An Interview with Edward Lynch (R), Congressional Candidate, Florida District 19

By Daria DiGiovanni

Editor’s note: Lynch is running in a Tuesday, Feb. 2 primary. See election story.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Edward Lynch, a federal congressional candidate for Congress in Florida’s District 19. Lynch is running as a Republican in the special election primary scheduled for Tuesday, February 2, against opponents Curt Price and Joe Budd. The Democrat side pits Ted Deutch against Ben Graber. There is also an independent candidate, Jim McCormick, and a write-in, Josue Larose.

As is typical of most primary contests, this race has not been devoid of rampant mudslinging on the part of an opponent – in this case, primary rival Joe Budd, whose accusations of Lynch’s alleged, nefarious business dealings involving the IRS and unpaid contractors were noted by The Palm Beach Post.

I questioned Edward Lynch about these recycled charges involving unpaid tax liens and money owed to five subcontractors, along with his stand on issues directly affecting the voters of District 19, including illegal immigration, offshore drilling and taxes.

Let’s begin by addressing the latest round of attacks by your opponent. What would you like your constituents to know?

“Well first, I’d like to state that the IRS issue is fully addressed on my website, where I’ve rebutted the accusations leveled against me. As I mention on the site, there is an enormous difference between a business that fails due to the fault of the owner, and one that fails because the federal government intentionally reneges on its financial obligations. Under Florida law, a business is not required to pay its subcontractors until they themselves are compensated – something the government has failed to do in my case.

“So I understand what small businesses endure when government fails to live up to its obligations. I know from experience what it is like as a small business owner to deal with the bureaucratic red tape; it’s one of the reasons I’m running for Congress. To put it succinctly, the federal government delayed payment to my company, DeLeon Industries, because I refused to sit idly by and watch the V.A. Medical Center in Miami’s corrupt administration continue to put our veterans’ lives at risk at the expense of taxpayers.

I invite anyone who has valid concerns about this matter to call me directly at my campaign office at (561) 245-8295.

“Having said that, I also believe we should be focusing on real problems – the things that matter to the voters of District 19. Instead of rehashing old accusations, we should be discussing who is the most qualified to represent the people in Washington.”

You’ve acted as a representative for this district in spite of the fact you haven’t officially been elected to office. What is the motivation behind some of the things you’ve done on behalf of the people who live in Florida 19?

“Again, it began with the deplorable conditions and widespread corruption I saw at the V.A., which led to a meeting with my congressman [Democrat Robert Wexler], who was unable to get anything accomplished in terms of helping to rectify the situation. Soon I began bumping into other residents of the district who expressed the same frustration – they were also unable to get any of their concerns resolved through their elected representative.

“That’s when I decided to help out. For example, a while back I was approached by a guy asking for my help in shutting down a travel scam that was taking advantage of seniors. We (the Lynch volunteer team) did the research, determined it was indeed a scam and then got to work. Within two weeks, we shut the company down permanently.

“In another example, I called Probation and Immigration Services about a dangerous guy who was released from jail after only four months, for attempting to kill his wife. This man is here illegally and we are trying to get him deported because he threatens her life daily. This is a classic case of a criminal illegal alien who doesn’t belong in this country. They let him out of jail and as a result, he’s now threatening legal citizens and costing taxpayers money. It’s just insane.”

Speaking of illegal immigration, where do you stand on the issue?

Understanding that half of my family is comprised of Hispanics who all came here legally, I believe we first must secure our borders. This first point is also critical for our national security. While there are many good people who want to come to the United States for a better life, there are also a lot of bad people seeking to exploit our porous borders in order to inflict grave harm on our country. We need to know who they are and what their intentions are; further, we need to allow our intelligence agencies to work together. Let’s not forget that 9/11 was caused in part because of the walls erected between agencies, thus making it impossible for them to share valuable information on suspected terrorists. So securing the borders is job one.

