Democrat Ron Barber’s campaign lays out the case against Republican Jesse Kelly in the special election to complete Gabrielle Giffords’ term in Southern Arizona’s Congressional District 8:
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Jennifer Cox, Ron Barber for Congress
DATE: Thursday, April 19, 2012
RE: Jesse Kelly – Hostile to Seniors and Wrong For the Middle Class
Jesse Kelly’s Tea Party agenda is wrong for middle class Southern Arizona families and hostile to seniors. Everyone agrees we must cut spending and reduce the deficit but it has to be done the right way — not on the backs of seniors and the middle class. Kelly would cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, while eliminating Medicare and Social Security, raising taxes on the middle class and getting rid of the minimum wage.
Middle class and senior voters rejected Jesse Kelly in his 2010 race for Congress, even in one of the best years for Republican candidates in a generation. Voters will reject Kelly again in the June special election.
Even former 8th district Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe knows it. He said that Kelly’s nomination “would assure that a Democrat would win the seat” because “he’s out of touch with the district. It’s a very moderate district.” [Governing Blog, 2/07/12]
Hostile to Seniors. Even with 933,435 Arizona families depending on Medicare and 753,962 seniors depending on Social Security, Jesse Kelly would eliminate them both. Kelly is more extreme than the current leadership in Congress whose budget would double health care costs for seniors; Kelly said he would like to eliminate Medicare and make seniors entirely responsible for their own health care and he would “love to” eliminate Social Security. He’s compared both to Ponzi schemes and said they should be phased out and privatized.
Would Work Towards Eliminating Medicare. The Tucson Weekly asked Jesse Kelly if he would look to eliminate Medicare over time so that people would be responsible for their own health care over time. Kelly responded, “Yes.” [Tucson Weekly, 12/02/09]
Would Love to Eliminate Social Security. Kelly told the Tucson Weekly that he would love to eliminate Social Security. He said of Social Security, “I would love to eliminate the program. I’d love to take steps to let people opt in and opt out of it. Privatize it.” [Tucson Weekly, 12/02/09]
Social Security and Medicare are Ponzi Schemes that Should Be Privatized and Phased Out. In a 2010 debate, Kelly talked about Social Security and Medicare and said, “It’s the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. […] Right now, you have to take steps to reform it, to privatize it, to phase it out. […] It’s not an option of ‘should it be done?’ It must be done.” [Arizona Illustrated Debate, 46:39, 7/30/10]
Supported 2010 Ryan Roadmap which Would Privatize Social Security. In 2010, Kelly stated his support for the 2010 Ryan Roadmap: “‘…Rep. Paul Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future has excellent ideas for reforming and strengthening Social Security,’ stated Kelly.” The non partisan Congressional Budget Office found that under the Ryan budget, “Traditional retirement benefits would be reduced below those scheduled under current law for many workers who are age 55 or younger in 2011” [Arizona Daily Star, 8/03/10; Congressional Budget Office, 1/27/10]
Wrong Priorities for the Middle Class. In these tough economic times, Jesse Kelly’s tax plan would create a 23% spending tax on all American families – from gas to groceries, rent to medicine to doctor’s visits. Kelly would eliminate the minimum wage, forcing some people to work a 40-hour week and still suffer in poverty, and even block any unemployment benefits for Arizona families laid off in the recession.
