Jacob Turk at Panera on Chipman discussing 5th District Issues with Jerry Johnson while Dave Murray listens.

Lee’s Summit, September 30, 2010 – Great words I found in a most unusual place:
We Believe…
Representatives must…
Listen to all,
Lead with integrity,
Protect life and property,
Champion Opportunity.
Leadership. Not Politics.
These words are found on the card handed out by Jacob Turk, Conservative candidate for US Congress’ 5th Missouri District.  I had the opportunity to interview him on Friday September 24th at Panera Bread Company in Lee’s Summit.
Turk comes across as someone who is principled, practical and well grounded in the reality of small business America where he owned a business for twelve years.  He’s had to make choices.  He’s had to make payroll.  He’s had to make investments.  He’s had to work hard to grow and he understands what it takes: not from a classroom, but from practical and personal experience.
This is a man who knows the values of ordinary American’s and that those goals worth attaining are not easy.  He’s been running for MO 5th District since 2006 and has made significant progress.
“We gained between 2006 and 2008 and we learned that we can run a campaign basically on air and desire with very little money” Turk told me pointing out the difference between the well funded campaigns ran against him.
Turk knows that he is being outspent by Congressman Cleaver yet he sticks to his personal pledge.
“…I take no PAC money, all our money is from individual, and that is a pledge I made back in 2006 and still hold to it in this election.  That was a deliberate decision.  If I’m truly going to be a representative of the people then I had a tough decision to make.  That decision was not to take PAC money.  Today we have so many representatives of special interests because that’s who provides the fuel that powers the engines of election.”
It is important to realize that each and every one of us has a stake in the November 2nd election.  It will define whether or not Washington continues on its spendthrift ways, or if we regain fiscal sanity.  The trillions of dollars that have been wasted by Congressman Cleaver and his fellow democrats will have to be paid back. 
Our national debt continues to climb towards 100% of GDP and that is clearly unsustainable:  If you doubt me then simply look at Greece earlier this year, and Spain this week protesting the austerity measures.
The European entitlement generation is learning that you cannot continue to demand more and more from the Treasury:  Every treasury has limits, and Europe is finding that out.  Do we have to hit the wall to realize that too?
Turk not only puts it on his card, but he lives those values.
“…some people disagree with me, because they see the ‘R’ by my name, they give certain values and certain ideas of what that means because of the Republican Party, but they know nothing about me.”
This was truer in 2006 than today. Turk has been working every event in the 5th district and “…from the very beginning I’ve treated every part of the 5th District the same, it doesn’t matter if it is Peculiar, 14th and Prospect, Lee’s Summit or midtown Kansas City, everyone is a human being and they deserve to be represented.”
We spoke at length about the message Missourian’s and the 5th district sent to Washington with Prop C.
“…there’s been a shift in American’s perspective about politics.  Some rightfully say that the Republicans stopped paying attention to the people.  What we have now is Americans who are tired of the status quo; they want representation that will listen to them.  Prop C represented that message.  In the 5th district it passed by something like 63%, so it didn’t matter whether you were in the inner city or anywhere in the state, people overwhelmingly want a new direction for the country, a different direction for congress, they want new blood in there…”
Turk also added that, “…my opponent (Emanuel Cleaver) even admitted that 80% of the people who contacted him were against it.”
But, it all truly boiled down to how the 5th District is or is not being properly represented:  “When our elected officials ignore the Will of the people then that’s not governing, that’s tyranny.”
In the next part of the interview we covered the economy and whether Government or the Private sector, in Turk’s opinion, is best able to grow the economy.
Respectfully Submitted,
The Lee’s Summit Conservative