In an effort to help you make informed decisions during the General Election, ABC Action News has reached out to dozens of candidates running for office. The following statements have been submitted to ABC Action News by the candidate. Every candidate was given the same set of questions. These are their responses in his/her own words.
Name: Christine Y. Quinn
Party: Republican
Office: U.S. House District 14
Experience:
I have over 30 years of experience as a small business owner. I founded My Family’s Seasonings, LLC in 2005 and moved the headquarters to Florida in 2014. Our products are currently available in over 3,000 grocery stores nationwide.
Why should voters vote for you?
As a woman owned and operator of a food manufacturing company, I have extensive experience running a manufacturing business from supply chain, to production, warehousing and distribution. I understand the complexities in bringing a new product to market, staying in compliance and adhering to strict Good Manufacturing Practices. I will use my knowledge and experience to create legislation that will help small manufactures across America cut through the bureaucratic red tape and streamline the process for entrepreneurs and minorities to start new businesses and help them thrive and grow!
If elected, what are your top priorities?
Education is the key to success and hope for the future. I will work on legislation to support school choice, bring back technical skills ie: wood shop, metal shop, home economics, the arts and music. We need to address the Teacher salaries and how we can better compensate those that teach our children the fundamental skills used throughout their lives. Education needs to be a priority.
In an ever-changing political environment and civil turmoil, we must establish law and order across America. This is accomplished by teaching respect for authority and the rule of law established in our country to live peaceful and enjoyable lives. The very fundamental aspect of our Constitution: The pursuit of happiness!
In order to sustain peace throughout the world, we must ensure our military is well trained and this is accomplished by ensuring our military is well funded.
What are three key messages of your campaign?
America is a Republic. Capitalism only works in a functioning Democracy. We must secure our Nation from Foreign and domestic terrorist that are threatening our freedoms. I will uphold the Constitution of the United States. Always remember, our 2nd Amendment Rights protect our First Amendment Rights. Economic Stability, Safety through established law and order, and lowering taxes, so businesses thrive and people prosper, are all key to preserving our freedom and way of life in America.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Ending Human Trafficking and supporting our disabled veterans. I personally go skiing twice a year with our disabled veterans through Veterans Adaptive Sports, which was established in Jupiter, Florida. (veteransadaptivesports.org) My company sponsors this program which allows disabled veterans to ski, with two adaptive sport ski instructors, for five days and covers all the cost. It allows our veterans to do the sports they once did prior to being disabled. I know firsthand that this program saves lives!
As your Representative, I will be directly involved, on a national level, with ending human sex trafficking. We need to shine a light on this horrific issue and injustice in America. Just as important as ending human trafficking, it is equally important to develop and fund recovery programs. The first step is to address the problem and prevent it from happening. The second step is to address the emotional and physical needs of those who have been victimized by these horrendous sex crimes.
As it relates to the role you are seeking, how has that governmental body handled the Covid-19 pandemic? What would you do differently/the same in handling both the public health risk and the economic recovery?
First and foremost, I would ensure that the testing and results are being reported correctly. I would have minimized the “fear factor” of the pandemic. The best means to ease peoples fears is by giving clear and concise information about the virus, the impact it may or may not have on individual lives, and the risk involved once exposed. I think there was too much false information being disseminated which resulted in undue stress and panic. I would have established a clear scope and length of wearing masks and closing down businesses. I would have been more clear on the risk factors and clearly presented the molecular structure of the virus, how it spreads, how it impacts individuals in varying degrees due to pre-existing medical conditions. More importantly, instead of a “blank” shut down, I would have isolated those people at high risk, on a one-on-one basis. I would not have used a “one size fits all approach.” I believe statistics were falsely being spewed on the media and over the course of time there were so many reports contradicting the other reports that people just lost track and had no idea what was truth and what was false.
As your representative, I will develop a task force to compile the data and ensure we have accurate and up to date reporting. People can only make a decision based on the whole truth. The CDC quietly updated it’s reporting but this information must be presented the masses.
In the role you are seeking, what will you do to address issues of racism and inequality?
First and foremost, words matter. Too often we loosely use words such as “inequality” and “racism” when addressing many issues facing our Nation. This lessens the real meaning and issues resulting from overreach of these words. When pertaining to voting, equality is one person equals one vote. Moreover, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, a landmark civil rights and labor law, outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements, racial segregation in schools and public accommodations and employment discrimination. We need to focus on how far we’ve
come in our country and stop trying to divide people based on the color of their skin. We need to celebrate the contributions made by all races in America. Our country is a melting pot of diversity. Unfortunately, the Democrats what to divide and “pit” people against each other.
Today, people of all races, ethnic backgrounds, religion and sexual orientation work, play and socialize together without fear of being ostracized from school, businesses, or employment opportunities. The problem is really a poverty issue. Social injustice tends to directly impact low income households most significantly. I will work to provide solutions to minorities and low income households by helping individuals learn new skills that will allow them to find steady employment and gradually build a future for themselves to be independent, self-reliant and self-sufficient.
What motivates you to run for public office?
As a small business owner, I have experienced firsthand the burdensome regulations that have been placed on small manufacturers across the United States. Unfortunately, the government has implemented a “one-size-fits-all” policy that is burdensome and over-reaching for many businesses. These regulations end up being time-consuming and a lot of paperwork that does not necessarily increase production or benefit the business, instead they are just costly fees that impact the bottom line for businesses and increase the cost of the products sold. The end user ends up paying more for products.
While we all want to be in compliance and adhere to these regulations, many of them do not apply across the board to all businesses. Thus, these regulations become cost preventive for businesses to grow and flourish. What may seem like a good thing on paper, ends up shutting down businesses; which impacts jobs and the economy across the nation.
I want to be the voice that will fight to reduce regulations, cut through the bureaucratic red tape, and help new businesses open while existing businesses flourish and grow.
Always remember, if the government is creating jobs, it’s costing the taxpayer’s money. Businesses create jobs and small businesses are the fuel the runs this country!
