Don't call Jim Graham a politician - Interview part 1 - Youngstown Trumbull County Elections 2010

Jim Graham is an American success story.

His family immigrated to the United States when he was 1 year old. He grew up American and went through the naturalization process to become a US citizen.

Jim has worn many hats since then. He became a healthcare professional in 1976, a scuba instructor and owner of an under-water construction business in 1978, a college professor in 1980 and a police officer in 1982. He and his son joined the Boy Scouts of America in 1994 and he is still an adult Boy Scout leader to this day.

"I started as a pharmacy intern in 1972, when I was 19 years old and have worked my way up to Corporate Manager of Clinical Pharmaceutical Services for the entire corporation (Humility of Mary Health Partners)." Jim said.

He oversees the operations of 3 hospitals and 2 clinics. He is often an intermediary between doctors and administration, two groups of people who are, by nature, strong willed, adamant and at times unyielding when trying to do what is right from their unique perspectives.

"One of my strengths is that I can take the difficult and make it simple," Jim explains regarding how he is effective at bringing these groups together.

Jim has decided to throw his hat into the political arena after witnessing the decline of the Republican Party from a party of Conservatives to a slightly moderate version of the Democrats. But the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back was the passage of Obamacare last Christmas Eve, against the will of the people.

"As a 30 year business owner, a health care professional and a law enforcement officer, it was easy for me to see what the national outcome of all of this would be, which is bankruptcy or failure for the country, which I can't tolerate as an American who loves this [country]", he advised, "Last year was the worst. They squandered money with the TARP fund, they squandered money with the stimulus bill. They took over banking, they took over health care, they took over the insurance industries, they nationalized the car companies and I was totally disgusted."

"This goes against every principle that made this country great."

Jim states he is not of the philosophy that big government is the solution to all of our problems, that it is the citizens and compliance to the Constitution that makes America great.

"I understand the Constitution. I have a copy of it at my bedside and right next to it are the Federalist Papers. I know what the intent was, I know the country's history, and I know what the Founders envisioned, and it's not this."

"The new healthcare bill has 159 new bureaucracies developed into it, requiring who knows how many more hundreds or thousands of bureaucrats to be hired, all at our expense. Our taxes will continue to go up. It's going to cost us more, not less, than if they hadn't done anything. The access to health care will be less because many physicians are going to quit taking Medicare patients. It's less expensive for them not to see Medicare patients than to have them come in and only get paid partially for the time and resources expended. (receive less money than they spend to see a patient.)"

For those of you who believe Graham is being overly dramatic, CNN and many others have been reporting on doctors fleeing the medicare system for some time.

"Universal healthcare has not worked in any country that's tried it. None. Every country that has 'universal health care' has two healthcare systems, one for the peons who can't afford anything more, and one for those that have money. People who have money can slip white envelopes full of cash to their surgeons and get surgery in two days, those who don't have to wait between 1 and 6 months to get the surgery they need."

"They'll have access to your bank accounts. In order for this to work, they have to be able to verify that you paid for your health care contributions to the national health care system. So the 15,000 IRS agents are necessary to make sure that you have done that, or else they'll punish you. And you can't verify that you have done that [without access]. Checking and savings. They'll have access to any financial records that you have, to make sure they get their money from wherever you have it."

"In 2014, any real estate transaction will be charged a 3.8% transfer fee to help pay for this healthcare bill."

Jim believes Obamacare is unconstitutional, which it is, but is but one of many unconstitutional laws passed by a Congress who don't know and/or don't care what the Constitution says. Take for example, the recent confirmation of Elena Kagan, by both Democrats and Republicans, for Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. During the proceedings leading up to her confirmation, Kagan could not, or would not, answer whether or not Congress can make you eat your vegetables.

"Because of their unconstitutional control over health care right now, eventually they can tell you, and they will, here's what you can eat, here's what you can't eat. Here's how much salt you can use, here's how much salt you can't use. Here's where you can buy your food, here's where you can't buy your food... They've stuck their fingers into our daily lives with this bill."

Look at what Michael Bloomberg is doing in New York, banning trans fats and salt for proof of this. San Francisco wants to ban Happy Meal toys. Is it a coincidence that Michelle Obama chose childhood obesity as her pet cause?

"They continue to push the envelope, and as the envelope gets bigger, our paychecks get smaller and our freedoms are less and less."

"During the healthcare debate in August, I tried contacting our incumbent 10 different times. There was no way that I could speak to him. No way at all. His staff was rude. They didn't care what you called about. There was no way to speak to him. He was going to do what Nancy Pelosi told him to do."

"He is loyal to Nancy, not to his constituents that he is supposed to represent."

"That goes directly against the very definition of a representative government."

"The VA (Veteran's Administration) system is a model of what we'll see with nationalized healthcare." Jim said, referring to the waits and inconvenience built in.

"Veterans should be able to get their treatment at any hospital and have their care paid for, not set up specific hospitals to take care of vets. They should be able to receive treatment where they live. In this area, they have to go to Brecksville or Cleveland or Pennsylvania to get their care. They should be able to receive care locally."

This is one way the government could cut money, according to Jim, by cutting out the VA clinics in favor of local institutions which would cut out the operational costs of such institutions.

To be continued......