Larry Ishmael

Economic Policies
Responsible fiscal policy is a bedrock principle of the Republican Party and in the shadow of staggering national debt, Congress needs to be far more responsible. Our Congress has leveraged our grandchildren's future to pay for pork barrel projects today. I will work to return Congress to the days of controlled spending and conservative fiscal responsibility so that the value of the US Dollar is kept strong. Continued deficit spending has caused the international monetary markets to lose faith in the dollar, and that, more than any other single factor, is why the price of oil has skyrocketed over the past few months. Instead of blaming the big oil companies, Congress needs to look in the mirror and understand that they are the underlying cause of our current economic woes.

However, the private sector needs to accept blame as well for a severe lack of ethics in conducting its business in some major cases, such as the sub-prime mortgage crisis. We need to hold these CEOs accountable for ridiculously high salaries and bonuses even when their companies produce huge losses, and we need to get all CEOs to sign the Deontological Oath as prescribed by many graduate school of business. This oath states:

'''AS A MANAGER of a corporation, an advisor or an entrepreneur, I pledge to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, the following covenant:

(1)I will safeguard the interests of the enterprise's financial claimants and will strive to create endurable shareholder value. (2)I will utilize natural resources in an efficient, sustainable way, thus ensuring the rights of future generations to enjoy a clean and resourceful planet. (3)I will respect the rights and dignity of the individuals working for the enterprise, as well as the people that may be affected by its activities. (4)In meeting my commitments with my clients, suppliers and allies, I will engage in honest and transparent transactions, respecting their rights and standing up to my promises. (5)I will remember that I remain a member of society, and that, as a manager, advisor or entrepreneur, my actions may have great impact on the well-being of others. I will ensure that the operation of the enterprise contributes to the creation of wealth and progress for society at large. I will assume the responsibility for my acts in the execution of my duties and will respond to society for them. (6)If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art and personal success. May I be respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of business and may I long experience the joy of helping improve the lives of my fellow human beings.'Italic text''

The first thing I learned in Econ 101 was that a business or institution must generate at least as much revenue as it spends. That has been reinforced through graduate business school where I earned my MBA, and in the succeeding 33 years of my career. Families cannot afford to operate at a continual deficit or they go bankrupt, and someone needs to show Congress that raiding the Social Security and highway funds cannot continue indefinitely without long term consequences. Eventually, the US government will go bankrupt as well if we don't start implementing a requirement for a balanced budget as our own state does.

As a Baby Boomer, I'm fully aware that the reality of our problems with Social Security and Health Care are becoming overwhelming and pressing. We need to fund Social Security and provide affordable health care to all Americans by enacting responsible legislation in the Congress, and that is my pledge to you.

As your Congressman, I will work tirelessly to balance the national budget. The underlying fundamental secret to reducing our high tax burden is to reduce the size of government. For the last 17 years I have been helping governments reduce the size of their government infrastructure, making it more efficient and increasing revenues. It isn't rocket science, it just takes a politician willing to stand up for what is right rather than what it takes to get re-elected.

Foreign Policy

I have lived on 4 continents, worked in over 125 countries, speak 3 languages fluently, and hold an MBA in Developmental Economics. I have worked with foreign heads of state in numerous countries, as well as with their federal ministers and parliaments. With that background I have twice as much experience in the realm of foreign policy as any other sitting member of Congress.

We live in an interconnected world that requires us to participate responsibly in global politics. The first step in regaining our status in the world is to rid ourselves of dependence on foreign oil. Only once we have accomplished that can we establish a rational foreign policy. The world's dependence on OPEC countries to provide for our fossil fuel needs has caused major competition for these supplies pitting country vs. country. By being responsible consumers of energy and observing some pretty simple tasks we can help reduce our consumption of energy. The increased use of atomic energy is the fastest and most environmentally conscious way of achieving energy independence. The development of alternative fuel sources should also be used, but only by taking a holistic approach. We cannot create competition between bio-fuels and food sources or we drive the price of each up to the high prices we are experiencing today for both.

In a world where what happens today in America affects the stock market in India or the Kyrgyz Republic or Honduras tomorrow (or vice versa), my level of experience should be mandatory for candidates running for the US Congress. I have hosted meetings of Latin American dignitaries to look for solutions to global climate change and public health consequences caused by vehicle emissions. In October 2005 I gave a presentation at the AIDIS conference in Buenos Aires in Spanish and Portuguese to foreign Ministers of the Environment on that subject.

