10 Points to Help Rebuild Our Economy

December 5th, 2008
10 Points To Help Rebuild Our Economy
By Sam Rasoul

On the verge of global economic collapse, we hear many ideas about how to improve our economy. Just spending more is not going to work. You can add all the fuel you want to a broken engine, but our nation needs to make some fundamental changes. If we are going to spend trillions in tax-payer dollars, we must make them count.

Here are 10 points that I feel will help rebuild the economy, but it won't be quick, cheap, or easy. The first five points are more short-term in nature and the last five more long-term:

1. The Treasury should enable banks to bring mortgage rates down to 3.5%, 200 basis points below the current market rate. A substantial decrease will help to stabilize the mortgage industry.

2. Have a one-time doubling of the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction for 2008.
-Such a tax savings will directly help millions of struggling American families.

3. Of the $700 billion in TARP monies authorized, $70 billion should go directly towards helping states and municipalities with their budget shortfalls.
-Redirecting that portion of the funding will help to secure millions of jobs and ensure that vital services are not interrupted.
-Should only be used to assist with up to 50% of the budget gap needed once the state/municipality shows it is able to make the necessary adjustments for the remaining 50%.

4. Stop political grand-standing and help the car industry with bridge loans maxing out at $50 billion.
-These funds should only be accessed on a strictly as needed basis.
-The "Big Three" should have only six months to right-size their business and re-organize the American car industry with a viable sustainable business model.

5. Double the Pell Grants for the spring semester of 2009 to help struggling families cover the cost of higher education as tuition spirals out of control, while at the same time helping colleges and universities maintain their enrollment, keeping them stable.

6. Invest $1 trillion in major infrastructure projects over the next three years, projects which will create jobs.
-The government should rebuild our deteriorating bridges so to avoid a repeat of the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Approximately one-third of our nation's bridges are in unacceptable condition.
-The United States needs investment in proper border and port security with investments in technology.
-Let us prepare for a National Energy Revolution by beefing up our national grid to support the efficient transfer of energy over long distances.
-Investment in high-speed passenger and freight rail to connect our businesses at a speed that truly reflects our 21st century technology, not the 19th century.
---Freight rail investments will reduce inventory costs with shorter freight transport times.
---Investment in passenger rail will allow for top quality jobs to reach every corner of our nation with workers being able to travel much longer distances for a career choice.

7. Support the passage of HR 676, which will solve our major health care woes by reducing inefficiency in the system and help American businesses compete both domestically and globally.

8. Invest in green technologies that will help to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and create millions of new green-collar jobs. These are quality jobs that produce family supporting wages, many of which cannot be outsourced.

9. Enact common sense regulation over Wall Street and executive compensation, including regulations that eliminate improper speculation of energy commodities.
-Enact legislation that ends tax breaks for excessive executive compensation. If a firm wants to pay an executive more than 100 times it pays its bottom workers, the firm should not be able to deduct any compensation over 100 times as an operating expense. Such a deduction results in a tax break for the firm.

10. If we want a government that works for the people and not big money, then we must take money out of the system and have federal elections that are publicly financed. The lobbyists and special interests got us into this economic mess with their control over Washington, and now it's time to regain the Republic.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Goodlatte Peer Endorses Rasoul

The Rasoul for Congress campaign today received the endorsement of Mr. Wayne Gilchrest, the Republican Congressman representing the 1st District of Maryland. Mr. Gilchrest sits on the Committees of Natural Resources and Transportation & Infrastructure. Congressman Gilchrest has served with Congressman Goodlatte on many issues common to both regions including this year's Farm Bill and Chesapeake Bay concerns.

Congressman Gilchrest stated, "For 18 years I have served as a Republican member of the House of Representatives. But I am crossing party lines to endorse Sam Rasoul because of his positions on the important policy issues of today. I'm supporting Sam Rasoul because I know that he shares our values and will put principle above party in Washington."

Mr. Gilchrest was elected to Congress in 1990 and has served with Congressman Goodlatte for the last 16 years. Knowing Mr. Goodlatte for so long, it comes as a surprise that Congressman Gilchrest would back his opponent but he continued, "Sam will work with both sides of the aisle to address the many problems that Virginians and the people of this great nation face. From the economy to health care to responsibly ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sam has the skill and the knowledge to be a responsible voice for you in our nation's Capitol. As a veteran who served in Viet Nam and as a Marine rifleman, I would be proud to have Sam Rasoul at my side."

