From the Desk of US Congressional Candidate Ryan Sanders

My name is Ryan Sanders, candidate for the US House of Representatives in the 19th Congressional District. I am a 10th generation central Pennsylvanian, and I grew up on a small farm close to the Susquehanna River. My family instilled in me the Central Pennsylvania traits of frugality, respect and a strong work ethic. Today, I am a small business owner with two small businesses that have created or support 12 jobs.

I am running because our leaders in Washington DC offer too many Americans too little support. They ignore our needs or offer half-baked, self-serving solutions, while their special interest financiers take home billions of dollars in bonuses. Like the vast majority of Americans, I am not a millionaire. Forty five percent of members of Congress are. They don’t have to worry about the mortgage or health insurance or their jobs. Can they really represent us if they don’t understand our problems?

I don’t think so.

My campaign is about these issues and the values that make our country great: good government though accountability and transparency.

Government has always been a passion of mine. I’ve studied it. I’ve worked in DC and seen it up close. But here in Central PA we have perspective. We know that what works best are practical and cost effective solutions that address the economic needs of our nation and the moral needs of a democratic society. Welfare Reform in 1996 was one example. Social Security reform in 1983 is another. Both cut costs and improved results for the American people.

Balancing needs is why we have government. It balances safety from our enemies and protecting our Constitutional rights. It balances health risks and environmental catastrophes. The solutions are best found, not by the screaming "Chicken Little’s" of the partisan elite, but by sensible people who make the choices that benefit our community’s long term needs.

Why do I get so excited about practical results? What’s exciting about no-nonsense and realistic policies? Because, although being "practical" may not generate a lot of press, practicality is at the heart of all good revolutions and real democracy. That is how our country was built. Sensible solutions were what the Founders created in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

You may have heard the joke that our Revolutionary leaders fought for independence in the name of freedom when they really just didn’t want to pay their taxes. There is some truth to that because the Founders knew there was a difference paying taxes for needed services and being taken advantage of by the greedy elite. They knew that any idealistic beliefs must be grounded with practical solutions and results to succeed. So they built their revolution around a practical idea: "No Taxation without Representation"!

This is why we quote the Declaration of Independence to this day until it seems almost cliché; because in it is the essence of practical American belief.

It is time we start a new revolution to take back our government from the insidious evil of partisanship and special interests. It is time we stand up and reclaim the rights for which our forebears shed their blood, sweat and tears. It is time we told our leadership that we expect results that benefit us, not their Wall Street financiers!

Join me in bringing this revolution. Join me by voting for me in 2010 and supporting the practical Central Pennsylvania ideals that will always make our country safer, healthier and stronger.

Ryan Sanders, Candidate,
US House of Representatives, PA 19th District
101 South Franklin Street | Red Lion, PA 17356
717-855-3714
(c) 717-495-4956
www.ryansanders.com