Governor
Buddy Roemer
Announces
Presidential Bid
in New Hampshire
HANOVER, N.H.
–Republican
businessman and
former Louisiana
Governor Buddy
Roemer today
formally
announced that
he will seek the
GOP nomination
for President in
2012.
“Today, I run
for President of
the United
States. I run to
reveal the
control of
special
interests in
Washington and
to demonstrate
that the freedom
to lead only
comes by
refusing their
money. I run to
prepare America
for job growth,
beginning with
the elimination
of unfair trade
practices and
attacking the
debt. I run as a
proud
Republican, but
an even prouder
American.”
“Manufacturing
jobs now account
for fewer than
10% of America’s
workforce. ‘Made
in America’ has
disappeared. We
have fewer jobs
that pay less
while China is
having the
greatest boom in
history – and we
are the ones
paying for it.
The government
has failed to
confront unfair
trade and the
boys at the top
are living so
well they’ve
forgotten the
rest of
America.”
Governor Roemer
has publically
committed to
limiting
individual
donations to
$100 and refuses
to accept
campaign
contributions
from special
interest groups
or political
committees.
“We must break
the stranglehold
of special
interest money
on our political
system. It’s the
special
interests who
use unfair trade
and self-written
tax loopholes to
make their
fortunes while
stealing our
future,” said
Roemer, “The
guys with the
big checks don’t
want reform or
change because
they’ve never
had it so good.”
Buddy Roemer
served four
terms in
Congress from
1981-1988 and
was Louisiana
Governor from
1988-1992.
During his
tenure, he
enacted reforms
that cut
unemployment by
approximately
half, balanced
the state budget
every year,
linked teachers’
pay to
performance,
established
education
accountability
standards,
confronted
public unions,
and passed
sweeping
campaign finance
reform
legislation.
Since leaving
public office,
Governor Roemer
has served as
founder,
president and
CEO of Business
First Bank, a
business
community bank
that did not
take bailout
money from the
federal
government.
Governor Roemer
lives in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana
with his wife,
Scarlett, and is
the father of
three children.
He received his
undergraduate
degree from
Harvard College
and his MBA from
Harvard Business
School.
FULL TEXT OF
ANNOUNCEMENT
SPEECH
Today, I run for
President of the
United States of
America.
I run to prepare
America for job
growth,
beginning with
the elimination
unfair trade
practices and
the abuse of our
tax code that
ships U.S. jobs
overseas.
I run to reveal
the control that
special
interests have
over our
nation‟s Capitol
and to
demonstrate the
freedom that
only comes from
refusing their
money.
I run as a proud
Republican, but
an even prouder
American. I
believe in
America, its
values, its
future.
We are a nation
at risk, but
neither the
President nor
any of the other
candidates for
the office are
addressing or
offering
solution to the
major problems
facing our
country.
The first is
unfair trade
which is
stealing our
best jobs and
stopping
economic growth.
This has
resulted in a
growing mountain
of debt that we
have to borrow
to attempt to
maintain our
standard of
living. Yet, no
one has
mentioned unfair
trade or offered
a solution.
The second
unmentioned
problem are
special interest
campaign
donations which
own Washington,
DC, turning it
into a corrupt
institution
where fat cat
special interest
checks write the
tax code, write
healthcare
reform, and
write bank
reform.
Corporate
profits are at
an all-time high
while these very
same
corporations
send American
jobs overseas,
causing fear and
pain in the
families of
millions of
Americans. The
guys with the
big checks don‟t
want reform or
change „cause
they‟ve never
had it so good.
That‟s the
reason why no
one running for
President talks
about solving
either problem –
whether it‟s
unfair trade
that is stealing
our best jobs or
the
institutional
corruption of
Washington, DC –
they need the
money to run.
I run for
President and am
not accepting
any PAC or
special interest
money, any
contributions
over $100 per
person, and I am
remain committed
to full
disclosure.
We must break
the stranglehold
of special
interests over
the tax code,
the budget, the
debt, Wall
Street reform
and healthcare
reform.
There is only
one way to take
back control of
our country from
the special
interests -
don‟t take their
PAC money, their
bundled money,
their access
money. A
President must
be free to lead,
free to
challenge
special
interests and
free to change
Washington, D.C.
And our current
President? He is
raising $1
billion while in
office – much of
it coming from
the very Wall
Street
corporations and
individuals he
is supposed to
regulate. The
price tag?
$35,000 a ticket
and yet „too big
to fail‟ is
still on the
books.
Manufacturing
now accounts for
fewer than 10%
of jobs in
America. „Made
in America‟ has
disappeared.
Unemployed and
underemployed
seem permanently
over 20%. We
have fewer jobs
and the one that
are left pay
less. China is
having the
greatest
economic boom in
history and we
are paying for
it.
We need trading
jobs, but the
trade must be
fair or both
nations suffer.