Secondly, we must empty our prisons of all criminal illegal aliens. It’s far less expensive for a one-way ticket back to their home country than it is to house and entertain illegal immigrant prisoners on the backs of hardworking American taxpayers and legal citizens. Why are we doing that? It makes no sense.

Next, we should enforce our existing laws, penalize employers who knowingly hire illegals, and cut off all federal aid to sanctuary cities. On that last point, I would also add that states within which sanctuary cities operate should also be denied federal aid.

Would you have voted for sanctions on Iran as Congress did last December?

“I am all for meaningful sanctions that work; not these willy-nilly things that simply pay lip-service to the idea of sanctions, just to appease the world. All that does is create pity for other rogue nations, instead of setting an example of the serious consequences that will ensue if these regimes continue to threaten international security.”

Should the United States support Israel?

“I believe in a hands-off approach to Israel, meaning we should let them determine how they want to defend their country, and then let the rest of the world know the United States is going to back their decision. Nations seeking to harm Israel would definitely take notice.”

Tell me about your position on domestic drilling.

“I am all for drilling – it’s political, economic and energy suicide not to do it. The number of jobs we could create is absolutely huge; imagine what a real stimulus to the economy that would be. We have a trillion barrels of oil off the west coast of Florida, just waiting to be drilled, and there’s another trillion cubic feet of natural gas off our state’s east coast. Everything we need to help get over our dependence on foreign oil is right here.

“As we proved in August, 2008 when President Bush lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling, an announcement of our intention to drill for our own oil is all that’s needed. I also want to point out that Canada, Mexico and Saudi Arabia comprise our top suppliers of oil. Now I ask you, if Canada and Mexico are in the top three, doesn’t it only make sense that the United States has plenty of its own oil, too?

At a minimum, it’s critical to drill for enough of our own reserves to get rid of Venezuela. I’m proud of the fact that my team was instrumental in getting Citgo removed from the Florida turnpike. We did that by initiating a big campaign that included writing letters to the state and the turnpike authority.

How far offshore should we drill?

“Fifteen miles out is a good starting place. In terms of the safety issue with rigs, I think the experience with Hurricane Katrina put those fears to rest. And as we know, Mother Nature seeps more oil than all spills combined. And while the horizon line is 12 miles out, in one of the county’s hottest tourist destinations – Miami Beach – the fact that a nuclear power plant is visible hasn’t had a negative impact on attracting vacationers.

“Again, we must go where the oil is. I am open to building some bedrooms into the new rigs for the Green Peace guys so they can make sure it’s all done in an environmentally friendly way.”

Let’s talk about so-called healthcare reform. What is your position on that?

“What’s interesting to me about the current healthcare debate is that again – there are free market solutions, yet the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress won’t accept them. Why? What is the real agenda? As Bolshevik leader Lenin once stated, “socialized medicine is the keystone in the arch of a socialized state.” He knew a thing or two about it.

“Obama keeps trying to push an agenda that is not only wildly unpopular with the American people, it hasn’t worked anywhere it’s been tried. Socialized medicine has never succeeded; on the contrary, based on real-life stories we’ve seen out of Canada and other countries, I’d say it has done more harm than good.

“So what should we do? First, I want to make the distinction between health care and health insurance. We have the best healthcare system in the world. Does it need some reform? Absolutely. But the heart of the problem is the affordability of insurance, not the care administered to patients. And there are many ways to reduce costs, beginning with interstate competition.

“Here in Florida, we only have a choice of five out of 1,300 – 1,600 insurance companies nationally. Further, in our state alone there are 52 mandates for services you’ll never use, e.g. prostrate exams for women, acupuncture, and drug and alcohol counseling. And while I am not opposed to any of these things on their merits, I believe insurance plans should be tailored to meet the needs of the individual. If you can personalize a plan that works for you, your costs will come down. People would then have the option to supplement their coverage with a low-cost catastrophic policy that would cover them in the event of an unforeseen calamity, such as a cancer diagnosis or an auto accident.

