PEORIA -- A candidate has announced an exploratory committee to challenge Republican congressman Aaron Schock for the 18th District seat next year. Here is his news release:
PRESS RELEASE from Carl Ray Exploratory Committee
For immediate release
March 23, 2009
Democrat Carl Ray to Launch Exploratory Committee for Congressional Bid
Healthcare experiences and District’s economic needs drive Gulf War vet's decision
Carl Ray of Washington, Ill, is announcing today that he is forming an exploratory committee to consider a run for Illinois' 18th Congressional District, currently occupied by U.S. Representative Aaron Schock.
Ray served in the U.S. Air Force and is a veteran of the Gulf War. In peacetime, he was based at RAF Lakenheath UK where he worked as an avionics technician for F-111F strike bombers and was named the Maintenance Person of the 3rd Air Force (which, at the time encompassed all of Europe). He was also selected for the Base Honor Guard and was nominated for Base Honor Guard Member of the Year. In Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Ray supervised a team of 12 to 24 airmen. He received decorations, awards and early promotions while serving.
In civilian life, Ray has worked in strategic planning and technology with Union Pacific Railroad, has been a software consultant, has led process improvement teams and performed capacity and capital planning for the US Operations Division at Caterpillar (where he now works in the Advanced Systems Division). "I’ve worked with people from all walks of life and led groups in both civilian and military life, peacetime and wartime", Ray said.
Ray graduated with Highest Distinction in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and went on to earn an MBA at Illinois as well.
Ray has been married for 14 years to his wife Kristin, and they have two children.
Potential Platform:
Jobs – “In the global economy, everything is portable except labor. We need to ensure that besides having good infrastructure for manufacturing plants to use, we have a highly skilled workforce in place to attract them. If someone loses their job, they need to have the opportunity to retrain. And we need to find jobs that are a natural fit for downstate Illinois and won’t move – like new wind farms and agriculture jobs.”
Single-Payer Health Insurance - Ray favors a system of private, not-for-profit hospitals and a national health insurance program run by the public sector, mirroring the Canadian system which enjoys overwhelming support in that nation.
"Health insurance for all is a very personal subject for me. When our son was two, we were devastated to learn he was autistic. But there was hope because we had caught his condition at a very young age, giving him the best chance for recovery. The experts told us that the window of opportunity doesn't stay open long, however, and the benefits of treatment rapidly dwindle to almost nothing by age six. We had to take action right then, or risk losing him forever to his mental prison. We were already financially stretched, due to my wife's recent illnesses. But what choice was there? We resolved to push ahead and find a way to pay for my son’s care. But despite our good intentions, best efforts and the fact that we paid $400 every month for health insurance, we were soon crushed under a mountain of medical bills and forced to file for bankruptcy protection.
Over half of all bankruptcy filings are now due to medical bills and the number is growing. Americans know the system is broken and in desperate need of change. Though I was faced with a choice between risking financial ruin and having a child who would never speak, that was only because I had insurance. The uninsured don't even get that horrible choice. Their child is unable to get treatment, out of the race before the starting gun. I have witnessed this for myself and in a country with the best health care technology the world has to offer, this is beyond unacceptable."
National Pension - "I believe we need to increase Social Security payments from 38 percent of past earnings to 65-70 percent. This will ensure that all Americans can have peace of mind in their working years and dignity when they retire.” As a first step toward achieving the goal of a dignified retirement for all Americans, Ray has proposed supplementing Social Security with funds raised by charging a fee for stock transactions. Experts estimate a 0.25 percent fee on all transactions will easily raise $150 billion. Other measures could be brought in over time to enhance this supplement while keeping it solvent.
“Conservatives often criticize government agencies, saying that they never go away once they’re created. I can’t think of a better argument for a national pension – it won’t go away. More and more we’ve seen companies do away with pensions and the recent stock market collapse calls the reliability of 401Ks into question. A public solution is the right solution."
With the formation of the exploratory committee, Ray will begin meeting with members of state and local government, as well as community leaders, to gain a better understanding of the needs of their areas. “But the key activity will be reaching out to voters all across the district to identify what qualities they consider essential in their congressman.”
Contact Info:
Web Site: http://www.CarlRay2010.com
Carl Ray Exploratory Committee
P.O. Box 261
Washington, IL 61571
Voice Mail / Fax: WILL NOT GO ACTIVE UNTIL MARCH 24th
E-Mail: info@CarlRay2010.com
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