Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Miguel Olivas Candidate for Arizona 3rd Congressional District

I am a Republican candidate for Arizona’s third Congressional District.  I’m often asked why I am willing to trade the comfort of my private for the dysfunction and disrepair of public life.  The Answer is clear - Arizona, its 3rd district and our nation, are worth the fight.  I want to keep our nation’s promise to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and our values.  I want their families to feel secure that the sacrifice their loved ones paid, was not in vain.   
I can spend the next minute telling you about my personal accomplishments, but I feel that time is better served telling you the reasons I am running for Congress.  The reasons are woven into three neatly folded flags.  
I have stood in the rain with the sound of a bugle call, a 21 gun salute, and I watched soldiers hand both my paternal and maternal grandmothers neatly folded flags.  In 2004, I heard the same bugle call, but this time it was different.  As a young soldier presented my mother the flag, I felt comfort, because a couple years before, my father met his two Presidents.  The President that signed the letter that accompanied his flag, and the other, his lifetime President, Charlton Heston.   
I remembered my grandfather Olivas’ funeral.  My Father’s hand was draped over my shoulder.  My Father was a mechanic in Arizona copper mines.  His hands were scarred and his presence strong.  I sobbed, not because these men were dead, but because I realized that my education, my profession, and everything I had in life, was built by those hands.  
No statue will ever be erected in the names of these three men, but everything I believe in, the love I have for family, my God, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom, are woven into those three folded flags.   
I’m running for Congress, because I share the values of my forefathers; I am willing to risk what I have to ensure this country remains strong; and I will stand with the same resolve for liberty, as those that made our country a place where hard work and grit can create real opportunity.
As a native of Arizona, my family relied on natural resource based industries like mining, agriculture, and cattle ranching to work and earn a living.  I built a successful small consulting business that assists the start-up, growth and optimization of businesses.  Before starting my own company, I worked as a staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. 

I understand from first hand experiences the challenges and changes needed in Washington D.C.  Being actively involved in civic and political issues since the early nineties, I have sought to create effective change in government.  I have always defended local governments, businesses, and individuals from extremist policies that have:

  • Threatened our economic and individual freedoms;

  • Threatened our national security; and

  • Threatened "States' Rights" by establishing a strong centralized federal government. 

My family and I now feel that the time has come for me to offer myself as a servant in the public arena.  I am hopeful that I can bring some of those common sense ideas straight from the people to the U.S. House of Representatives.

I have also been actively involved in creating change in my community.  During 2013, I worked with the U.S. Veterans Administration, elected officials, and local non-profit organizations to lead the effort to secure $3.4 million to support the mission to eradicate homelessness among veterans in Pinal and Yuma Counties – An additional $11 million, nationally. 

Another area of interest is the tax burden on the citizens of this nation.  We are taxing our best natural resources right out of work...our people.  Young families must be able to do more than survive financially; they must be allowed to prosper.  Senior citizens should receive the social security due to them without once again being taxed on that income. 

As you can see, I am excited at the possibility of serving the people of the 3rd Congressional District of Arizona and the nation.  But before I can serve I must conduct a very aggressive campaign.  Raul Grijalva is one of the nation's most radical Members of Congress.  In part because he voted against:

  • Moving the U.S. toward energy independence,  

  • Protecting American citizens from predatory actions by agencies like the NSA, IRS and EPA, and

  • Protecting our nation’s veterans.

These are some of the reasons I feel strongly that I must step forward and offer the people of Arizona's 3rd Congressional District a choice.

To be successful in this endeavor it will take a very strong and dedicated grassroots organization.  I believe the voters of this district will step forward with my family in a united volunteer effort.  As you may have guessed my children and family are already hard at work designing flyers, and building winning strategies of their own.  All of them are volunteering to help knock on doors, place yard signs and of course, participate in any upcoming parades. 

With thousands of brochures to purchase, hundreds of yard signs to order, scores of radio ads to place, and seven counties to cover, I will need help.  I am turning to the people who have known me the longest, who know me best, and humbly inviting you to get involved in my campaign and help make a difference. Facebook Page Web Page