On Term Limits

Candidate Lyle Larson on Term Limits

At nearly every campaign event I attend, voters express their frustration and disgust with Congress’s wasteful spending and inability to address issues. Many voters are looking for a way to end the political stalemate. My campaign’s answer to this problem is term limits.
 
I advocate for the passage of a constitutional amendment which would limit the terms of Congress to six two year terms for a member of the U.S. House and two six year terms for a member of the U.S. Senate, both a total of twelve years in office.
 
With earmarks at an all time high, it is clear that incumbent members of Congress often engage in pork barrel spending to gain favorability with their constituency. Unfortunately, because our national debt is over $10 trillion and we have a budget deficit of $488 billion, earmarking funds that we don’t have for political reasons is irresponsible. Limiting the terms of Congress members removes the incentive for continued pork barrel spending.
 
We limit our president’s time in office to two four year terms. The most criticism seems to reside in the oval office, when in fact the Congress is responsible for appropriating the funds that run our government. I believe what is good for the president is good for everyone. It is important for Congress to come back home and live under the laws they pass.

In order to remove the power of special interests over members of Congress and end the corruption and abuse of our tax dollars, we must enact term limits.  If elected, I will limit myself to no more than 6 terms in office as a member of Congress.

On The Campaign Trail

Medina County Fundraiser - August 21, 2008

Over the course of the last few weeks, the Lyle Larson for Congress Team has been actively campaigning across the district. We spent a week traveling through the western part of the district and received substantial turnouts at events held in Bracketville, Del Rio, Alpine, Fort Davis, Fort Stockton, and Marfa. Last week, we hosted a very well-attended event in Hondo for more than one hundred motivated and excited Medina County voters. Back in San Antonio, we held a barbecue at the Larson Headquarters for our volunteers and neighborhood leaders to discuss how we will win this campaign. On Sunday, August 24th, we met with thousands of voters in Castroville at the St. Louis Day Festival. We hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy our photo gallery of the last few weeks of campaigning.
 
Not only are people across the district getting on board to assist our campaign, but folks across the state and the nation are focused on helping us win this race. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who won this district with over 20,000 votes in 2006, is working hard to raise money and support for the campaign. As a result of our campaign’s increasing momentum, our campaign is receiving national attention. We recently had the opportunity to be featured on the Congress Blog of The Hill, a Washington D.C. publication. Please feel free to view the Blog here.

Also, we’d like for you to take a look at a recent article written about our race in the Texas Observer, here.
 
After discussing issues with voters district-wide, the consensus is that residents of the 23rd believe that the only way to change the way Washington is operating is to change the people they elect to represent them. They continue to express their frustration with the fact that the incumbent congressman does not represent the mainstream of this district and has failed to address the issues affecting his constituents. We are committed to facing tough challenges and bringing forth solutions to our nation’s issues. After each campaign event, we gain more support and momentum. We are committed to winning this race and know that we will with your support.
 
You can help the Campaign by forwarding this newsletter to your friends and by contributing…

To Change Congress, Change Your Representatives (Texas GOP Candidate Lyle Larson)

Candidate Lyle Larson at a recent Meet & Greet

Having served in local government for the last 16 years, I bring a unique understanding of governance to Congress. As the lone Republican working alongside four Democrats at the local level, I worked to address issues including criminal justice, infrastructure needs, and economic development from a community standpoint. Our constituents have little tolerance for the partisan divide that characterizes Washington and expect their local representatives to provide solutions, not engage in partisan posturing. The political “gotcha” game must come to an end for the sake of our country.

We have several challenges that must be addressed, including an undersized military, $50 trillion in unfunded Medicare and Social Security obligations, and deteriorating national infrastructure. Energy costs are hurting Americans at the gas pump and driving inflation upward, causing costs of all goods to rise. This is why we need a comprehensive energy policy that includes exploration of our own resources. Providing solutions for these problems is vitally important for present and future economic stability.

