I am the youngest of three brothers born to a US Forest Service officer and a teacher. Raised in San Bernardino, California, I attended Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School, Cajon High School, and Cal State San Bernardino where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics. I worked to pay for my university education as a camera salesman at FEDCO, a busser and waiter at Lucy’s Mexican Restaurant, and a soccer coach at Cajon and Aquinas high schools.I am a member of the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe in the Owens Valley of California, a lay minister at Catholic parishes in the United States and the Philippines, and an amateur travel filmmaker, photographer, and writer.
People, freedom, and capitalism drive our economy. The government is often a powerful actor - so much so that it can easily become an impediment to prosperity and individual independence. Governments should remove economic barriers and excessive subsidies that inhibit growth. Inflation will self-correct if the government does not act to make it worse; we created this problem with excessive trillions of dollars of spending and prolonged inhibitions of markets. Our government should be expected to be able to balance a budget, but we have developed an unhealthy expectation of deficits and acceptance of an ever-accumulating national debt.
Violent crime and lawlessness are degrading communities around the country, especially in our big cities. We have the laws already on the books, but are they being properly enforced? We need to give law enforcement the support and resources they need to deter and prevent crime, ensure prosecutors are not neglecting their duty to punish all criminals, and reduce the possibility of chronic repeat offenses by keeping people behind bars who deserve it.​
We cannot allow illegal immigration to continue; it degrades sovereignty, creates vulnerability and undermines unity. America has always benefited from our incredible mix of cultures, ideas, and backgrounds. We should continue to welcome new immigrants from around the world who share our values and commit to contribute to our great American experiment. We can also have a robust foreign worker program with eventual repatriation and protections from exploitation. However, coming to the United States unlawfully as an adult should be a disqualification to ever becoming a citizen.
Americans should not be burdened with mask mandates, vaccine mandates, or further shut-downs at this point. The federal and local governments have shown to be incapable of “shutting down" COVID-19. Beyond making vaccines, testing, and treatments available, government intrusion into how we live our lives with this virus should be curtailed. Most of us have moved on from a quarantine mentality to gather, travel, and get back to work; our government should reflect and respect that.
Children should have the opportunity to go to a good school regardless of income level. Parents want a say as to where and what their children are taught. The market for charter schools has increased steadily over the years which suggests an appetite for school choice and the possibility of a robust consumer-driven educational system. I am interested in learning more about these more innovative ideas.