Before you read John's answers to my questions below, I just wanted to share a quick story with you.
Three years ago, a young man and his wife bought their first house, a house in Buckeye, Arizona (part of CD2). This was the only house they could afford at the time because of the white-hot housing market. They had been living with her parents for six months, first waiting for a house to be built that never was, then looking for a house where they could finally make their home. Relationships suffered a bit. But after a while, everything healed.
Fast forward to today: A house that was purchased for nearly $200,000 is now worth less than $60,000. The husband and wife each commute 50 miles one way, spending nearly $700 a month in fuel costs alone. Their growing family, a toddler with a baby on the way, is starting to outgrow their current house. Time with the family is short, their budget strained by paying for education expenses and baby necessities. The banks won't modify or accept a short sale without the couple giving them another $10,000- what they (the banks) see as a "fair contribution".
So the family does what they must, and the home they've grown in is put up on the auction block.
The young man? That's me. We'll lose our house the beginning of December.
But this story isn't unique. John Thrasher, who's running for Congress in Arizona's 2nd district, knows this. I've met with John. He's dedicated to helping families like mine keep their homes, unlike his opponent. He's dedicated to helping a single mom, who worked hard for her first home, but can't get any help from the bank:
I applied to my FHA loan modification and can't get still any decision from BofA.
Can you help me and ask them when I get it?
Why they don't want to help us to protect the home?
We need people like John to help us fight. Please, read the Q&A below- help Arizona's 2nd district, and America, get the representation and help that it deserves.
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AZ Independent: Arizona has one of the highest rates of foreclosure in the nation. Because of current policies, families are being forced out of their homes by banks who will then turn around and sell the house for a fraction of what the original loan was written for. What will you do as Arizona's 2nd district congressman to help families who are facing foreclosure? For families who have lost their houses and are being forced to rent, is there a solution that will allow these families to become homeowners without waiting a half decade?
John Thrasher:
Oversight caused a Great Recession by deregulation, and the banks gamed the system. Now that we had no choice, to keep America from sinking, the losers are us, the people, the home owner families and workers. Jobs were outsourced, causing more people to loose their homes and banks are now refusing to play by the rules, again. Screw the citizen, make them foreclose. I would back banks to open loans to refinance those about to foreclose and prevent this from happening.
The Federal Banks may have to step in and return to the FHA loans, at 3% and keep our honest citizens in their homes, buying them from the banks at the deflated price and selling them to the original owner. Added stimulus will be needed again to prevent more foreclosures, which disrupt communities, revenues for schools and our infrastructure. We should prevent jobs from being outsourced and start subsidies for those businesses that return their companies back to the America.
AZI: The economic situation has improved for Wall Street, but Main Street is still suffering from unemployment. Solutions such as a new WPA have been tossed around. How can we dig ourselves out of the jobless recovery and provide jobs today?
JT:
Provide money to small businesses with low-cost loans immediately. Then they can hire, but they will only if there is a demand for products. People can't purchase without a living wage salary. Give businesses enough money to use for hiring and also for training employees, to bring them up to level, increasing the ability of the worker and improving the quality of the product.
There has to be a willingness from the banks to restore what they destroyed. The next stimulus has to be to home owners. It is too expensive to see bankruptcies and loses of citizens savings while trying to exist. Extending the unemployment, saving the 99ers, and returning to the workers what was taken from them. How about no million dollar bonuses until all foreclosures are stopped and unemployment is at 3%. Banks caused it, Banks should fix it.
AZI: A follow-up to the question above: Offshoring of jobs to places like China seems to be increasing, and this clearly has an effect on the middle class. Where do you stand on offshoring, and trade in general?
JT:
Here are the nuts and bolts of off-shoring jobs, and how importing labor, harms us:
- By increasing the number of available workers for a job, the value of that job, i.e. the wage, decreases.
- By handing that job to a foreign worker, we are exporting both the skills of that job, and the investment of those skills, to a foreign country.
When foreign workers enter the United States, and take jobs, American workers are displaced. Corporations argue the American work force is simply not educated enough to perform these jobs. Shame on them. As more and more jobs are outsourced, more labor imported, the incentive has been removed for our kids to obtain a quality education, no matter the type, by driving down the value of American labor.
AZI: One more economic question: What specifically could be done to increase good paying jobs in district 2 if you were elected to Congress?
JT:
In Mohave County, and in particular, Bullhead City and Lake Havasu, a pretty fair amount of revenue is directly related to outdoor recreation (Lake Havasu and Bullhead), and Casino Gambling (Bullhead / Laughlin).
An increase on that focus, with an emphasis on enhancing the tourism destination icon for both would provide significant boosts in both local revenue, local jobs, and overall revenue to the State. The decision by Governor Brewer to scale back on the Dept. of Commerce and form her 'privatization' commission shows that she and the Republicans are unable to think around issues - their solution is dump it on the private sector as opposed to making Government part of the solution.
AZI: If elected to Congress, would you be a "leader" (i.e. write the bills), or a follower (i.e. mainly co-sponsor legislation)? If a "leader", what issues would you focus on?
JT:
I would strive to be a leader by introducing legislation, leading the charge on the issues important to District 2 (infrastructure, job creation, veterans facilities, fixing schools). I would look for a mentor - someone who is dynamic and understands the challenges of representing a district that has been ignored for the past 8 years. As a 'freshman' Congressman, there will be a learning curve that cannot be avoided. Once I have learned 'the ropes,' it will be full speed ahead on behalf of my constituents.
AZI: Some people say that district 2 is statistically 100% in Rep. Trent Franks' hands. What would you say to them?
JT:
A good deal has been made about party registration numbers. In fact, the most recent voter registration numbers show both Democrats and Republicans as individual parties are out-registered by Independents. That being said, the challenge I face is to having Independents and Republicans vote for me. It is my belief the voters in District 2 will awaken and decide that policy not politics is the best way to gain truly responsive representation. Let me be clear. There will continue to be disagreements between myself, and some constituents in the District. I welcome and encourage conflict on issues. It will encourage discussion, and maybe even resolution on a number of issues. And no matter a voter's party registration, that voter MUST be listened to, and heard. I will not tolerate providing just 'lip service.'
AZI: As a final question: What does being a Democrat mean to you?
JT:
Being a Democrat is something I have done most of my life. I learned growing up that the exchange of ideas, respect for the feelings of others, and family will make for a well-rounded individual and advocate. I have advocated for students during my 42 plus years as a teacher to ensure they got the best education possible along with the individual attention they deserved. Respecting the rights of other, advocating for those rights.
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Please, support John. Trent Franks, the Republican incumbent, has neglected to represent this district for eight years. Families continue to suffer, while Franks and the Republicans do nothing.
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P.S: I'll leave you with a closing statement by John:
My opponent has spent most of his time badmouthing the Office of the President, (an) 'Enemy of Humanity', Birther group, and yet can't show us what he's done for District Two, other than deny funds for eight years, moving us backwards.