Having been a small business owner for the last 22 years, I will bring experience in fiscal discipline to Washington and be willing to make tough decisions for our country, without being concerned with self-preservation or who is going to receive credit. With our national debt exceeding $10 trillion and the overruns in the budget surpassing $480 billion, Congress must learn to prioritize and show real fiscal discipline and end reckless discretionary spending. While many members of Congress have never served at the local level, they could learn a lot about fiscal restraint and budget prioritization from local representatives. There is no such thing as deficit spending at the local level because the law doesn’t allow it.

My campaign is committed to addressing issues and providing solutions. If we want to change the decisions being made in Washington, we have to change the people representing us.

Congressional District 23

Lyle Larson in Fort Stockton, TX

It wasn’t long ago that Democratic Congressman Ciro Rodriguez’s political career appeared finished. In 2004, Tom DeLay’s redistricting plan sliced Rodriguez’s district into the shape of a fajita strip and siphoned off his San Antonio voting base. Rodriguez was promptly bounced from office.

Two years later, the U.S. Supreme Court gave Rodriguez a reprieve, ruling that DeLay’s tinkering violated the rights of Latino voters. The 23rd District was redrawn to merge South San Antonio, Rodriguez’s home base, with a large swath of West Texas then represented by Republican Henry Bonilla. In 2006, Rodriguez completed his remarkably quick political turnabout by handily defeating Bonilla to reclaim a seat in Congress.

Now Republicans believe they can defeat Rodriguez once again. The district leans slightly Republican—it voted 54 percent for George W. Bush in 2004. Moreover, Republican challenger Lyle Larson, a county commissioner in San Antonio, could prove a tougher opponent for Rodriguez. Two years ago, Rodriguez routed Bonilla in San Antonio, the district’s major population center. The district, one of the largest and most rural in the nation, stretches from San Antonio all the way to the outskirts of El Paso. Larson has political roots in San Antonio, particularly on the city’s north side. He hopes that limiting Rodriguez’s advantage in the city—combined with votes from the district’s more conservative areas in West Texas—will boost him to victory.

To win, Larson will have to overcome the incumbent’s 4-1 fundraising advantage. To date, Larson has raised $535,000, but spent half of it to win an expensive Republican primary. Rodriguez, with help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has raised $1.9 million. He has $1.2 million on hand. “Sure, it’s going to be a tough race, taking on an incumbent that has raised a million dollars,” Larson says. “But people are pretty frustrated with Congress right now. Rodriguez has to explain what’s going on in Washington.”

Larson is portraying himself as a Washington outsider. In a July press release, he accused Rodriguez of raising the majority of his $1.9 million from Washington-based political action committees. Fifty-six percent of Rodriguez’s contributions come from labor union, business, and leadership PACs, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Larson has taken some PAC funding as well, though far less than Rodriguez. As of June 30, PAC money accounted for 13 percent of Larson’s haul.

While Larson is behind in the fundraising game, he has a long public service resume and an independent streak that may win over GOP and independent voters. As former chairman of San Antonio’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, he was an early and vocal opponent of toll roads in the region, which endeared him to the numerous anti-toll voters in the district. It also put him at odds with some of Texas’ top elected officials, including Gov. Rick Perry.

Lately, his romance with anti-toll advocates has started to sour. Larson was criticized for appointing a pro-toll road member to take his place on the planning board. He also took more than $4,000 in campaign contributions from the Zachry family, which owns Zachry Construction Corp., a prominent toll road builder in Texas.

Rodriguez didn’t respond to calls seeking comment from the Observer. In an e-mail, the congressman said he is focused on changing the failed policies of the Bush administration. “Since 2007, when we took back Congress, we’ve been working five-day work weeks, we’ve funded veterans at the highest level we’ve ever funded them,” he wrote, “and we’ve worked hard to change the failed policies of Congress and the administration. But it takes time to change so much failure.”

Some pundits believe voter frustration with the Republican Party may carry endangered Democratic incumbents like Rodriguez to victory—simply because they have a “D” behind their name. Rodriguez better hope so. There are rarely second comebacks in political life.

Read the complete article…

The Freedom Project: Young Gun Profile: Lyle Larson

We are proud to introduce you to our Young Gun running against Ciro Rodriguez in TX-23. Below are ten questions Lyle answered.

