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Vaughn Ward on Facebook

Vaughn Ward is running for congress in Idaho District 1. The primary has five or six contestants, the winner of which will face Democrat Walt Minnick in the general election.

Ward Delivers Strong Message to GOP Faithful

Ward: "I know what it takes to keep our flag flying"

On Saturday, Idaho 1st Congressional candidate Vaughn Ward spoke to the Idaho Republican Central Committee in Boise. Ward delivered a strong message to over 200 members of the Republican faithful.

"The eye's of our Nation are on this race and it is viewed as our best opportunity to send Nancy Pelosi a clear message: We will not stand for out of control spending, more government intrusion, and higher taxes," Ward said. "This district is ground zero and where taking back our country begins."

Ward continued, "During these perilous times we need to elect people with the leadership, experience and vision to lead our country back to the days of personal responsibility. I have a lifetime of service to our state and Nation as a Marine Infantry Officer and as a CIA Operations Officer. As envisioned by our founding fathers, the defense of our nation is a vital responsibility of whoever is elected to represent us in Congress. I have fought in two wars and I know what it takes to keep our flag flying."

"Together we will make our Party stronger and see a resurgence of Republican values across our Nation. It is time for us to reclaim our Party and reseed the future with new leaders who are committed to our conservative values," concluded Ward.

Legislative Update with
Senator Mike Jorgenson
January 29, 2010

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This morning I presented my immigration legislation to Senate State Affairs. This is the committee that exclusively deals with matters affecting the constitution of Idaho as well as the major policy issues that may affect our great state.

I am pleased to report that my colleagues in the Senate agreed to print this proposed legislation and now it is officially a bill. I have been here before; last year the same committee voted to print my previous bill, but it was never given a hearing afterwards. I very much believe that this year will be different.

In crafting this legislation I was helped in great part by University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor Kris Kobach, a former member of the US Attorney General John Ashcroft's team during the Bush administration. Professor Kobach was instrumental after 9/11 in crafting systems and legislation that helped protect our country from any further attacks under President Bush. He has become an expert in illegal immigration and therefore his assistance in writing this Idaho-specific bill cannot be underestimated. Professor Kobach will fly to Idaho at my personal expense to testify on behalf of this legislation in the coming weeks.

My bill, if enacted, will do far more than simply punish the employers in Idaho who refuse to stop the practice of hiring undocumented workers to replace Americans workers. I do not wish to pick on the dairy industry, but suffice it to say that the Europeans have an immense dairy industry and they do not nor have they ever relied on illegal aliens to do the work of producing their milk. They use their own citizens and they pay them living wages.

My bill will also end the practice of Idaho honoring the drivers licenses of other states which knowingly and happily issue drivers licenses to illegal aliens. Last year in northern Idaho we had a young family man murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien who was able to register his vehicle in Idaho legally by using a Washington driver's license which was issued to him despite him having absolutely no ability to prove he was an American citizen. Practices such as this need to stop.

My bill will also make it mandatory that the written portion of a driver's license test be administered in English-without the benefit of a translator. Goodness, if they cannot read the test how will they read the traffic signs, particularly when they warn of ice, storms or accidents ahead?

Finally my bill will make mandatory the use of the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program. To prove how well this program operates I intend to call for testimony the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare which has used this program to check the employment status of more than 1,000 employees the past three years. If the state of Idaho can use this free program, why can't private employers?

In closing I commend my Canyon County colleagues for bringing a companion bill that will stamp down on illegal aliens using false documentation and identity fraud in order to claim jobs that rightfully belong to American citizens.

Please visit my website to read my bill and other items pertaining to this issue. I invite you to read my blog, has now been updated. This can be done by clicking visiting: http://www.mike4idaho.com/blog.php

As always, I invite your comments. Thank you for the privilege of representing you.

Sincerely yours,

Mike
mnjorgen@senate.idaho.gov

Please visit my website for further information:

www.mike4idaho.com

Contact Me
mnjorgen@senate.idaho.gov
Idaho State Senate
514 W Jefferson St.
Boise, Idaho 83709

Senator Jorgenson

An Idaho native, Senator Jorgenson graduated from Capital High in Boise and thereafter graduated Eastern Oregon University at LaGrande where he received degrees in business and economics. He has two children and three grandchildren and his married to his wife Cynthia.

Barbieri seeks Dist. 3 House seat [Kootenai County, Idaho]

Thursday, March 25, 2010 5:00 am | Updated: 11:50 pm, Wed Mar 31, 2010.

By TOM HASSLINGER/Staff writer | 2 comments

COEUR d'ALENE - It took a little nudge, but Vito Barbieri is entering politics.

After Rep. Jim Clark announced his upcoming retirement from the District 3 House seat, friends and colleagues approached Barbieri about possibly filling the spot.

"I'm conservative," the Dalton Gardens resident said about people asking him to take a run at politics. "And I do voice my conservative values."

After some convincing, Barbieri decided to run.

"Now's as good a time as any," he said. "We have to stand up. We have to voice our conservative values."

Barbieri's values include supporting states' rights, promoting tax breaks for the benefit of small businesses, and transparency of spending in public schools.

Any measure that helps public schools save money is a good step, since public education makes up such a large portion of the state's budget, he said. He supports current proposals to post school spending online to help the public keep an eye on school spending, as well as the option for schools to allow students to test out of school early.

Those students would be able to pursue their secondary education while not taking up resources for other students who might need it, he said.

"It's important to invest in the kids," he said.

An attorney who practiced in federal court since 1984 and former owner of Sunshine Trader Restaurant, Barbieri said he has a clear understanding of how the government can help or hurt small businesses.

He said keeping taxes low for those businesses is imperative for their growth, as well as the growth of the state's economy. Benefiting small businesses is especially important now, as Idaho was one of the last states to feel the effect of the recession, and will be one of the last to crawl out of it, he said.

"Taxation oppresses," he said. "I believe too many regulations have been implemented without considering the net effect of hurting business' ability to profit."

Barbieri said he is concerned with recently passed health care reform, which should be constitutionally challenged. He said he is worried the "expanding and increasingly intrusive federal government" will use the reform to use tax money to pay for abortions.

Married for 19 years to wife Joy, the couple has three children. Barbieri is a board member of Open Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center in Coeur d'Alene and moved to Dalton Gardens from southern California in 2004.

Risch, Crapo oppose Sotomayor’s confirmation

Barbieri seeks Dist. 3 House seat [Kootenai County, Idaho]