“I also support tort reform because the cost of frivolous lawsuits also contributes to the high cost of health insurance. In terms of illegal immigrants, the humane thing to do is to treat people when they show up at the emergency room, and send them back to their country once they are fully recuperated.

“These are very simple solutions that would make a dramatic and welcome impact. And they are exactly the solutions I will fight for in Washington.”

How would you “stimulate” the economy?

“Because small business is the engine of our economy, I would start by declaring a two-year moratorium on corporate taxes that would allow companies to grow, expand and hire more employees. I would also impose a five-year moratorium on the capital gains tax, which would encourage investment and provide an immediate boost to the economy. This in turn would benefit the ancillary small businesses in the surrounding areas, such as grocery stores, malls and shopping centers. It’s a win-win for big and small businesses, and American workers.

“We hear a lot of complaints about jobs being outsourced. But when you impose the second-highest corporate taxes of any other nation on the planet, it only makes sense for companies to seek opportunities in more business-friendly countries. We need to change that.

“I would also like mention the negative influence of unions. For the first time in our history, 51.5% of union workers are on the government payroll. There was a time when unions were necessary to protect workers from abusive employers. Unfortunately, we’ve gone from union abuse to union-based employee abuse because once again, the government got too involved.

“Ford – a company that refused to take the bailout – is doing well. Apple, another private company, just saw a 50% increase in net revenues in the midst of a recession. That is huge, and another indication that the free market works when the government acknowledges its rightful place and gets out of the way.

Lastly, what would you say to Hugo Chavez and even some Americans who have accused the United States of “occupying” Haiti?

“All I can say from my own recent experience in Haiti, is that I am incredibly proud of the American people and our military. It was awe-inspiring to witness such an outpouring of help, including American soldiers acting as air-traffic controllers, and C-130s arriving with supplies to aid the victims, while simultaneously acting as the vehicle to transport legal Haitians back to the United States. It reconfirmed the things I’ve always believed about the resiliency of the human spirit, and the generosity of Americans.

“The Haitians greeted us warmly, knowing instinctively we were there to help. And the trip was illustrative for me as I realized that though we’ve sent billions of dollars to Haiti since 1993, very little – if any – has actually gotten to the people who need it. This demonstrates what happens when government is in control of everything, and it should serve as a warning for all of us.

“Another amazing thing I noticed amid all of the destruction was that the American Embassy remained completely unscathed and inexplicably lit-up, in spite of the fact that the rest of the country was mostly enveloped in darkness. I saw that as a metaphor of America as the shining city on a hill, the one beacon of hope in the midst of utter devastation. And I think the long lines of Haitians I witnessed waiting to get into the embassy in order to begin the process of immigrating to the United States, proves they feel the same way, too. As for dictators like Hugo Chavez, let’s remember this is the same man who shut down a television station in his own country for daring to disagree with him. That tells us a lot about his motivation and character.”

The primary is set for February 2. When is the special election?

The special election takes place on April 13. It had been originally scheduled for April 6, but when we realized that date interfered with the celebration of Passover, we asked Governor Charlie Crist to change it. It was important to my campaign to give voters the opportunity to get to the polls without having it conflict with their religious observances.

How can people get in touch with your campaign office?

We can be reached at (561) 245-8295. Our office is located at US 1 and Jeffery Street, in Boca Raton, in the same center as The Duck. I invite anyone who is interested to either call us or stop by. We’d love to meet you and address any concerns you may have.  http://www.electlynch.com/

Related posts:

1. Congressional candidate Lynch disputes Deutch endorsement
2. Deutch wins primary in landslide; Lynch declares victory, but facing possible recount
3. 12 questions for District 19 candidates; election Tuesday
4. Deutch wins congressional seat
5. Early voting starts today in primary to replace Wexler in Congress

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