1) Name: Lyle Larson

 

2) Residence: Bexar County, Texas

 

3) Age: 49

 

4) Family: Late father Wallace Larson, mother Irene, brothers Mark and Eric, sister Debra and twin sister Lynn

 

5) Education: BBA, Texas A&M University, 1981

 

6) Current Occupation: Owner and CEO of American Consortium, a company providing medical and security imaging services and Bexar County Commissioner, Pct. 3.

 

7) Previous Jobs: San Antonio City Councilman, 1991-1995

 

What the GOP must do to earn a Republican Majority: We need to share our message of limited government involvement, lower taxes and less government spending with voters. By returning to our original philosophy, voters will regain confidence in the Republican Party and enable us to take back the majority.

 

9) New ideas you advocate that make you a GOP Young Gun: Having served a large portion of this congressional district at the local level for the past 16 years, I understand how decisions made in Washington affect local communities. Being the lone Republican on the Bexar County Commissioners Court, I have learned to move across the aisle to work with the Democrats to provide solutions for our community. I was able to lead the 4-1 Democratically controlled Commissioners Court to be the only governmental entity to cut the tax rate 7 different times. I plan to bring this quality to Washington to ensure Americans are provided with real solutions to problems.

 

10) Individuals who inspire you: My heroes include my father, Wallace Larson, George Washington, Ronald Reagan, General Douglas MacArthur, and General George Patton.

 

Click for more detail…

Rodriguez’s Vote Sends House On Vacation — Blows Off Motorists

While people of Texas call on Congress to address high gas prices, Ciro Rodriguez instead casts deciding vote for August vacation.

Read the complete article…

Bexar Commissioners In Line For Massive Pay Hikes

County Commissioner Lyle Larson

 

Lyle Larson, who has never taken a pay raise during his 12 years on Commissioners Court, says he won’t accept this one either. 

“I think it undermines confidence, not only of the folks who are voting for you, but also the people in the county who are actually doing the work,” Larson said.

 

  Larson still makes less than $50,000 a year, which salaries of the other commissioners have ballooned far faster than the salaries of the average San Antonian.

 

  “People have to understand what the compensation is when they run for the office, and they shouldn’t expect to see any increase in that salary,” Larson said.

 

  In fact, even the salaries of money hungry members of Congress don’t increase until an election has taken place, so lawmakers can’t give pay raises to ‘themselves.’

 

Read the complete article…

The Housing & Economic Recovery Act of 2008

With Election Day less than 100 days away, the Lyle Larson for Congress Campaign is working hard to share our message of providing solutions, while Congress continues to ignore the concerns of its constituents.
 
Last week, Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Providing the Treasury authority to fund losses sustained by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as committing funding to refinance and insure Federal Housing Administration loans, this bill is accurately characterized as a bailout. This bill comes at a cost of $41.7 billion dollars to taxpayers over the course of the next four years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. This would allow for an increase in deficit spending by $800 billion, causing the national debt to reach an all time high of $10.3 trillion. The bill passed by 272-152, Congressman Rodriguez being one of the 272 members who voted for the bailout.
 
On Saturday, July 26th, 2008, we held two town hall meetings, during which several individuals expressed their disapproval and disappointment regarding Congress’s passage of this bill. We discussed the philosophical differences between our campaign and that of the incumbent. Folks at the town hall meetings indicated that they believe it is important to recognize and reward individuals who accept their own personal responsibility and feel overburdened by taxes. Hard working taxpayers who have and continue to live within their means should not be responsible for bailing other individuals out of foreclosure.
 
With deficit spending at an all time high, committing billions of dollars to a mortgage bailout is irresponsible.  The increase in deficit spending will continue to weaken the value of the American dollar, which will have an adverse affect on the economy in the coming years. Congress must be willing to balance the budget and eliminate earmarks and other frivolous spending. Congress needs to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to ease the financial burden on Americans.