Unfair trade
uses child
labor, prison
labor, work
without
standards and
without
environmental
scorecards, and
pirates designs
and products and
plants in their
countries.
These unfair
practices have
cost us millions
of our best jobs
over the past 20
years – causing
pain and angst
in families
across America.
Our leaders have
done nothing but
talk about the
wonders of free
trade. So-called
„free trade‟ has
killed us. Trade
must be fair.
American
Presidents,
starting with
George
Washington ,
have protected
American
manufacturing
jobs from
predatory
trading
practices for
over 160 years.
This is not a
radical idea,
it‟s what built
America. It
worked after
WWII for Germany
and Japan. Now,
Germany is the
largest economy
in Europe and
Japan number two
in the world.
We must protect
our best jobs
from unfair
trade practices
and from U.S.
companies who
move jobs
overseas using
our own tax code
to pay for it.
They are free to
go, but we will
not pay for it.
And we can
protect our
critical jobs
without the
general use of
tariffs, which,
although
successful, tend
to be overly
political in
their
formulation and
application.
As a first step,
I would amend
the tax code to
disallow a tax
deduction for
any expenditure
for any goods
produced, or
services located
outside the U.S.
We could call
this the
„call-center
fix‟. Companies
can do it, but
we taxpayers
just aren‟t
going to pay for
it.
Next, I would
eliminate the
foreign tax
credit loophole
whereby huge
corporations and
wealthy
individuals
avoid paying
taxes by moving
their business
and investments
out of the
country.
They are
afforded the
protections
guaranteed to
all U.S.
citizens, but
don‟t pay their
fair share of
tax for that
privilege.
Example #1 is
GE, which made
$5 billion in
profit last year
and paid zero
income tax.
Finally, I would
require a fair
trade adjustment
form to
accompany
imports. This
form would show
the economic
difference
necessary to
bring the
imports‟
manufacturing
process up to
minimum American
standards. This
difference will
be paid by the
importer as
would the cost
of the
adjustment
analysis.
Unfair trading
nations will
lose their
unwarranted
advantage. The
fair competitor
will suffer no
ill effect.
Trade will grow,
but it will be
fair.
These few
changes would
efficiently
generate
millions of
American jobs,
restoring needed
growth in our
lagging economy.
We need to
deregulate small
businesses so
they can grow
again.
We need to be
energy
independent and
create a million
new jobs.
We need to
reduce Federal
spending by 1%
of GDP a year
for 5 years.
We need
immigration
reform that
seals the
borders, but
allows legal
immigration.
We need tax
reform that
lowers the
marginal rate
with simplicity.
There is much we
need to do, but
the place to
start is with
special interest
money and unfair
trade – and no
one is speaking
of it.
We must break
the stranglehold
of special
interest money
on our political
system so that
we can address
the hole in the
economy caused
by unfair trade
through which
our best jobs
are
disappearing. We
must seal the
hole and restore
manufacturing
jobs. This
growth is
essential to
paying off the
debt and getting
us out of this
financial trap
in which we find
ourselves. It is
the special
interests who
use unfair trade
and self-written
tax loopholes to
make their
fortunes and
steal our
futures.
$100 limit. No
PAC money. Full
disclosure. Free
to lead is the
key. No other
candidate can
solve these two
problems because
they need their
money.
All I need is
you. 5 million
Americans out of
310 million can
make this
happen. Stand
with me on
www.BuddyRoemer.com
- you don‟t want
to miss this
campaign!
I am no one. A
former Governor,
a former
Congressman, a
successful
community banker
who returns to
politics after
16 years in
happy private
life, in order
to confront the
institutional
corruption of
Washington, DC
and the loss of
our
manufacturing
base so critical
to national
defense and to
the economic
health of our
great country.
A loss that
stems in large
part from the
unfair trading
practices by
some nations and
the deliberate
manipulation of
our tax code by
some
multinational
corporations. I
am no one, but I
challenge a
corrupt system.
And at 67 I am
old enough to
know what to do,
and young enough
to get it done.
These are times
that require
bold action and
fierce
determination. I
will do my part,
but I have
deliberately
chosen a path
requiring the
help of many
because that is
the way to win
and to get these
mighty things
done after the
election. Stand
with me against
the special
interests.
Spread the word!
Even with the
obvious failure
of government to
confront unfair
trade practices
and make America
strong, the boys
at the top are
living so well
they've
forgotten the
rest of America.
I have not.
I ask the 98% of
Americans who do
not currently
give to a
political
candidate to
stand with me.
Together we can
restore
America‟s
promise to our
children and
grandchildren.
Free to lead a
rising America.
We start today
in New Hampshire
where the state
motto is “Live
Free or Die”.
It‟s a good
beginning.
May God bless
America, and
each and every
one of you.
Source: Buddy
Roemer 2012
Presidential
Committee
Website |