Supports 23% Tax Increase on Middle Class Families. Kelly supports the creation of a national sales tax of 23% that would apply to nearly everything a middle class family buys, from food and gas to prescription drugs while giving huge tax cut for millionaires and eliminating taxes for corporations. Supporters of this proposal have labeled it ‘the Fair Tax.” During an appearance on the Jon Justice show, Kelly said, “As far as the Fair Tax goes, I would support the Fair Tax, would sign on as a sponsor immediately to the Fair Tax. […] the Fair Tax has my support one hundred percent.” [Jon Justice Show, 22:55, 7/09/10]
Supported Eliminating the Minimum Wage. In January 2010, Kelly endorsed eliminating the minimum wage. He said, “We must take steps to lower and eventually eliminate the minimum wage […].” [Kelly Footage, 1/07/10]
Opposed Any Extension of Unemployment Benefits, Even in a Recession. At an April 2012 Republican debate in Green Valley, Kelly said, “Well, the simple answer to your question is: no. I would not support an extension of the unemployment benefits in any way.” [Kelly Footage, 4/12/12]
Dishonest About a Path to Energy Independence. Even when Kelly identifies the right problem—that middle class families are under unnecessary pressure from rising gas prices, he doesn’t have a real solution. Even his primary opponent Martha McSally called him out on it. When Kelly said that the US has “significantly” more oil than the US, McSally said, “Jesse, we don’t have more oil than Saudi Arabia…We don’t have those technologies yet. So maybe you should use your GI Bill to go back to college and get a geology degree, and you could help with that.” [Tucson Weekly, 3/22/12; Tucson Weekly, 4/13/12]
Protect the Ultra Rich. While Kelly would pull the rug out from under Arizona seniors and leaves the middle class out in the cold, big corporations and millionaires would reap big rewards from Jesse Kelly in Congress. He would extend more tax breaks to the ultra rich, cut their taxes below what their employees make and make big corporations pay zero in taxes – putting all the burden on the middle class.Would Extend More Tax Cuts to the Wealthiest Americans. In August 2010, Kelly said he would not allow the Bush tax cuts to expire at the end of 2011. [Green Valley News & Sun, 8/18/10]
Called for Lower Taxes for the Top 10%. In April 2010 at the UA Republican Club Debate, Kelly called for lower taxes for the top 10% in the country, arguing they already pay most of the tax burden. [UA Republican Club Debate, 4/08/10]
Zero Taxes for Corporations. At the Saddlebrooke candidate forum in January 2010, Kelly said, “The corporate tax rate should be zero. […] We must get the corporate tax rate to zero.” [Saddlebrooke Republican Club Debate, 1/07/10]
Southern Arizona’s middle class families are struggling and times are tough. At a time when families and seniors are focused on kitchen table concerns like paying for groceries, medicine, and other expenses, they need a leader who will put Southern Arizona seniors and families first.
This article appears in Apr 19-25, 2012.
So Jennifer, what is Barber running on? Increasing the debt to $25 Trillion? More Obamacare? More Food Stamps? Never ending unemployment payments? Open borders? Foreign policy that makes the US the laughing stick of the world? Tax the rich so that every one can be poor except the government class? Cloward-Piven? Let every illegal vote?
That is the road plan that Gabby handed him. Why should the voters expect anything different from a 31 year veteran of government service? CD8 deserves better and Jesse delivers just that.
tl;dr
With Jesse Kelly well into his second run for Congress in a district that has been very well served by Jim Kolbe and Gabrielle Giffords, he has yet to state, much less demonstrate, how he would serve the everyday needs of the varied constituency of the district. Having spent the brief interim between campaigns working locally for an extremely conservative not for profit organization as development officer and co-host of a talk radio show, then going off to Texas to work for his father’s construction company, he has done little to increase the depth of his understanding of local needs or of the socio-economic and political life of the country beyond the campaign trail. Quieter now and less boisterous (so far) than in 2010, he still speaks in sound bytes which relate marginally to the complex issues of economy, energy, immigration, taxation or foreign policy. To elect a person who may have to learn on the job is one thing. To elect a person who seems to have no desire, perhaps even no capacity to learn is quite another. And such a person is Jesse Kelly.
“Foreign policy that makes the US the laughing stick of the world”
Laughing stick. That’s the best. My favorite Teapartyism of all time. I need to get me one a dem.
Gabby wants 25 trillion debt? Never ending unemployment payments? Open borders?
you wingnuts don’t even make any pretense about telling the truth anymore- it really is tough to try to have a national or statewide conversation on the issues when one side just makes up their own reality out of thin air…
Who? Jessie Kelly? Oh, isn’t he the guy whose campaign staff members were telling seniors that they were not “authorized to volunteer” in his campaign. I’ve heard several of the older generation complaining about the manner in which their offers were rejected.