"Mr. Gilchrest has served his district and this nation proudly," responded Rasoul. "I am honored to receive his endorsement and look forward to continuing the tradition of bi-partisanship that Congressman Gilchrest has held in trust during his tenure in Washington."

This is Mr. Rasoul's fourth major endorsement in the last week and follows the endorsement of Chairman John Conyers of Michigan, The Roanoke Times and The Staunton News Leader.

Breaking: Goodlatte Falsifies Claims of Support on Campaign Literature

The Sam Rasoul for Congress campaign today discovered that claims of support on a recent piece of campaign literature sent out by the Goodlatte for Congress campaign were falsified. Specifically, the claim that Mike Breeden, a Democratic member of the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors, is in support of Congressman Goodlatte is a fabrication. The piece, called "Putting People First," lists a small number of Democrats and Independents allegedly in support of Congressman Goodlatte.

Supervisor Breeden stated, "I did not endorse Bob Goodlatte. I did not return a call to Bob Goodlatte in which he asked me for permission to use my name as a Democrat supporting him in the Shenandoah Valley. I support the Democratic party and Sam Rasoul for Congress."

Sean Sarah, a spokesperson for the Rasoul campaign decried the use of Breeden's name by saying, "We expect our leaders to build real bi-partisan coalitions to get things done both here and in Washington. Creating a sense of false cooperation as a political tactic is exactly what Mr. Rasoul has been fighting against these last twenty-two months. Congressman Goodlatte didn't tell us the truth on term limits and he's not telling the truth in his campaign literature. After sixteen years we expected more from Congressman Goodlatte."

This new information comes on the heels of a Roanoke Times blog post entitled "But Bob, we didn't endorse you." The article details how Congressman Goodlatte cherry-picked information out of Roanoke Times articles to make it appear that the newspaper endorsed the Congressman. In response to this, the newspaper replied "This sort of lifting comments out of context is nothing new in campaign literature, but it's also no less shameful today than the first time someone did it."

We got the News Leader endorsement

The support keeps on rolling in! This morning the Staunton News Leader endorsed Sam's candidacy for Congress! I'll keep it short and sweet, here is the link:

http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081030/OPINION01/810300307

Thank you all so much for all you do. Just a few short days to go until victory!

Cheers!

Sean Sarah
Communications Director
Sam Rasoul for Congress

Roanoke Times Endorses Rasoul

Spread the word! This time it's for real:

From the Monday, October 27th Roanoke Times

"In the 6th District, Sam Rasoul

Bob Goodlatte is facing his first serious challenger in a decade. Sam Rasoul has proved himself a worthy candidate and would serve the district well.

Americans are dissatisfied with a dysfunctional Congress that has placed rabid partisanship and the influence of lobbyists above the interests of the Americans who elected them.

This Nov. 4 affords an opportunity for Americans to force change. Voters in Virginia's 6th Congressional District can help to hasten reforms by electing newcomer Sam Rasoul to replace longtime incumbent Bob Goodlatte.

Rasoul, at age 27, is the youngest person running for Congress. He is still wrapped up in the naïveté of youth. He believes that, with enough principled members, Congress could change. He is idealistic but doesn't seem to fully grasp or appreciate how the system works. Still, voters could do worse than give Rasoul a chance to prove himself.

He has shown through the campaign that he lives up to his principles. He won the Democrats' support as their nominee, but he has shunned all party and political action committee money.

This is a gamble that may prove foolish because it deprived him of the financial resources to buck an entrenched incumbent. Yet he has run an energetic and wide-reaching campaign throughout the 6th District based on individual contributions alone. He made a real sacrifice to remain true to his ideals.

There is also an independent candidate in the race: Janice Lee Allen. She has run a very low-key campaign and brings far too little to the race to warrant consideration.
Goodlatte will not be easy to defeat. His constituents know him well and appreciate him and what he has done for the district and the state.

Goodlatte needs to be given his due. He has been a good public servant and has demonstrated often his ability to work in a bipartisan manner, most notably on local and regional projects with Rep. Rick Boucher.

