Far too often candidates for public office and professional politicians simply list problems we are facing but do not propose any solutions.  Our campaign is different, I am not a Washington insider or a self serving politician, I am running for office to solve problems we face and to serve the people and this country.  We call our proposals to solve problems "Howie Plans."  We will propose Howie Plans for issues we feel are important to North Alabama.  We decide what issues are important to North Alabama based on talking with the people.  If you have any suggestions please contact us.  We will always consider innovative and interesting new policy proposals along the campaign trail that can help us move our district and the country forward. 

Jobs

To strengthen our nation we must grow our economy.  Over the last four years my employer was the United States military, when I decided to return home and raise my family in Huntsville and start my own small business, I was worried about how much income my family would have, how was I going to provide for my family, would my small business make it?  These are the same worries that many folks across North Alabama struggle with daily and especially in these volatile economic times.  As your representative, I will ensure that each constituent in the 5^th district will have every opportunity to start a small business just like I did, or to find steady employment.  It is essential for folks to be able to care for their families.  It is imperative for them individually, for our families and for all our communities across North Alabama.  I will strive to ensure entrepreneurs are able to start their own businesses because that is the engine of our American economy and investing in small business will always grow our economy and strengthen our nation. Bottom line, as your representative I will do everything in my power to ensure folks who want and need to work will be able to find work.  As part of this effort I am the only candidate who has put forward a plan on jobs, it is the first of our Howie Plans.  We call our Howie Plans for Jobs a "Green TVA or a 21st Century TVA."   

Howie Plans for Jobs-Green TVA/21st Century TVA

 

A Green TVA will create thousands of manufacturing jobs, ease our reliance on foreign oil, make our nation more secure and allow us to be better stewards of our environment. 

• Enable North Alabama to serve as a center of research and development into clean energy technologies. 
• Leverage the highly-skilled engineering and technical workforce of North Alabama at NASA to ensure that our region will continue to innovate.
• Develop talent and highly skilled workers through programs at UAH, Alabama A&M, University of North Alabama, Athens State University and Calhoun to ensure readiness for the technical jobs created in this new area.
• Utilize excess manufacturing capacity, like the empty Delphi plant, the empty Chrysler plant, and the TVA's research facility and many acres of available land in the shoals, to draw new major employers into the region.
• Aggregate focused entrepreneurs in a targeted incubation network, and support their efforts to access Small Business Administration resources already available.
• Expand projects such as the Campbell Creek Energy Efficient Homes Project, to develop and deploy improvements in weatherization technologies. 
• Employ both basic and advanced weatherization techniques to make seniors' homes and government buildings more energy efficient, so that fewer tax dollars fly out of poorly insulated windows.

With unemployment at such high levels in several counties across North Alabama, my number one priority in serving the 5^th district will be working with private industry and the state, and local governments to help create new good paying jobs and ensuring current jobs will be there for all the communities in the 5^th district.  With people of Alabama struggling I feel the obligation to put forward a plan to develop our economy and create jobs and will fight for this plan when I get to congress! 

Education

In order to grow our economy, we need to strengthen the manner in which we educate our children.  With Alabama consistently rated among the lowest of all the states in education rankings, it is essential we improve our public education system!  As a product of public schools and being from a family of teachers, I fundamentally understand that education is the foundation to our economy and society at large.  Education allows folks to obtain good paying jobs and care for their families as they move forward in their lives.  As your representative, education will be one of my highest priorities.  I will work in collaboration to ensure our public education system in Alabama is built from the bottom up.  After all, it starts at the local level, the teachers, the students and the parents all need to be involved in educating our children.  With education as one of my top priorities I will work to ensure our public education system is improved and our school children are able to reach their fullest potential.  While education is inherently a state issue, with leadership on the federal level and leadership on the state and local levels working together, we can ensure our education system performs better for the children and our future.   Strengthening our education system will of course help us grow our economy which will in turn make this district and our country stronger.   

Howie Plans for Education

National Security

Without ensuring our national security, we cannot grow our economy and strengthen our education system.  That is why I will always fight to keep America secure.  As a military officer I learned what it took to defend this great nation.  I devoted my life to serving our citizens and keeping America safe and have remained in the military in the reserves because I believe in serving this country.  During my active duty time in the Air Force, I was one of less than a hundred dedicated patriots who was deployed to Virginia for almost a half year to become an expert in how to respond to domestic terrorist attacks and natural disasters.  This experience will guide me in developing and determining the best policy initiatives to keep our country safe.  I also understand that in the Tennessee Valley, national defense is also our livelihood. As the nature of global threats change, I will be a tireless advocate for our defense industry ensuring that the Fifth District remains the most important region to the protection of our country. 

The men and women of the US Armed Forces are the most impressive fighting force in the history of the world. When given a clear objective and the tools needed to do the job, America's military has proven time and time again that there is no mission that they cannot successfully tackle. I will work to ensure that our military has what they need from the US Congress in order to keep our nation safe and secure.

• Support our troops:  I will fight to provide our military with the best equipment and training to ensure that our fighting forces continue to be up to any challenge that our dangerous world puts in their way.
• Winning technologically:  We must continue to expand our technological edge so that the world knows it is better to meet us at the negotiating table than on the battlefield.
• Pentagon accountability:  I will hold the Pentagon accountable to ensure that our service members have the quality of life and receive the compensation that reflect the gratitude they are due from this nation. 
• Veterans Affairs accountability:  I will hold the Department of Veterans Affairs to that same high standard to ensure that those who put their lives at risk for our nation are treated with dignity and provided with their promised benefits.
• Support our troops and military families:  Lengths of deployments and the span of time between deployments must represent best practices, both for the battle-readiness of our troops and the well-being of our service members and their families. 
• North Alabama at the heart of our national security:  I will ensure that the Department of Homeland Security recognizes how critical North Alabama is to the smooth functioning of our nation. With the Marshall Space Flight Center and the Redstone Arsenal, North Alabama's first responders must have the support to protect our communities and our federal assets against any and all threats that may hinder their operations. 
• Country over politics:  I will always be supportive of our military, as I would expect every member of Congress to be, regardless of who serves as the Commander in Chief. While a culture of debate and discourse should be fostered in all matters of public policy, we must recognize that politics must always end at our nation's shores.
• Comprehensive National Security:  National Security must also be looked at from a broader perspective than just the military.  The national debt is becoming a national security issue and particularly our debt to China.  I will fight to ensure the federal government lives within its means just as families all across the 5^th district. Focusing on our financial health as a nation, in addition to our military interests will ensure we protect our national security. 

Bottom line, jobs, education and national security are interconnected for this district and the country.  We need a representative who recognizes the important issues facing this district and our country.  We must elect someone who is committed to service of the people and someone committed to strength and growth of our communities all across the 5th district.  With your help we can get to work serving this district with smarter government.  If you would like to put service back in this district, get involved with our grassroots campaign today!