Citizen Tom

Keith Fimian

This morning I combined the pleasure of breakfast and hearing Keith Fimian explain why he wants to be our next congressman.  This breakfast was an informal affair at Kilroy’s in the Featherstone Shopping Center in Woodbridge (14633 Jefferson Davis Highway).  Since the restaurant and staff did a nice job, here is a plug.

BTW – If you like a good story, read the Kilroy story (here).

The banquet room was appropriate; its walls were lined with the portraits of our past presidents and other patriots.  Each portrait included interesting observations.  Early arrivals, such as myself, either chatted with each other or wandered the room looking at the pictures. 

Then the meal began.  Each of us filled our plate with bacon, sausage, eggs, fried potatoes, fruit, and so forth.  The room slowly filled with 30-40 people.  We ate, waited for the candidate, and discussed politics.

Lyle Beefelt, Chairman of the Prince William County Republican Committee (PWCGOP), initiated the meeting by leading us in prayer.  Ruth Anderson, the Secretary for the PWCGOP, served as the MC.  She asked a senior citizen, a legal immigrant, to lead us the Pledge of Allegiance.  Next, with notable enthusiam, Amy Frederick (Jeff Frederick’s lovely lady) introduced Keith Fimian.  The Fredericks share the duties of campaigning.  She explained that Jeff was at home watching the children.   Then she provided some biography on Fimian (That is also available here).

Finally, the candidate started speaking.  As he began, it became apparent that over the last several months Fimian has become more polished and focused campaigner.  He concentrated on these points.

• Why he wants the job.  He is running for public office for the sake of his children.  He wants them to have a country like the one he grew up in.  When Congressman Tom Davis announced he was giving up his seat, Fimian prayed about it.  Then he decided to run.  Fimian noted that he submitted the paperwork on 51st birthday, not 31st birthday.  His campaign is not about his personal ambition.
• He spoke about David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from 1998 to 2008.  Walker resigned from the office to warn Americans of the need to put their fiscal house in order (See here, here, and here for new articles.   Here is a video.).  As a CPA, Fimian understands budget numbers.  We are 52.5 trillion dollars in debt.  Continued deficit spending is unsustainable.  He says the solution is to cut taxes and spending.  We must allow the economy to grow.  He gave an example.  During a five-year period correponding to the recent boom, the growth of the American economy was as large as the entire Chinese economy.
• He took the PDA on his hip and held it up.  He contrasted it with the gigantic computers Americans first used for business and government.  These machines once took up entire buildings yet they were not nearly as powerful.  When our economy is unburdened by high taxes and unnecessary government regulation, American technology development is unrivialed.  Once we worried about the Japanese catching up by improving our products, but the Japanese have trouble keeping up with the rate we produce new products.
• Fimian also spoke about our energy problem.  He said his primary concern is the 700 billion dollars we are sending to unfriendly regimes every year.  We must become energy independent.  Because we cannot switch from petroleum immediately, he supports off shore drilling for oil.  He also supports the development of alternative energy alternatives.  In particular, he believes nanotechnology holds the promise of cheap and efficient solar power. 

During the question and answer period, Fimian added the following:

• He strongly supports securing the border.  He expressed disgust over the fact we have illegal immigrants with repeated convictions in our jails.  He stands behind the English language requirement for new immigrants.  Except for their children, he also made it clear that he does not have an excess of sympathy for illegal immigrants.  What we should do about illegal immigrants is ”our decision” (Author’s note:  From that I took it to mean that he will support whatever he thinks is best for our country.).  Because he does not believe that it would be good for our economy to send all illegal immigrants back to their home country, he supports allowing those with clean records and jobs to stay.  Nonetheless, Fimian is in no hurry to make citizens of illegal immigrants.  Before they become new citizens, they must go to the back of the line. 
• When asked about national defense, he provided a straightforward answer.  We must have a military second to none.

During the Q&A, a couple of notables added their own observations.  Supervisor Marty Nohe spoke in support of Fimian.  He says he knows both Gerry Connolly and Keith Fimian.   He believes that the more voters get a chance to know Fimian, the more they will like him.  Lyle Beefelt made this observation.  When he first heard Fimian’s campaign speeches, he observed right away that Fimian is not a professional politican.  However, there was something else different about him that he could not figure out.  Then it occurred to him.  Fimian does not go around promising people things.  He just says where stands on the issues.

Author’s note:  Keith Fimian is not trying to buy our votes with our own money.  He is trying to do something we might find more profitable.  He is proposing to tax us less and spend less of our money.