Editor: Why I'm Voting For Matt Bevin
“Matt Bevin for Governor of Kentucky!” – Judge Napolitano (1)
Since the Judge has come out for Matt Bevin, I'm coming out of my shell. You don't get more “Constitutional Conservative” than Judge Napolitano! Here are the reasons why I'm voting for Matt Bevin.
Who is Matt Bevin?
In last year’s Senate race, Matt Bevin challenged 30-year incumbent Mitch McConnell, one of the most deeply entrenched, immoral and powerful men in Congress. Matt took him on and the TEA party roared its approval. Matt stepped up to that plate not because he wants to be a politician, but because he knows Kentucky can do better. As a principled and monumentally successful businessman, Matt knew he'd do a better job for Kentucky, particularly where his skill set is most needed: business expertise and the backbone to stand up to the feds. Yes, backbone. Despite McConnell's multi-million dollar attack campaign against him, Matt didn't back down, didn't attack back, didn't change his message, never gave up an inch. He got the backing of serious Conservatives all over the country... and he got 35% of the vote from Kentuckians. Impressive. Matt worked his way up from nothing to everything on his own, no family help, no political favors, completely on his own. Matt has started, then either sold or continues to own, some of the most successful businesses any of us have ever seen. That's plural: businesses. He has personally created so many jobs that he spends millions in payroll and benefits every year. One of his companies is waiting on FDA approval for a medical device that will change people’s lives. Of particular interest to Kentuckians: in 2003, Matt started what is now a multi-billion dollar (billion with a B) asset and pension management firm in his basement. Kentucky could use a little help in this area from someone who has direct hands-on experience in the field! Bevin is a veteran, having spent 4 years at Washington & Lee on an ROTC scholarship, then 4 years on active duty where he earned the rank of Captain. His Lt. Governor, Jenean Hampton, is also a veteran. Both are strong 2nd Amendment supporters and own concealed carry permits.
In his spare time, Matt and his wife Glenna have 9 kids.
On the Issues
To read Matt's "Blueprint for Kentucky," please visit his website at MattBevin.com. The two top issues facing Kentuckians are the looming debt and pension crisis, and the economy (read "JOBS"). Kentucky's next Governor must advocate:
ending the war on coal and getting our miners back to work;
standing up to regulators in all alphabet agencies and putting them back in their constitutionally-limited boxes;
freeing entrepreneurs and small businesses from burdensome regulations so they can open new doors and flourish;
attracting new business and industry to the state;
creating private-sector JOBS!
Matt Bevin advocates for all of these! All four candidates are pro-Right to Work which is required if we want new businesses to settle in KY. And all four have said they will stand up to the EPA, asserting state's rights, to bring KY coal back to life. The question is: which candidate is most likely to see that challenge through when the going gets tough? STATE’S RIGHTS/10TH AMENDMENT Matt's life history and business experience prove he has the courage, commitment and strength of will to do just that. Matt is one of a handful of candidates in KY history, besides Rand Paul, Thomas Massie and Phil Moffett, to talk about using state's rights and the 10th Amendment to free KY from the grip of the feds. He spoke about it openly during his Senate run. At one rally, the audience gleefully fought over which alphabet agency should go first. Clearly, the EPA is top of that hit list. THE PENSION CRISIS AND STATE DEBT
"Bevin has some legitimate competition in the Republican Primary in May, but none that have his breadth of real-world, private-sector experience in dealing directly with issues that Kentucky must confront." – Chris Skates (2)
Kentucky is in a deep financial hole, with its pension obligation at $109Billion. According to the Pew Foundation, that's $18,000+ for each man, woman and child in the state. (3) Matt Bevin is the only candidate with the know-how and direct hands-on experience to manage such an extraordinary debt. Not only did he found and run a now multi-billion dollar asset and pension management firm, he's brought failing businesses back to prosperity! None of his opponents on either side of the aisle can touch this record. In fact, his closest R opponent actually voted his way into a taxpayer-funded pension while working as a legislator. JOB CREATION Besides spending millions every year on salaries and benefits for jobs he personally created, Matt's business acumen is so strong, he was chosen by the J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship to be a Judge of student business plans. (4) Read his qualifications below, then compare them with every other candidate for governor in this year’s race:
With more than 20 years of experience in management, investment consulting, and marketing, Matt most recently served as Chief Executive and Principal of Integrity Asset Management, an investment firm with over $3.7 billion under management that he founded in 2003. The firm was sold in December of 2010. Matt is the founder of, or lead investor in, numerous other start-ups including Correct Building Products, Legacyit.com, Neuronetrix, Golden Rule Signs, Veracity Funds, Academic Merit, Heart and Soul Candies, etc. Additionally, he is the owner and sixth generation president of Bevin Bros Mfg Company, (5) a Connecticut based bell maker founded in 1832. He is a 2008 graduate of the EO/MIT Entrepreneurial Masters Program (6) (formerly known as Birthing of Giants) and has been a Regional Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Companies he has founded have three times been named to the Inc 500 (most recently #47). Matt currently serves on a number of non-profit and corporate boards.