However, Goodlatte too often votes the party line, rarely breaking from years of support for the failed policies of President Bush.

When he first ran for Congress in 1992, Goodlatte said he so believed in term limits that he would limit his service to 12 years. That date has long come and gone, and Goodlatte hasn't faced a strong challenger in a decade.

Goodlatte said he still believes in term limits but said they must be imposed on everyone to work. If he were to voluntarily step down, he said, his constituents would lose his influence and standing in Washington, D.C.

We agreed with his decision in 2002 -- and still do. Voters are the ones who should implement term limits.

Now, after 16 years of Goodlatte's support for a discredited conservative ideology, Rasoul's fresh, principled campaign provides sufficient reason for voters to seriously consider taking that step."


On to November!
Sean Sarah
Communications Director
Sam Rasoul for Congress

It's time to make history

On the day after an election, the celebration is twice as sweet for those of us who have made the victories happen. But, of course, victory happens only if thousands of us quit saying, "I don't have the time right now." Right now is the only time. With ten days before the election, every day is essential.

Earlier this week when I dropped by the Harrisonburg Obama office, I ran into a friend who said she and her husband are canvassing everyday because knocking on doors helps her to deal with her "anxiety level." If you're a bit anxious yourself or tired of watching history unfold without you, we have good news for you. There's plenty of work to do everywhere -- including new field offices in Roanoke and Covington and Woodstock! Never in my memory has the 6th district offered us so much opportunity.

Voting for Obama/Warner/Rasoul is only half the story; for the other half, continue reading.

Roanoke/Salem/Botetourt
Stop by Sam Rasoul's headquarters at Lamplighter Mall on Williamson Road (especially this weekend) to help with a huge mailing or other office work.

Or join the Virginia Campaign for Change in Roanoke -- headquarters at Lamplighter Mall on Williamson Road or the headquarters on Campbell Street in downtown Roanoke or the Campaign for Change office on Kirk Street in downtown Roanoke. Call 540-985-3078 for more information and see the schedule below.

Lynchburg/Bedford/Amherst
Join the Virginia Campaign for Change in Lynchburg at 12th and Main in Lynchburg. Call 434-845-3741 for more information and see the schedule below.

Lexington/Buena Vista/Rockbridge
Join the Virginia Campaign for Change in Lexington at their downtown headquarters. Call 540-904-3834 for more information and see the schedule below.

Covington
Join the new field office at 214 N. Monroe -- call Ben Thomas at 540-904-3834 or Jeff Phan at 202-294-2814 for more information.

Staunton/Augusta County/Waynesboro
Join the Virginia Campaign for Change on Johnson Street in downtown Staunton. Call 804-519-1085 for more information and see the schedule below.

Harrisonburg/Rockingham
Join the Virginia Campaign for Change in downtown Harrisonburg or call 540-908-2081. Or join the team for Rockingham County centered in the office in downtown Bridgewater. Call 540-322-9986. Again, see the schedule below.

Shenandoah
Drop by the new field office at 246 East High in Woodstock or call 804-852-1946.

Making history schedule: In most offices there are phone shifts starting at 10, 12, 2, 5, and 7. Canvasses start at 5 during the week; 10, 3, and 4 on Saturdays; and 12, 3, and 5 on Sundays.

So . . . right now we need your help and then on Election Night we'll enjoy the sweetness of victory together.

Write For Sam One More Time!

Letters to the editor are a critical part of any grass roots campaign. In fact, the editorial page is the second most read part of the newspaper after the front page. It is the space where your voice can be heard unfiltered and (relatively) unedited.

Because of you, we've been dominating the editorial pages of every daily newspaper across the district. We're beating out Goodlatte's team at least 3 letters to 1. But, most news papers in the region have a deadline for getting your letters in before the election.

That's why we need you to submit one more letter to your local newspaper in support of Sam! And it needs to happen before Monday, October the 27th.

We're closer than you think to victory and even closer to election day. That's why it is so important to get one final, huge, push of letters into every newspaper in the district.

Click here to send a letter to your local newspaper.

We need your help today. We're asking that you send in a letter via our easy to use system and then forward this e-mail on to five of your friends. Remember, you need to get them to commit to sending a letter by this Sunday. We can win this if every one of us just takes one more step to get us across the finish line.