzanne Bonamici touts healthy meals for all students.”  My first thought after reading the title was, “Does anyone want to have children go hungry?”  I don’t think so. Politics is usually not about disagreement on outcomes, the argument is how we get to those outcomes.  And that is where Suzanne Bonamici and I disagree.  She believes in a big Federal Government to provide the services we, as Americans, should be providing for ourselves.  I, on the other hand, believe we need to correct the system, so that all Americans can achieve success.   Ronald Reagan once said, “I believe the best social program is a job!”  I couldn’t agree more.  

Take the article for example, the Federal Government takes money from taxpayers in the state of Oregon only to give a portion of it back (there is always overhead to pay for) to organizations in Oregon.  Of course the money comes with contingencies (i.e. strings attached), so the government can dictate processes.  This redistribution of our tax dollars allows people like Suzanne Bonamici to take credit for feeding children healthy meals with the money we paid.  As if somehow she was the one providing those lunches.   To paraphrase from a President Obama speech, “She did not pay for those lunches, you did!!”   And this redistribution has other Federal benefits, such as paying for government administrations and securing future votes for Suzanne and similar Congressional Representatives when they run for office again.  It is amazing how giving out “free stuff” improves your chances for reelection.    

While I do not want to see any child go hungry, I don’t believe our money needs to take a trip to Washington DC first.  I would simply reduce taxes. That means more money in local communities to increase economic growth.  That leads to higher wages, more jobs, and increased household incomes.  That right there will reduce poverty and reduce the number of families who need assistance.  For those who still have need, local charities, religious institutions, and similar organizations could assist.  If still a need persisted, then a local fee could be levied to help.  The overall cost would still be less than the cost of any Federal Program and the money would be spent more wisely as well as stay local.  So how would this help my reelection efforts since I can’t take credit for the work of others?  Well, if I chose to run again, I would like to think I would earn your vote by how little of your money I spent, and how much more you got to keep.

I would like to make one more comment on this news article.  It is about campaigning.  Understand, Suzanne is being paid a federal wage while running full time for office.  This gives incumbents an incredible advantage over any challenger who still has to work a regular job to pay for their personal expenses while running for office.  (Not even including the cost of a self funded campaign, as is my case).  She also has the benefit of easy access to the press.  Meaning her office can make a phone call, and on a slow news day the press is more than happy to write a piece on her activity.  Whether this be a tax payer paid town hall or a local event she chooses to attend.  Unless you’re Donald Trump, a challenger does not have nearly as much access to this free publicity.  These advantages keep incumbents as incumbents.  To make matters worse, these same Representatives have put in campaign finance laws to make sure they limit the challenger’s ability to raise funds to compete.  To be clear, this is not a partisan issue, this is an establishment issue.  Many Bernie Sanders fans and Trump fans have said, “The system is rigged.”  Well, I would not go that far, but there are advantages put in place that keep people who have power in power.  My name is Brian Heinrich and I am going to be your next Congressional Representative for US Congress in Oregon’s First District.   

When I was 17 or so, my parents moved from the South side of Hillsboro to the North side off of Jackson School Road.  It was there I became good friends with their next door neighbor, Jim Wilson.  Jim worked as a salesman for Dicks Country Dodge.  Always a smile on his face, Jim was a joy to have for a neighbor.  He would often wear the hat of the wise neighbor on Tim Allen’s sitcom, “Home Improvement” when he worked outside.  Jim did this just so I could say, “Hey Wilson!” when I would see him over the fence.

One day Jim and I got to talking about sales and life in general.  I must have been in my early 20’s at this time.  He made one statement that I still recall to this day.  He said, “Brian, a good sale is when both the buyer and the seller are satisfied.”  Jim went on to explain to me a little about the free market system.  How no one is forced to buy or sell anything, but how we come to an agreement when both parties find value.  Meaning, they both believe what they are receiving is equal or better than what they are giving.

That advice Jim gave me, while profound, happens billions of times a day in Free Market economies around the world including the United States.  With the exception of ObamaCare and possibly public utilities, we as consumers get to choose what we purchase and how we spend the fruits of our labor.   We look at various products and get to compare value.  And value is a very subjective thing.  A place like Nordstrom charges more for their products than a retailer like Target, but in both cases, consumers find value in the products they purchase.  The free market finds its pricing with no government involvement.  If people like a product, they will buy it as long as it has value to them.  If people do not find value, they stop purchasing it and the manufacturer or retailer will either lower the price or stop selling it.

