Whalen talks about fixing the problems on the reservations

In the Mitchell Daily Republic this weekend, Bruce Whalen explained that he has workable solutions for fixing the rampant unemployment and other problems on the reservations. And that he himself is an example that it can be done:

To improve conditions, Whalen said, reservations must decrease the percent of employment supplied by the government and increase the percent supplied by private businesses. He said Republican leaders are more likely to make that happen.

Whalen touched briefly on his background, saying he was born in Pine Ridge but moved away with his family when he was a child. As an adult, he served in the National Guard, worked in the private sector and then began to make life changes when he became a born-again Christian in 1995. He moved back to Pine Ridge in 1999 and earned a degree from Oglala Lakota College. In recent years, he has actively campaigned for several Republican candidates.

“I’m living proof that you can leave that 90 percent unemployment, the poorest areas in the entire United States, and make something of yourself,” Whalen said. “I’m the person not supposed to be standing here in front of you saying I’m running for the United States House of Representatives, but I’m here.”

Whalen listed numerous conservative causes as the basis of his campaign, saying he is pro-life, anti-gay marriage, protective of the right to bear arms and in favor of making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. He also spoke about his family.

“I think it’s very appropriate to let you know that I’m married and I love my family and that my campaign is based on family values,” he said.

Read it all here.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Finally, someone who is actually there living it, telling us the answer is NOT more government handouts. If he doesn't make it to DC, at least he should make it to Pierre.
Anonymous said…
I think we have already figured our that his campaign is based on family values...I guess he is going to continue to tell us that and not much else....
Anonymous said…
Whalen IS proof that personal responsibility, not govt handouts making people dependent,is the answer to Native American problems on the reservation. And he is right, it's the Dems who want to keep them dependent and the Reps who are more likely to help them see personal responsibility is the key. It's too bad that he's running against Herseth who "can do no wrong in most people's eyes" and he doesn't haave a chance to get his message out. And I agree, he ought to run for state legislature.
Anonymous said…
I think Bruce Whalen is probably a nice man, but it takes knowledge of government to do the job. It's not enough to say you are pro-family and pro-life.

Someone who happened to see Whalen's latest debate, and previously knew nothing about Whalen or that race, told me that he thought it was sad the Republicans would throw him to the wolves without any help.

The party apparently considers Herseth to be untouchable or they would have tried harder to find an opponent who had at least half a chance.
Anonymous said…
Is Bruce Whalen pro-life? I am not clear on his stance on this issue yet.
Anonymous said…
Whalen's signs indicate he is pro-life. I guess that makes him qualified for public office here in SD.
Anonymous said…
Bruce impresses me with the insight of his comments.

Tribes are always better off with economic development even if it 's gaming initially rather than more government handouts and intervention.

One less vote for Herseth and one more for Wahlen.
Anonymous said…
Why did he wait until now to talk about these issues? Before this, all we knew about him was that he's Republican, pro-life and "pro-family." And that's it. I knew he's Native American, but he never ever talked about it or issues related to them.

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