As we face a world that is tending towards regionalization, the necessity for us to work closely with our partners in Latin America and Canada becomes more important. We need to expand our trade agreements to include membership in CAFTA as well as MERCOSUR and to bolster our political ties with all Latin American countries.

Finally, General Kyle Barton Yount, once stated that, "borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers." Although this is true for most things, our gluttonous demand for petroleum products has dictated our foreign policy as regards OPEC countries. If we are to win the war on global terror we need to reduce our consumption of foreign oil and become energy independent. Less energy dependence means more political freedom to run a coherent foreign policy. That should be the focus of every household in America, and that should be the focus of our elected officials.

== Environmental Issues ==

We are extremely fortunate to live in the beauty of the Puget Sound region. We have the mountains, the Sound, and the most beautiful urban, suburban and rural areas in the country. Because we are so blessed with this beauty we feel more responsible than most to maintain it's pristine nature.

It is our duty and obligation to preserve and protect our environment by implementing responsible and holistic environmental policies. It is also incumbent upon us as individuals to do everything we can to reduce our polluting footprint upon this area. Government policy alone cannot solve the issue, but responsible citizens working hand in glove with the government and private enterprise CAN clean up the Puget Sound region. These policies cannot value one area of the environment over the other, and we humans should also be part of the equation when addressing the environment.

Too often politicians and so called "environmental" groups use the environment as cover for personal political gain or blatant obstructionism. If we are to address the tough environmental issues of our day, we need to address pollution with a holistic approach rather than in politically expedient "sounds bites." For example, we must realize that our environment here in the Puget Sound region is connected to the rest of the world. Pollution in our oceans is carried by currents to and from our shores, and pollution in our air is carried by the jet stream to and from us as well. These solutions must address the problems in a global way that includes both developed and underdeveloped countries (the Kyoto Protocol only addresses developed nations and our air pollution is largely coming from China, an underdeveloped nation).

One example would be vehicle emissions. So much political effort has been put into global warming and carbon emissions that the actual toxins in these emissions (typically not traditional greenhouse gases) are not being addressed. The cardio-pulmonary damage done to our citizens by industrial and vehicle emissions costs millions of lives per year around the globe. My São Paulo Clean Air Project, the largest such project in the world, is saving 850 lives in the first year alone, and no amount of carbon credits can offset even one life.

There is a perfect balance between man and nature, but we have to seek it with an open mind, think outside of the box, and create solutions that address the entire problem, not just one aspect of it. As a member of the Creek Indian tribe, I respect the wisdom of our Native American fore-fathers, and Chief Seattle of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes said it best in his speech of 1854, " "This we know: All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

Bio
Before running for Congress, Ishmael worked as a developmental economist for several decades.

Age: 56 Wife & Family: Susan is a teacher (married for over 33 years) and 3 Sons, Clay (30) is married to Erin, Greg (28) is married to Jennifer (lives in Burkina-Faso), and Reese (22) College: B.A. in Economics and Spanish from the University of Oklahoma; MBA (emphasis in Developmental Economics), Thunderbird School of Global Management Languages Spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Board Directorships: Director and Former President of Local School Board Advisory Board of Overlake Hospital Chairman of the Board for his Local Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for Envirotest Comercio e Participacoes,SA. Board of Directors for Envirotest do Brasil S.A. Board of Directors for Remote Sensing do Brasil Ltda. Former Director of Pine Lake Christian and Missionary Alliance Church Former Board of Directors for Equipment Manufacturers' Institute Former Vice Chairman of the Board of Issaquah Ski Council Former Chairman of the Board for a Child Care Center Professional: Author of Various Published Articles on Latin American Business PSIA Certified Ski Instructor - Crystal Mountain Ski School Alpine Ski & Snowboard Race Course Official, 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah Citizen - Muscogee Nation (Creek Indian Tribe) Member - Rotary Club International Favorite Book: The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone Favorite Quote: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 'Treatise on Commitment'

2008 elections
Ishmael won the Republican nomination to challenge Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) in the 2008 congressional elections.

Committees
Ishmael will be assigned committees if and when he is elected to Congress, but his strength and experience lie in the areas of foreign policy, economic policy, and energy.

Contact
David Kinison, Campaign Consultant

Campaign Contact Information
Official Ishmael for Congress Website Larry Ishmael for Congress 218 Main Street, Suite 500 Kirkland, WA 98033 425-896-8499

Related SourceWatch articles

 * 2008 U.S. congressional elections
 * 2008 U.S. congressional election dates
 * Portal:Washington State and the U.S. Congress

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on Washington's 1st Congressional District
 * Official Ishmael for Congress Website