Presidential Candidate Shares Values, Concerns During Visit

By Staci Schwickerath, Staff writer
Charles City Press

CHARLES CITY -- Presidential candidate John Cox visited Charles City on Wednesday to share his position on issues key in the 2008 election.

Cox, a Republican from Chicago, stopped at the Backdoor Restaurant to meet with community members and share why he is running for president.

"There's a lot in Washington I disagree with. We're spending a lot of money and not making any progress," he said prior to his appearance at the restaurant.
There are several things going on in the federal government Cox said he would like to change, including expanded government.

"Why am I running for president? Because I'm tired of it. My mother always said if you want something done right, do it yourself," he said.

As a certified public accountant, Cox owns a stock, bonds and real estate company. He and wife Lori live in Chicago, where Cox received his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He also attended Kent Law School. Cox has four daughters, two of whom attend Loras College in Dubuque.
Cox recently published a book, called Politics, Inc., which is about the downfalls of career politicians and those who "sell out" to large companies.

He also serves as the president of the Cook County Republican Party, was a member of Jack Kemp's national steering committee and ran for Illinois Senate in 2002.

"I'm not a governor and I'm not a senator, which I tell people means I have no experience wasting money or raising taxes," he said. "What chance do I have (of being elected)? I think there's plenty of people who feel just the way I do. They've seen this movie too many times before."
Cox feels strongly about many issues, including the current debate on immigration, tax reform, the war on terrorism and maintaining family values.

"The real solution (for immigration) hasn't even entered the picture. What is the real solution? Enforce the law. Employers are not supposed to hire illegal immigrants and they do," he said. "There are 6 million waiting to get into the country legally. They're watching what we do. Do we give into political pressure to people who know they broke the law?"

Cox said he is sensitive to illegal immigrants who have been in the country for many years. He believes immigration laws should be expanded so more people could come to the United States to work legally.
As for the war, Cox said he supports President Bush's decision to invade Iraq and Afghanistan but believes more should be done now to encourage the Iraqi economy so they can become more independent. He added that the unemployment rate in Iraq is 30 percent.

"We need to focus like a laser beam on building up their economy. People in Iraq want opportunities and if they don't get it, some of them will become criminals," he said.

To improve the United States economy, Cox supports eliminating the Internal Revenue Service and going to a national sales tax system. By doing so, Cox believes the government could reach the underground economy, get rid of corruption and ignite an economic boom.

He also believes in supporting traditional values and protecting children and marriage. Cox said he believes in marriage and does not support abortion.

He added that he believes such issues should be decided by Congress, not the court systems.

"I want the decisions decided in the Legislature, not the courts, because I believe in Democracy and if a legislator does something, you can always chose not to re-elect that legislator," he added.

Contact Staci Schwickerath at
staci@charlescitypress.com
or (641) 228-3211 ext. 22