So that brings me to the current legislative effort in Congress called “Repealing the Pink Tax.”  The Pink Tax is the name given for the false belief that products are marketed towards women with a higher sale price than the comparable male or gender neutral products.  My Democratic challenger for Oregon’s 1st District, Suzanne Bonamici is one who believes in this false ideology.  In fact, she posted on her facebook page,  “I’ve put my support behind legislation that will put an end to gender-based discriminatory pricing.”  What she and many Democrats fail to realize is that in a free market, the consumer is king (or queen in this case) and they dictate pricing.

You see, the freedom to have the market provide products and to price them as it chooses, and the freedom for us to choose to buy them (or not) are important freedoms.  Government should not be involved in regulating prices as Suzanne Bonomici is advocating .  It is a slippery slope that will only lead to less choices and less value and even more government control.  Now you might be saying, “But this is discrimination!”  But is it?  Manufacturers are making special products to cater to the needs and wants of women.  I don’t think that is discrimination.  Quite the opposite.  The demand by women for these specialty products has made the retailers take notice.  And because of that, they make thousands of products specifically designed for women.  Now are the prices higher than non specialized products?  Sometimes, probably yes.  The cost to produce those specialty goods may be higher or it is possibly because the audience they are marketing to is willing to pay a premium price for their needs being met.  Now you might be saying, “Yes, but if we pass this Pink Tax law, then I can buy products for less!”  Well, not really.   Like most laws, it has unintended consequences.   Suppose a retailer normally sells a pair of men’s Levis at $40 while they sell a pair of women’s at $60.  How is the government able to validate price differences?  Is it sexism?  Perhaps there is more cost in the design of women’s jeans.  Perhaps its an issue of volume of sales or variety of styles available.  But the retailer has the real fear of legal action by the government for price differences.  This so called Pink Tax Repeal would allow for legal action against a retailer who sells men’s and women’s products at different prices.  It makes much more sense for the business to raise the price of men’s jeans to be “fair” rather then lower the price of women’s.   After all, the government wants things to be “fair.”  Or perhaps the retailer will just reduce the number of products they sell that cater to women.  That way there is nothing that could be perceived as unfair.   Ultimately, government policy would not only promote higher prices, but limit our choices as well.

Suzanne Bonamici wants you to believe that there is a Pink Tax and she is going to be your champion in Congress to destroy it.  But the reality is that just isn’t true.  There is no Pink Tax.  Just like there is no Boogeyman.  Prices are established by what someone is willing to sell something for and by what someone is willing to pay for it.  Perhaps women are just willing to pay $20 more for a nice pair of jeans than a man.  Maybe that pink razor is worth an extra dollar, so her husband doesn’t use it while he is in the shower.  You see, what Jim Wilson told me almost two decades ago still holds true.  “A good sale is when both the buyer and the seller are satisfied.”  No one is forced to buy.  No one is coerced to sell.  Both parties consent of their own free will and the government does not need to be a participant.  We only need to be free to choose (or not choose), and the market will continue to provide the products and services we want at the prices we are willing to pay.

My name is Brian Heinrich and I am running for US Congress in Oregon’s 1st District.

So I received an email yesterday from a constituent.  With the recent gun violence, he has some serious concerns on gun control.  While I believe we do not share the same resolutions to the problem, his concerns are real and need to be heard.  Here is his email as well as my reply.

Hi,

Enough atrocities. I’m sick of platitudes, and “thoughts and prayers” and “it’s too early.” We need to enact meaningful gun control legislation NOW. Fund mental health efforts too. I’m donating to those who are willing to stand up against the NRA. Too many people are dying for the “freedom” to own mass killing machines.

I have donated hundreds of dollars in the last year to those working on reducing gun violence, and as an independent I will vote this fall based on track record on this issue. Please reconsider your position.

Thank you,

*****

Astoria, OR

My Reply:

Thank you for your e-mail and a chance for dialog. What sort of “meaningful legislation” did you have in mind? It you look at statistics, there are more violent crimes committed in regions where there are strict gun laws and less where guns are more prevalent. So when it comes to meaningful legislation, I question whether it is a “feel good” law or a “doing good” law. I want laws that do good. Feel good laws may be politically or socially popular, but often have long term negative impacts on individuals and society. I do agree that mental health is an important issue for all Americans and the more people are willing to come out and talk about it the less taboo it will be and the more people might be willing to seek help.

As far as the “mass killing machines” I see the media classifying these guns into categories they do not belong. The weapons used in many of the “mass shooting” situations require the shooter to pull the trigger each time and to change the magazine of ammunition out. These are not assault rifles like the movies where you pull the trigger once and just move the gun around. Those are fully automatic weapons and they are illegal. Most owners of semi automatic guns use them for a hobby of target practice the same way some people do needlepoint or run on a treadmill. They use them to relieve stress, bringing this back to a mental health issue.

