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| Vote Joseph Oddo Congress, 11th District November 2, 2004 Independent Green |
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| We want to hear from you - let your voice be heard in Washington. E-mail us the messages you want addressed in 2004! |
| Make your vote count on November 2, 2004. E-mail five friends to vote in our District. Encourage them to e-mail five more. To help us offset campaign expenses, send any amount to ensure that everybody has an equal voice in taking their message to Washington Mail to: Vote Oddo PO BOX 3077 FAIRFAX VA 22038-3077 |
| Here is the legislative agenda we - the voters of this district - will be presenting to the House chamber in January 2005: 1. Federal Budget: Every federal government private contract, and every full-time employee of the government should be reviewed to eliminate unnecessary programs and duplication from overlapping positions. Making the tough decisions to cut the $1.5 trillion dollars from an already bloated federal bureaucracy. That also means choosing logical, progressive programs over the traditional pork-barrel politics that takes care of the good ol' boys who donate to the campaign warchests. 2. Sustainability - The Washington establishment believes that "economic growth" is an inherently good idea, even if it is a matter of diminishing returns in terms of the way we exploit environmental resources. 3. Endorse public transportation projects that offer alternatives to the fossil-fuel dependency that currently drives us via cars and buses. 4. Allow more citizen input to making the roads safer and reducing aggressive drivers. The speed limit in the "fast" lanes on our highways should be 10 mph faster, which would force slower traffic to a much safer position. 5. Election reform for clean and fair elections will require instant run-off voting, 6. Make it easier for citizens that want to seek elected office to get on the ballot. Also, include the party of those running on the ballots state-wide. 7. Repeal the 16th Amendment of the Constitution and eliminate the ability of the federal government to take four months of our hard-earned pay every year. 8. Limit House terms to 8 years and Senate Terms to 12. For additional commentary and analysis from this Independent campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives go the the website listed below: |
| Joseph Oddo, former Internet Sales Manager at Ted Britt Ford in Fairfax, is making his third run for public office in Virginia. This time he is running for Congress representing the 11th District currently served by Tom Davis. Qualifications: Mr Oddo has been an activist on and off for 20 plus years. Currently he is on the steering committee for the Virginia Bill of Rights Coalition working to pass state and county resolutions addressing the USA PATRIOT Act. He is web developer for that group and for Kent Mesplay, Green Party Presidential candidate from California. Last year he served as District Director for the Americans for Fair Taxation, the grassroots organization endorsing the FairTax. He has a Public Policy degree from Penn State. As an Independent agrees with some of each political parties' issues, taken apart there is very little difference to the two-party, big media controlled agenda that exists in today's state houses. The small number of qualified voters that bother to cast a ballot plays into the hands of the elite ruling class minority - a class of wealthy who will do anything to protect their way of living at the expense of the poor, the uninsured and the middle class. Limited Government: There was a time when Mr. Oddo agreed with some Republican principles such as keeping government out of our lives.But with the USA PATRIOT Act in full force, the intrusions increase. Some intrusion into our businesses and private lives can be reduced by eliminating the IRS. He supports the FairTax because our failed tax code must be corrected. It represents taxation without comprehension. Compliance alone costs our economy over $250 billion annually. Even tax accountants support it, and are more than ready to participate in the productive work of financial planning. On Campaign Reform: Mr. Oddo does not buy into the premise that corporations and the rich should finance and sponsor candidates. He does not want to be in anyone's pocket, and is compelled to introduce legislation that will benefit the interests of all of our diverse community, not just the affluent special interests. There are many other issues that need addressed rationally and without the influence of special interests. Unfortunately modern government is manipulated by big corporations, and favorable legislation is routinely drafted that supports corporate skirting of the rules. Take a look at the over-lawyered, banker friendly House and Senate that exists in every state. Individuals who are in tough economic times currently get nailed with an average of $35 in late fees for missing a credit card payment. Combine that with exorbitant rates, and our credit happy citizens will be enslaved to debt indefinitely. Combine some fairness from the banks with the opportunity for workers to take home a whole paycheck, these and many other consumer burdens can be erased. Incumbents like Davis often run unopposed with a warchest of corporate PAC money. These are the only groups opposed Trial-lawyers in this lawsuit happy nation are the one's benefiting from laws predominately written by their peers. The good of our citizens and our environment are routinely sabotaged to settle a political score. This practice must be stopped! On the Blood for Oil War: The current administration is clearly aligned with the oil companies who are enjoying record profits. It is not the profits we oppose, since that is what American capitalism thrives on, but they should not be achieved at the expense of our fragile global environment. In the last thirty years, the shift in corporate control has gone from owners (investors) to management. Oversight has become more difficult with the sheer size of multinational corporations as we have seen from Enron and WorldCom. These same corporate barons then get positions in the government to promote their growing multi-global profiteering. Going after oil-rich countries like Iraq to serve our corporate barons is a blatant misuse of power as we see from the alleged kickbacks and no-bid contracts awarded to Dick Cheney's former company Halliburton. These policies will backfire on us. Our arrogance to control the world's resources, to choose which so-called humanitarian missions to undertake (the plight of Rawanda and the rest of Africa is totally disregarded unless their is oil to be drawn) will create a “blowback” of more terrorists determined to strike American hegemony all over the world. We are already perceived as Imperialists. There was no other reason for Bush to pursue regime change in Iraq other than total control of the Middle East resources. On Education: The Democrats have been in control of the nations urban areas for 60 years. Isn't it time we realized their methods of education have failed; their pouring money at all the social ills, has failed; that the liberal media controls the discourse and distorts the real record of the dysfunction of our two party system. We need to adopt school choice, allow more liberal rules on homschooling and ensure that those in the economically depressed regions of the country to get equal funding for their public schools. On term limits: Mr. Oddo believes in term limits and is committed to only serving 8 years. Legislators like Tom Davis who signed the Contract with America promising term limits never live up to those promises. He loses his ambition to draft legislation, and answers only to the concerns of his biggest corporate donors, regardless of the common citizen's best interest. On public participation: We want your voice - the voice of the citizens - to be heard. We seek and greatly appreciate any input from you. With the Internet, we should never be out of touch. You are choosing an elected representative to endorse your views, so please tell us how you want the work in Washington to be conducted. E-mail me now. What you can do: Our stand on many of the issues will be unpopular with the current incumbents who barely get tested once they hold the position. Those who do not respond to the wishes of their constituents should be replaced. Send this link to five friends in the district and tell them of the unique opportunity to actually have your voice heard. |
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| Paid for by Oddo for Congress Exploratory Committee |