None of his opponents come even close. One has attracted jobs via real estate development, one has no job creation experience and one has failed at both small business attempts.
HIS RUNNING MATE Even his opponents' supporters admit the incontrovertible fact that Matt Bevin has the best running mate in the field! Jenean Hampton is qualified in her own right. She is a veteran, a businesswoman and recently ran for the Kentucky General Assembly with full TEA Party support. You can read her bio at MattBevin.com. She and Matt share the same values and vision for Kentucky. No shrinking violet, expect Jenean to be a fully participating member of the Bevin administration!
COMMON CORE & EDUCATION Matt and Jenean are 100% against Common Core and will work diligently to remove it from our schools. One of his first actions in office will be to overturn the science and social studies standards via EO (Executive Order). Beshear’s EO is how they were allowed in KY in the first place. Matt will reverse that. His opponents all want to wait for the legislature to overturn Common Core Standards. This will be at least two years down the road, if not more. Are we willing to submit our children to two more years of brainwashing? Matt even advocates FOR home school.
We are looking at COMPLETE school choice, folks!
OBAMACARE (in his own words) Click the play button in the center of the image below to hear Matt talk about Obamacare, how he will dismantle Kynect and stop the Medicaid expansion:
ON THE 2ND AMENDMENT #2A Both Matt Bevin and his running mate Jenean Hampton support the Second Amendment and respect its original purpose of self-protection. Both candidates have Concealed Carry Permits. Both Matt and Jenean are veterans, having served honorably in our Military Forces. MEDICAL CANNABIS When I asked, Bevin said that if the Kentucky General Assembly passed a medical Cannabis bill, he would sign it, that medical treatment is between a doctor and patient. The "between a doctor and a patient” is of critical importance. Matt understands that this is ultimately a medical question to be decided by doctors, not a legislative question to be decided by politicians. He also spoke quite openly during the Senate run against the failed drug war and the nation’s out-of-control prison population. Only one of his opponents, Jamie Comer, said he would sign a medical Cannabis bill. Neither Heiner nor Scott would. FOOD FREEDOM I told Matt about the Wyoming Food Freedom bill that just passed.(7) Today in Wyoming (as in a few other states like TX and CA), you can bake a pie and sell it to your neighbor or a stranger from a food stand or your house with NO inspections, NO license, NO regulation, NO forced march to a class on how to wash your hands. I asked would he support that in KY? He said absolutely -- he's all for the complete freedom to do your thing and sell it. In fact, Jenean said her mom used to make pound cake and sell it to neighbors! PERSONAL LIBERTY I asked Matt directly if he thought the state's #1 priority is to protect me from myself. He immediately answered with an emphatic, "No!" From the many conversations I've had with Matt, it’s clear that he completely understands personal liberty. He knows the state's #1 priority is to protect each and every person's individual liberty, not our individual bodies. Personally, this is one of my top reasons for being on #TeamBevin. IN SUMMARY
Matt is a devoted family man with nine children, a devout Christian whose faith informs his decisions, a business man and entrepreneur who has created hundreds of jobs in Kentucky. Matt and Jenean have developed the "Blueprint for Kentucky," a plan for moving Kentucky out of joblessness and bankruptcy and into prosperity; for securing Kentucky's Sovereignty, protecting us from D.C. abuses (including Obamacare and Common Core!), and guarding our 2nd Amendment rights. You can go to this web address (a video on Facebook) to hear Matt talk about his passion and reasons for running for Governor: http://bit.ly/bevinkygov Friends, we are at a turning point in Kentucky. The next Governor will make or break this great Commonwealth, no fooling around. Matt Bevin is the only candidate with the experience, skills, integrity and courage required of the job. That is why I'm voting for Matt Bevin.
Resources:
(1) Judge Napolitano on Matt Bevin: http://www.mattbevin.com/news/2015/3/12/judge-andrew-napolitano-praises-matt-bevin
(2) Chris Skates on the #KyGov race: http://www.westkentuckystar.com/News/Local-Regional/McCracken-County/Skates-When-Will-Kentucky-Commit.aspx
(3) Pew Foundation on KY debt: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2012/PewKentuckyPensionChallengespdf.pdf
(4) Matt chosen as a distinguished judge of student business plans: http://entrepreneurship.wlu.edu/competitions/distinguished-judges/
(5) Bevin Brothers Bell Manufacturers: http://bevinbells.com
(6) Entrepreneur Masters Program: http://events.eonetwork.org/emp/
(7) Wyoming Food Freedom bill: http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/news_wp/?p=17846