Now when it comes to mass killings we need to look at history. Here are some fairly recent examples. In 1979 the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, known as Jonestown, killed 900 people when the leaders poisoned the Kool-Aid served to their followers.

In 1982 someone who has never been identified laced Tylenol in various locations in the Chicago area with Potassium Cyanide. Seven people died and a massive scare ensued.

In 1984 one of the followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in Antelope, Oregon attempted to kill local politicians in a bioterror attack by poisoning salad bars at various restaurants in the area. 751 people were poisoned. Luckily there were no fatalities.

On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols killed 168 people with a bomb created with ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer.

In December of last year, Lakeisha Holloway struck 37 people with her car on the Las Vegas Strip. One person was killed.

None of these efforts involved firearms, yet many were far deadlier or potentially deadlier than the most recent shootings we have had. And with the exception of redesigning the packaging on various drug and food products, no amount of regulation would have prevented these actions from occurring. I recall a sermon at church where my pastor said, “There will always be weeds in the garden no matter how hard we try to prevent them.”

When it comes to banning guns, there are other factors beyond sport that should not be overlooked. A relative of mine was raped when she was in high school. As you can imagine, a very traumatic experience to say the least. In her mind a gun is not a weapon to be feared, but a tool for protection. Not only is she well skilled with a firearm, but so are her children. To remove guns from them would not make them feel safer. On the contrary, it would make them feel like victims. You cannot deny ones persons security for another persons perceived safety.

I am happy to hear that you have the extra funds to donate to a cause you believe in. My stance will always be to remove the money out of politics so that all citizens have an equal voice in the legislation that effects their lives and that votes, laws, etc. are not bought but earned. Again I appreciate you taking time out of your day to ask me questions and to learn more about my beliefs and campaign and I wish you well in your future endeavors.

Yours Truly,

Brian Heinrich

Candidate for US Congress-Oregon’s 1st Congressional District.

Back in the fall of 1994, my brother Bill and I were both accepted into the Walt Disney World College Program from Oregon State University.  We were the only two Beavers accepted that term, so hence we got a private family photo with Minnie Mouse as you can see.

The Walt Disney World College Program is an internship where you work at various locations around the Walt Disney World Resort and take classes from Disney in business management.  Upon being accepted at the time, Disney assigned students into one of four Categories: Attractions, Food Service, Hotel Services, and Custodial.  I was assigned to food service at the Fort Wilderness Resort at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue.  Bill was assigned to the Magic Kingdom Custodial crew.  In our first orientation class, the Disney lead proceeded to ask us questions.  “Who is in Food Service?”  I and a dozen or so raised our hands.  “Attractions?”  Another dozen showed their hands.  “Hotel guest service?”  And still others.  “Custodial?” My brother and the last remaining few raised their hands.  He then says, “No!  everyone should be raising their hands.  We are all Custodial.  We are all responsible for the Walt Disney World Resort and how it looks, not just the few assigned  to the the task.  If you see garbage on the ground, pick it up and throw it in the trash.  If you see a mess, clean it up.  You should take pride in being a cast member at this Resort”

We have some serious financial problems in this country.  Our government and its elected leaders have spent almost 20 trillion more dollars than we have.  That is over $59,000 per citizen and more than $161,000 per tax payer.  We have future obligations like Social Security and Medicare that have unfunded liabilities much closer to the amount of 100 trillion dollars.  We have lied to ourselves by keeping interest rates artificially low and printing money through “Quantitative Easing.” We have done this to continue our failed fiscal policies rather than to change course.  To add insult to injury, we have created class warfare and put the blame on the wealthy rather than putting the blame where it belongs, on ourselves.

We did this together.  Whether directly or indirectly, we all were involved.     We all contibuted to this mess.   We have voted in poor leadership.  We have taken more from the government than we contribute.  We have asked government to do the jobs we should have been doing for ourselves.   We have failed to save.  We have failed to be self reliant.  We have failed to be good stewards of the greatest nation ever created on Earth.  Now we have a big bill to pay.  Some in government think  we can keep kicking the can down the road for the next generation and deny the obvious.  But that has never nor will it ever work.   We must confront the burden that is in front of us.  We must cut spending.  We must expect less from government and more from ourselves.  We must unleash the American workforce and start building things again.  We don’t need to tax income more.  We need to create more income to tax.

I don’t care if you are rich or poor, young or old, black or white, gay or straight, man or woman.  None of those things matter.  The fact is…We are all custodial.  It is all our job to clean this government up and make it something we are proud of.  My name is Brian Heinrich and I am running for US Congress in Oregon’s 1st District.