Interview with Jessica Puente Bradshaw

Jessica, tell us a little of your background and what you believe has qualified you for Congress.

Professionally, my background is in education, real estate investments and sales. Currently, I am a professional political analysis on the Talk to Solomon Show – aires on www.cpnlive.com. What qualifies me? Constitutionally I meet the minimum requirements by way of my citizenship status and age. However, I have extensive experience in analyzing the federal issues and learning how they affect us on a day to day basis. I have actually read “Obamacare” and many other bills run currently. I have read and understand the Founding Documents: Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. I am not a “career politician” or lawyer.

You are running as a Tea Party Candidate. Can you tell our readers the difference between the Republican Party and the Tea Party?

The Republican Party has a platform that of course leans conservative, is for smaller government, and encourages entrepreneurship. We can argue that in some respects the Republican Party has somewhat strayed from the platform points. In some cases it has advocated bigger government and excessive taxation. The Tea Party came about when excessive taxation and spending became blatantly obvious after Obama was elected. Was there over-spending before? Yes, but things only seemed worse after the Obama election. With this said, the Tea Party platform is based mostly on the idea that we are being “Taxed Enough Already” and the social issues are not necessarily part of the Tea Party ideal. With this said, the Tea Party encompasses beyond a party. Anyone fed up with the current rate of spending and taxation can be a Tea Partier.

You mentioned the border fence was a waste of money and our Border Patrol is not equipped properly. What are your suggestions to improving Border Security?

Currently, the Border Patrol and Coast Guard are terribly underfunded in our area even though we have a higher rate of need and activity. We rely too much on “smart surveillance” but lack the manpower to follow-up on that surveillance. Increased funding that goes directly to man-power is a benefit. Military has been brought up as a necessary evil to curbing the violence crossing over but I have heard as much against it as for it. Is military a possibility? I think so. If implemented, it is going to have to come with some serious rules of engagement.

You had a tough time obtaining your citizenship. Please, tell us a little about what happened and how it could be fixed for future immigrants.

As I worked on my citizenship process, there was a long wait period. Lawyers seem to take the paperwork and it doesn’t seem to move things along. I do not know, if this is an “urban myth” or not, but I have heard that there is a lottery system as to when paperwork gets processed. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you wait. Besides that, I will say that as I went through the process…my paperwork was lost twice. To complete the process one fills forms, takes passport photos, fingerprints, mails a check. I did this twice and after a wait period and calling to follow-up I got told they couldn’t find my paperwork so file again. The third time did work like a charm and in 1998 I was official!

As for how to fix it, The USCIS U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (formally INS) is a huge government bureaucracy that needs streamlining. People, legally or illegally here, fall through the cracks and then we get people who came here legally but thru oversight let themselves become “illegal”, and we have people who will do all they can to be here legally but because of the same bureaucracy they can’t get a fair shot. Simplifying but making the rules fair is the first step. If you break the law, you don’t get a slap on the wrist; you pay a fair fine and penalty. If you are a good “candidate” the process should be faster. At this point, lawyers are benefiting from the long wait and convolution of rules.

What laws are currently before congress which could help our economy if passed and how?

The Senate has a jobs plan that is worth looking at. I think most of the Republican presidential candidates have some good ideas as well.

• A balanced budget amendment will go a long way in FORCING the federal government to reduce spending. It is time Congress puts their own feet to the fire and demands something be done and actually votes on passing this.

• Cutting Spending by reducing the known fraud and waste within programs that people depend on. Key word FRAUD and key word WASTE.

• No one likes to hear lowering of corporate tax rate. Immediately we think the “rich corporations” are getting something for free. This hardly ever gets through, but I am of the belief you lower the corporate tax rate and remove all the loopholes. This way the corporations pay a sure percentage and we avoid their ability to take advantage of so many loopholes that in the end have them paying close to zero – or in GE’s case – get money back.

In your opinion, what changes should be made legally concerning religion in school?

Individuals should be allowed to practice and display their religious beliefs freely without hindrance while the rest of the individuals should refrain from taking offence to that display. So long as one individual is not hurting another through those practices we should remain “tolerant”.

What is your opinion of the moral direction our country is heading? What three policies would you put in place to help our country get back on track and why?

We are on a downward spiral morally for sure. I have listened as so many individuals speak of how things are getting worse.

• People should have absolute freedom to publicly pray or publicly congregate for religious purposes. This would include “public property” – people should not have to hide in a building to show their faith. This includes prayer being allowed in school.

• Ease and access to questionable material must not be allowed on publicly/taxpayer funded property. For example, why is it ok for a pervert to sit at a public library browsing pornography?

• Public servants should not be allowed to serve after questionable behaviors surface. Adultery, “sexting”, prostitution, insider trading, purposeful lying or cheating (as in tax returns)….

The list goes on and on. We let way too many people in office get away with anything because they are who they are. We may not be able to control when a celebrity or sports figure gets into this kind of trouble, BUT politicians and public servants get their salary funded by taxpayer which in my opinion means that they have a DUTY to serve honestly and rightfully. If they do not, then out they go."