[Note: This is a three-part article on Jake Towne and his policies in his run for Congress. This is like any other “get to know the candidate” profile. I will try my best not to interject too many personal thoughts. The article should not be seen as my endorsement of the theories nor should any discussion of possible challenges to Towne be taken as a repudiation of Towne. His views are far different that those of either major candidate and for that reason alone, he deserves to be heard. He may not be a factor in the final vote but he can be a major factor in helping to develop issues. I hope both “major” party candidates will welcome a third party to the table at debates and forums so we can actually have some issues being debated rather than coloring around the fringe. In any event, as long as Towne keeps spending his personal energy on the campaign, I will give him the same courtesy that any other candidate gets. I have covered Charlie Dent in great detail (and with great praise) and I believe Dent has national leadership potential. I welcome John Callahan’s campaign to discover me as well.]
In the David v. Goliath world of politics, the 15th District in Pennsylvania will see David take on two Goliaths in 2010. Incumbent Charlie Dent will have name-recognition, fund-raising and incumbency in his favor. He has served for 5 years now and was a well-respected state legislator before that. John Callahan will have the prestige of being a two-term Mayor of Bethlehem and the backing of powerful Democrats who have targeted this seat. In fact, both national organizations are likely to funnel large amounts of cash into the campaign. It is not the campaign for a grassroots, unfunded independent to be running, yet, that is what Jake Towne is doing.
All kind of conventional wisdom would say that Towne cannot win. That wisdom is probably correct. Even if one of the major party candidates implodes, the other is likely to simply win going away. So, why spend the ink, virtual or real, on the Towne candidacy? Because, sometimes a candidate is newsworthy not because you think they will win but because of the message they are bringing. Even if you would never think of voting beyond the two major parties, listen to what Towne has to say. I say this especially to my GOP brethren as Towne speaks those principles of small government that our party was founded upon. He may go too far in the modern age, you can decide that, but at least he will get you thinking about the United States Constitution and its mandates for the federal government.
So, who is Jake Towne? I sat down with him last week to find out. Towne approaches the campaign like a job interview so he was ready with his resume. As he says “I am seeking to represent the people of Pennsylvania’s 15th district in U.S. Congress by winning the next election, currently slated for November of 2010.”
His two opponents are career public servants. (I’ll be nice and not say politicians). Dent has a wealth of experience in the state and federal legislature, in the majority and the minority. Callahan has local government experience. Towne has not held elected office. He would suggest that is a plus in his favor.
He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh. His work experience has been in the private sector, both in the United States and abroad. Towne spent three years as Integrated Business Team Process Engineer for Ablestik Laboratories. OK, in simple terms that meant he was responsible for the scale up of new products and troubleshooting of a $40 million product line. As he said, troubleshooting emphasis was on a “team-based problem solving approach to customer problems.” That would be a concept for Pelosi’s House---team-based solutions!
Then Towne spent over three years in Shanghai for Ablestik in the start-up and commissioning of two manufacturing cells at a new plant. He is now a freelance columnist as well as congressional candidate.
Towne said he started his campaign in May. He knew the Democrats would put up a candidate to challenge Dent and he seems to welcome two strong opponents. He saw what was happening with the economy and the bailouts and thought he needed to act—that action was to return to the United States and run for Congress.
As Towne says, there are two requirements of a United States representative. The first is to follow the Constitution of the United States. Heck, I’d be happy if I thought they had read it. I know Nancy Pelosi cannot have read Article I, Section 8 if she thinks the power of congress is unlimited in regulating health care. It may, in fact, be nonexistent. The second requirement is to represent the people of this district.
It is a strange this, this representative form of government. It is not democracy because we don’t all get to vote on matters. It is representation, listening to what your constituents think and then choosing the best course of action with that as input. It is not, as Pelosi and her gang seem to think, to tell us what we should think but to listen to what we do think.