I don’t know about Barber yet, but Kelly is clearly not smart enough to lead. We need people of integrity who are above average. I don’t see either in him.
I agree with scooper because he’s the only person here who’s not a progressive socialist…wow this Tucson is one liberal hot bed…..Putin would feel right at home …
Tucson has been a hot bed of liberalism for many years. Gabby was one of a kind. She was able to think for herself and knew when to follow the dictates of the party and when to stand up for what she believed. Unfortunately, Barber is a political hack who will do as he is told. I don’t know that much about Kelly, but I would prefer not to see a hack after Gabby. That’s how we got into this mess.
Duke “the Dude” Kelly,way to extreme even for Arizona! Give me guns, give me liberty! The rest of you all can go to the “Lake of Fire” Ha,Ha,yup,yup!
Even scumbags such as Kelly were permitted to serve in our Military! My….My… My…. How our “Standards” for serving has become so low………………
But,of course,its so mighty of them ! I love sipping Tea,but Jack Daniel,makes me mighty along with the good book! Which gives me permission to be God. Kellys Kingdom on earth as it is in _______?
Beware of the Blue donkey’s Kick ! He Ha He Ha ! Hey,look over there,do you see the Big red elephant running away!
The Truth is: Hey! I am proud to be American ! I come from a military family. I am a 9th generation mexican-american. I have roots in Arizona,goes back to early 1800’s. What brothers me,how the extreme,way of thinking especially in Arizona,even for the Gop ! I suppose you can blame a certain type of race of people! My America is Fair,for justice,liberty,under one nation under God ! So,lets take back Arizona ! Back to the way of compromise,Demo,Gop ! I am getting tried of hearing Arizona is a Hate state and laughing stock of the world! I am talking to all the Arizona people that will hear me! Unity! Solidarity! Respect and compassion !
Kelly? What a joke this guy is.
Interesting, did anyone go to the Kelly campaign office. Several seniors were volunteering there. I can’t begin to tell you how many times, I heard Jesse Kelly state that: ” Those who paid into Social Security need to be protected”. Where are these people getting their information? Even two years ago on his ad he stated save Social Security for those who have paid into it. Apparently some people have not only trouble hearing but also reading. You can’t take what someone says and move it around to suit your interest out of context. I would presume an intelligent person could figure that out. Seniors are smart enough to see a SCARE TACTIC when they are presented with one.
Kelly’s grand solution to every problem is to give the rich more tax breaks and let the poor suffer – and the hell with affordable education, health care, and rebuilding our infrastructure. The facts are that when Presidents Reagan and Bush set forth huge tax breaks for the rich, both the government (run by a radical Republican) and the middle class went into a severe and painful debt. Radicals like Kelly say that we are too poor and that these things are out of our reach. Poor U.S.A! The facts are that the United States is the richest country in the world, but that those riches have not made it into the hands of the middle class for more than thirty years, now. Ever since Reagan’s huge tax cuts, the average American has grown poorer and poorer, and the ultra-rich have seen their wealth grow phenomenally. The rich then go play with all their extra cash making bets on wall street – building up the next bubble and the next crash. When will we ever brighten up to this absurdity? Kelly supports getting rid of minimum wage altogether; he has said in the past that he would love to end Social Security and turn Medicare into a pitiful washed down voucher as proposed by Ryan. The elderly would not have enough money in this voucher to get an expensive procedure done in a hospital – so I suppose they would say we’ll just have to let them suffer too. These schemes are truly sociopathic. They want to bring our country back into the times of the gilded age – to an oligarchy which is like socialism for the wealthy. Our country would be so much better off if the ultra-rich just paid a much more generous amount in taxes and they quit putting tons of money into the hands of lobbyists and politicians. Many years ago, there were laws that would shut corporations down if they were caught giving money to politicians to get things done their way. Corporations are not people, and money is not speech…. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”