Bob Ries, Republican seeking the 5th Congressional District seat.

The following questionnaire has been submitted to each candidate running in the Republican primary seeking the nomination for Republican candidate for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District. This seat is now held by Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper. Whoever wins the primary on August 5 will most likely face Cooper in November.

Questionnaire:

Tell me about yourself. Where are you from, what to you do for a living, what is your educational background, your political experience?

Why are you running for this office?

What do you see as the primary issue is this race?

If you are successful in wining the Republican nomination and you are successful in defeating Jim Cooper, when serving in the US Congress what issue will be your primary focus? What will be your priorities?

When I make my decision who I will vote for for this office, not only do I want to vote for someone who has solid conservative values and who I think would make a good Congressman, but I want to vote for someone who I think can beat Jim Cooper. Best person and electability may not necessarily be the same thing. I have heard that it will take anywhere from $500,000 to $2 million dollars to mount a successful campaign. Do you have the support, the time and resources to conduct a wining campaign?

If one wants to know more about your campaign or contact you how to they do that?

Below is the response from Mr. Bob Ries:

My name is Bob Ries. I am the only Senior Citizen, Military Veteran, Small Business Owner with a Degree in Business & Economics Seeking this office. My resume is on my Website: http://www.bobriesforcongress.com. I own The French Confection Bakery and Southern Hoosier Publishing, listed with ASCAP. I have never held an elected political office, but was Chairman of The Board of Zoning Appeals in Hendersonville.

I have been married for 46 years to my wife Dianne and we have one daughter, Stacy, who is a graduate of Belmont University. My wife is a First Cousin to Davy Crockett (8 times removed) and a member of The First Families of Tennessee. I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana (blame my parents), but was smart enough to choose Tennessee as my home over 30 years ago and married into Tennessee Royalty. We belong to Church of the Assumption Catholic Church in Germantown, but since our long time Priest retired, we have recently started attending St. Edwards Catholic Church on Thompson Lane.

Every Candidate should be asked their motivation for seeking office, so I am offering mine: I AM SELFISH. I am the only Senior Citizen, Military Veteran, Small Business Owner with a Degree in Business and Economics running for this office, and I want to protect my own self-interests.

However it is important to note, that if I am elected to Congress and am successful in selfishly protecting my Social Security & Medicare, my Veteran Benefits and my rights as a business owner, then between 70 and 80% of every other American citizen will benefit also, because I am one of them.

I have been paying into Social Security for about 50 years, and Medicare since it’s inception. In 1965 the Democratic Congress raided our Social Security Fund, and recently took ½ trillion dollars out of Medicare. Congress has ruined these programs to the point that both will soon be bankrupt, unless we make some changes. I want to be elected to Congress to not only protect my own Social Security and Medicare best interests, but also to institute a program that will be in the best interests of our younger citizens.

I am also a disabled American Veteran receiving Veteran benefits, and being cared for by the VA hospital. I want to protect my Veteran’s Benefits and provide for the benefits of those currently serving our Country, especially the children of those who have died for all of us.

I own a small business and am very aware of the sacrifices my family made working 14 to 15 hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week until we finally started making a profit, only to have the Government start taking part of our money. The Government tells businesses who to hire, under what basis they can be fired, how much to pay them and now they are dictating the services we must offer.

In addition to wanting to protect my personal interests, and thereby my constituent’s interests, I want to identify three problems for which I offer solutions (more solutions for other concerns are offered on my website).

1. THE ECONOMY: I have a Degree in Business & Economics, and have previously taught Economics and Money & Banking, so I should have some credibility in this area. State and Municipal Governments have been offering tax incentives to private industry for years to entice them to locate in their respective areas in order to benefit their economies. I have a Position Paper for The Federal Government to offer such a plan on my website.

2. CONGRESSIONAL WASTE & EARMARKS: I have a Position Paper on my website to control Government waste, have Congress operate more efficiently and eliminate Earmarks (pork).

3. CREDIT BUREAUS: Credit Bureaus have been unfairly harming innocent citizens for years and apparently are answerable to nobody. I have a Position Paper on my website to offer suggestions for reining them in to protect me (remember my selfishness), as well as 70 to 80% of all other citizens.

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