Towne promises to be a populist in the sense of actually representing his constituents. He touts his open office scoreboard where he’d give transparency to his actions. He talks of accountability as meaning that he’d explain why he was voting a certain way.
Towne also promises “on demand town hall meetings.” He would allow a group of people to summon him to a town hall—in person or virtual—to discuss an issue that they were concerned with. These would be in addition to his scheduled weekly town hall meetings.
Recalling that the citizens theoretically have the right to petition their government, Towne would allow for on-line bill submission. These could be new legislation or proposals to repeal of modify something already existing. The process would be open to the public and Towne promises that he’d respond with a yes or no answer, and if negative, with his reasons for not pursuing the proposal.
He also calls for having his office budget posted on his website. “Any citizen should be able to go on-line and look at the budget,” Towne says.
I asked Towne what he could realistically expect to accomplish as a lone independent with a couple hundred Democrats and a similar number of Republicans. He said he would be “the voice of the people” and an advocate for more or less giving government back to the people. Unlike the marginal difference between the two major parties, Towne says “I should stick out like a sore thumb.”
Towne is positioning himself as the candidate for those who “want to kick the bums out.”
Since politics love labels, I tried through questions to find one to put on Towne. Was he a libertarian? He clearly favors a small role for government but his conversation is almost 100% economic. Towne isn't running on his positions on social issues. Even "liberty" and "freedom" are expressed in economic terms. To call him a libertarian would evoke thoughts of those who want to legalize drugs and victimless crimes. He may but he doesn't deal with those issues. After all, they are state issues and not federal ones, so it makes sense.
Is he a Ron Paul candidate? I was asked this in a comment to an earlier question. I raised Ron Paul in the interview. Towne has many similar beliefs. I am sure there has been some political influence from Paul. However, Towne has formulated his views through reading and study. He has read economic treatises. H has read about historical events that foreshadow our economy. So, to call him a Ron Paul disciple would suggest a lack of free thought and would be unfair.
So, I won't label him. Maybe that is best. Charlie Dent is a Republican. Henry Hyde was a Republican. Charlie's thoughts are far different than Henry's so how do we benefit from labels in that case? Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson is a Democrat. Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat. Their views differ widely. How does a label help us? I am a pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-gun control, limited death penalty Republican. Sarah Palin is a Republican. Our views differ.
So, I won't label Towne other than as independent. Wouldn't it be great if Dent and Callahan didn't have labels either and we just looked at what they stood for? Of course, that would require Callahan to take a stand.
Tomorrow, we start looking at Towne's stance on the issues.
Comments
Great article! I am glad you resist the temptation to try and "pigeon-hole" Jake Towne into some ideology or try to simplify him by casting him as a "mimic" candidate of some other public servant.
I've been looking at Jake Towne’s website, the issues he has identified, the positions he has taken on them and the solutions he has come up with and I must say; they are unique and well researched! (I especially like the Open office plank!). It is a breath of fresh air to have a candidate inject new and real issues into the political spotlight as opposed to the same old tired Social policy debates (such as a constitutional amendment on flag burning) that rage on at the expense of issues such as: the economy, the value of the dollar, the proper role of government, other fiscal and monetary policy concerns, and other real issues that actually affect people’s lives. I look forward to your upcoming articles which I am sure will focus on and articulate the candidate’s stances on the issues.
"I hope both “major” party candidates will welcome a third party to the table at debates and forums so we can actually have some issues being debated rather than coloring around the fringe."
Thank you for this article!
I think Jake Towne is right; we need to revaluate Keynesianism. I’ve been studying Ludwig Von Mises and the Austrian school of economics. The government’s failed rescue intervention into our economy and the ensuing “jobless recovery” is really starting to vindicate their theories.
Drug issues belong to the states, this is correct. I'm glad someone is starting to get it! Jake Towne gets it.
We can only hope that other candidates, like Mr. Towne, are challenging the system all across the country.
Thank you for giving Jake Towne the attention he deserves. I look forward to your interview with him.
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