Gov. Mitt Romney Endorses Lyle Larson

PRESS RELEASE                                                               

Contact: Jill DeYoung
(210) 601-8838                                                                                                                      jill@lylelarson.org                                                                                                                       

For Immediate Release July 22, 2008 

Former Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney Endorses Lyle Larson 

Currently, Lyle Larson, Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, District 23, is being featured on Governor Mitt Romney’s Free Strong America website. Last week, Governor Romney personally contacted Larson, offering his full support and endorsement. Romney also indicated that he sent a contribution to Larson’s campaign and committed to raising money on his behalf. 

Over the phone, Romney told Larson, “I’m very excited about your race and I know that you are the best candidate to return this seat to conservative hands.” 

Larson, indicating he is pleased by the endorsement, said Tuesday, “Governor Romney’s willingness to assist our campaign and to engage his supporters indicates he has confidence in our campaign and believes we will win.” The Larson feature may be viewed here: http://www.freestrongamerica.com/candidates/item/lyle_larson. 

Mitt Romney is currently the Honorary Chair of Free Strong America, a PAC created to support public officeholders and candidates who will promote conservative policies to strengthen America.  

Lyle Larson, who currently serves as Bexar County Commissioner, Pct. 3 is the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives, District 23. Visit lylelarson.org for more information.

Protecting Camp Bullis and Laughlin AFB

Lately, you may have been hearing concerns about one of our community’s most important military installations.
 
Camp Bullis, located along the IH-10 corridor, is one of our military’s premier medical training facilities in the nation. Due to development around Camp Bullis, illumination from various buildings during the nighttime hours is compromising the mission, making much of the training difficult.
 
Inside Camp Bullis, Army medics learn to provide medical assistance to soldiers injured on the battlefield. They go through intense training and participate in highly realistic simulations, most of which take place at night to prepare them for the reality of the situations they will face in war.
 
In order to gain a firsthand understanding of the illumination concerns, we were given the opportunity to participate in a helicopter flight over the installation, once at night and once during the day with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. After flying over and using night vision goggles as the medics do, it is clear that illumination seriously impedes the night vision training.
 
Development in this area is an incredible threat to Camp Bullis’ mission and may cause the military to move it out of Bexar County altogether. The closure of Camp Bullis would result in the loss of thousands of jobs, which is why we must work with the military to ensure that the mission is no longer undermined.
 
After the release of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Committee recommendations, from which we learned that thousands of military jobs would be relocated here, we created the Military Transformation Task Force (MTTF) to oversee the changes and to ensure adherence to the BRAC guidelines. As a member and former Chairman of the MTTF, I have been working for the last three years with military leaders, other local, state and federal elected officials, and members of the community on the Camp Bullis issue.
 
In an effort to address the illumination issue, we have identified several potential solutions to the lighting concerns around Bullis. We have discussed accessing federal and state dollars to purchase undeveloped property to create a buffer around the installation. We are working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the area developers to look into purchasing conservation easements to protect the endangered wildlife that inhabit the area.
 
Earlier this month, the Commissioners Court discussed developing an order intended to regulate light around Camp Bullis. This Tuesday, we will hold a public hearing, and if we are successful in passing the order, only “dark sky” lighting may be used on homes and businesses within a 3 mile radius of Camp Bullis. Additionally, we created a committee of neighborhood representatives who live near the installation to assist in working with their neighborhood to ensure compliance with the Commissioners Court order, should it pass.
 
Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas is facing a similar struggle with encroachment. In an effort to address encroachment on Camp Bullis and Laughlin AFB, we have approached the State Legislature, requesting that they give local governments authority to create overlay districts around the boundaries of the installations. The use of these overlay districts will allow local entities to ensure the compatible use of the undeveloped land. Camp Bullis and Laughlin AFB have serious challenges to protect their respective missions.
 
While the arrival of the Toyota Tundra plant in Bexar County is often thought to be the largest economic development project in our community, the influx of federal money and military jobs as a result of the BRAC recommendations has a much larger economic impact. Because the military is the number one employer in Bexar County, we must protect Camp Bullis’ mission.
 
In order to lure Toyota to our community, we spent $70 million in various incentives. We must be prepared to make a similar financial commitment to the military in order to keep Camp Bullis. This community cannot afford to lose its top employer and we must be willing to work to ensure the mission, the military personnel and the federal dollars stay in Bexar County.