Tuesday, April 1, 2008

From the Claremont Eagle-Times


Bosse Running for 2nd Congressional District
By Kyle Jarvis
Staff Writer

Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Grant Bosse is seeking elected office for the first time based on what he sees as a need more less interference in people’s private and business lives.
The 35-year-old from Hillsboro dropped by the Eagle Times office Thursday to talk campaign issues, and the first issue on his mind is government meddling.
“In the last five years, I’ve seen Republicans in Congress alienate their constituents by making back room deals,” he said. “And the Democrats as well. They’ve created a trick or two in the process.”
Bosse said he feels “people make the best decisions when the make them for themselves,” and that includes government.
“If the local government is capable of making a decision, I feel they should do that. If the state government can do it, they should. If a family can make a decision in their own house for themselves and their own family, they should be able to do that. I don’t think we need to federal government to be able to tell us what to do all the time.”
The economy would be in much better shape, too, said Bosse, if there wasn’t so much overtaxation and overspending (“which are essentially the same thing,” he noted. )
“I don’t think it’s right to punish people because they had a little success with their business,” he said.
Another sticking point for Bosse is the Second Amendment.
“People have to realize the founding fathers weren’t talking about hunting when they wrote that amendment,” he said. “They were worried about an unchecked government. I’m glad we’re not even close to that point, and I hope we never are. But the first step for a dictatorship is to disarm the citizens.”
Bosse said he hopes the Supreme Court upholds the Constitution regarding the current District of Columbia handgun ban case, but that the responsibility falls on the Legislature also.
When asked which issues might have the most impact on Sullivan County during his potential tenure, Bosse answered without hesitation.
“The economy is definitely number one,” he said. “The stimulus package is a good idea, but I don’t think it’s enough. It’s nice of the federal government to loan us our own money for a year,” referring to reports that cashing your stimulus check this year could mean paying for it in next year’s taxes. “But in the end, it’s all our money. Good idea, but it won’t revive our economy.”
So how would we revive the economy?
“Education is key,” he acknowledged. “We need an educated work force. I was over at Ruger earlier. They’re hiring right now, but they’re having a hard time finding people with the proper math and engineering skill sets those jobs require.”
Bosse also wants a market-based approach to deal with energy concerns.
“I think we need to end the ethanol boondoggle,” he said. “If it’s better for the environment, great. Let the market decide. But don’t mandate it. I happen to think it’s worse for the economy, because it drive up the prices of other foods when faremrs don’t have enough room for their other crops.”
The Dartmouth College graduate and farmer Sen. John Sununu staff member also has lots of thoughts to offer on foreign policy, including the war in the Mideast and the immigration crisis.
“People are fed up that Congress has continued to ignore the immigration problem in America,” he said. “Congressman Hodes (Bosse’s Democratic and incumbent rival) voted against funding for the fence. I think that sends the wrong message. The fence shows we’re serious.”
As for the war on terror, Bosse said it’s all about winning.
“It’s taken too long, and we waited too long to change our strategy,” he admits. “But we have changed it, and it’s working. It would be disastrous to pull our troops out now. Hodes first said we should bring everyone home immediately, but now he’s saying ‘the Iraqis need to step up to the plate’ before we do that.’ I believe we’re making Iraq a better place and making the world a safer place.”

No comments: