2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate: Marcus Lewis

On Feb. 5, Marcus Lewis appeared before the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board. We asked him why he’s running for the democratic seat in the 2nd Congressional district of Illinois in the March 2018 primary:

My name is Marcus Lewis. Candidate for congress 2nd Congressional district. My background is I’m running for office hoping to be the next congressman March 20th after seven o’clock. I’m pursuing having a very vigorous, bold, agenda with bringing in the new deal. That’s what’s needed for our district because we are being decimated by the store closings, the inaction by the current congress person and it’s just simply time for a change for a new breed of leadership.

Well, first of all, I want to bring forth the new deal. The 1932 program that we had an infusion of federal government. A bold infusion because we need resources. That’s what’s been lacking and for, since the GOP tax law has now been instituted into law, it has siphoned all the resources from the United States federal treasurer for the next ten years. They borrowed $1.5 trillion from China and $4 trillion dollars has now been repatriated back to the United states, untaxed or under taxed. And so that money needs to go to the districts, especially the 2nd Congressional District explicitly. We don’t have jobs. We don’t have businesses. Everything is drying up right before our very eyes and we must put that to a stop.

The Chicago Sun-Times sent the candidates seeking nominations for Congress a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing the state of Illinois. Marcus Lewis submitted the following answers to our questionnaire:

QUESTION: As a member of the House from Illinois, please explain what your specific cause or causes will be. Please avoid a generic topic or issue in your answer.

ANSWER: I will propose FDR’s “Economic Bill of Rights”.

SECOND BILL OF RIGHTS

Every American has the right to:

A Job.

An adequate wage and decent living.

A decent home.

Medical Care.

Economic protection during sickness, accident, old age or unemployment.

A good education.

Marcus Lewis

Running for: 2nd Congressional district (Illinois)

Political/civic background: Democratic Progressive

Occupation: Apostolic Pentecostal Minister

Education: De La Salle Institute, DePaul University

Campaign website: facebook.com/MarcusLewisForCongress2013

QUESTION: Please list three district-specific needs that will be your priorities. This could be a project that is needed in your district, or a rule that needs to be changed, or some federal matter that has been ignored.

ANSWER: Property tax reduction in South Suburbs.

An Industrial Park for product research & tech development.

Free public education for secondary and college.

QUESTION: If you are running as a Democrat, what is your best idea for getting any initiative you may propose advanced if the House continues to be controlled by the GOP after the 2018 elections?

ANSWER: The GOP has ceased being bipartisan. The U.S House will flip to the Democrats in 2018.

RELATED ARTICLES: Marcus Lewis

TOPIC: President Donald Trump

QUESTION: What do you make of President Trump?

ANSWER: He is purposely, personally profiting for himself, his businesses and for family and other Top 1/10 of 1% off of our federal government.

This is greed at its worse!!

I feel I will be repeating myself when it comes to this President.

QUESTION: Which three actions by the Trump administration do you support the most?

ANSWER: Ending TPP.

Nothing

Nothing.

QUESTION: Which three do you oppose the most?

ANSWER: Supporting & Signing the Tax Bill.

Putting forth wholly unqualified nominees for the Federal Bench.

Continued lying to the masses of the people of this nation.

QUESTION: What is your view of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian tampering in the 2016 election, including possible collusion by the Trump campaign. Does Mueller have your support?

ANSWER: I will have to see how the investigation progresses. I don’t see enough concrete information to make an informed judgment.

TOPIC: Terrorism

QUESTION: What should Congress do to reduce the threat of terrorism at home, either from ISIS or from others?

ANSWER: They should take note of Charlottesville. This is a potential domestic uprising that will turn into terrorism here. However, this Republican Congress are putting forth nothing and allowing it to fester and strengthen.

TOPIC: Guns and violence

QUESTION: What is the single most important action Congress can take to curb gun violence in the United States?

ANSWER: Congress can show the nation by putting forth massive resources and programs that will offset the tensions in the entire country. This Republican Congress is unresponsive, irresponsible and numb to the needs of the certain citizens of this country. Greed, selfishness and unmerited tax cuts for the top 1/10th of 1% is their sole interest.

QUESTION: Do you favor a law banning the sale and use of “bump stocks” that increase the firing speed of semi-automatic weapons? Why? Do you favor any further legal limits on guns of any kind? Or, conversely, what gun restrictions should be done away with?

ANSWER: YES!

Why? There is absolutely no need for a civilian to possess this. It becomes a simulated military-style automatic war weapon. This is making a bad situation worst.

OBEY the “entire” 2nd Amendment not just the second half….

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Ban online gun & ammunition sales.

With the massive amount of wayward gun violence I would not consider doing away with any restrictions at this time.

TOPIC: America’s growing wealth gap

QUESTION: As an editorial board, our core criticism of the tax overhaul legislation supported by the Republican majorities in the House and Senate is that it lowers taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans at a time of historic inequalities of wealth and income in the United States. We believe in free markets, but it does not look to us like the “silent hand” of the market is functioning properly, rewarding merit fairly. We are troubled that the top 1 percent of Americans own 38.6 percent of the nation’s wealth and the bottom 90 percent own just 22.8 percent of the wealth. Tell us how we are right or wrong about this. Does the growing income and wealth gap trouble you?

ANSWER: Your analysis is correct. This measure was a unmerited “cashing out” by the Republican Congress to its donors which is no reason to loot the Federal Treasury for a decade or more. They have given the nation’s bottom 99%, the vanishing middle-class and working poor debt that is grotesque!! Money that will mostly go to the top 1/10th of 1% and why should they have that!! Plus, the $4 Trillion Dollars in corporation cash profits that was sitting in offshore tax havens till this law came into fruition now can come into this country under-taxed to paying no taxes at all on all that money. This is traitorous. That’s our tax money that escaped coming to the Federal Treasury to afford all sorts of initiatives, such as shoring up Social Security, Medicare for All, to Student Loan Forgiveness to a host of infrastructure initiatives. This is not funny at all as there will be over $1.5 Trillion in more debt heaped upon the masses while the Top 1/10th of 1% of wage earners pay next to nothing in taxes practically!! This is insanity and a traitorous act. This new tax scheme law which harbors more things in it that would make you gasp, MUST BE REPEALED!! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!! THIS WAS THIEF OF OUR TAX DOLLARS and our children’s children’s future!!

This is unbridled selfishness to the sky without caring about anyone else outside of the super rich is misguided.

It is so fortunate I am on the ballot at this moment to give rescue to the masses of my district and the nation that needs relief from these wrongheaded “give all the money to the super-rich” policies.

TOPIC: International affairs

QUESTION: Do you support the Trump administration’s decision to move the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem?

ANSWER: There was no need to do this. It causes unnecessary tensions. Trump well knows what he has done. It was not necessary. I do not approve of unnecessary strife.

QUESTION: How will this help or hinder efforts to secure a lasting peace between Israel and its Middle East neighbors?

ANSWER: It does nothing but enflame. Just because Trump had the right to do it does not mean it is the right thing to do. This is not peace at all. It was totally unwise.

QUESTION: Is military action by the United States a plausible response to the nuclear weapons threat posed by North Korea?

ANSWER: Trump is handling this without care and there will be in a war with North Korea. The United State is the power here. There must be more than this wild infantile back & forth name calling is dangerous and disrespectful towards diplomacy. Trump treats diplomacy as being weak.

This behavior must cease.

QUESTION: How might a U.S. military response play out for South Korea, Japan and China? What alternative do you support?

ANSWER: If played out, it will end badly for that region and quickly spread to the rest of the globe.

Put mature people in a room and work this out.

TOPIC: Immigration

QUESTION: The Supreme Court has ruled that the third version of the Trump administration’s travel ban on eight countries with predominantly Muslim populations can go into effect while legal challenges against the ban continue. What is your position on this travel ban?

ANSWER: Unnecessary. I feel I am repeating myself when it comes to this President.

QUESTION: Has the United States in the last decade been accepting too many immigrants, and does this pose a threat to the American way of life?

ANSWER: This country is a nation of immigrants albeit not Africans that came by this country’s slave trade in the 1600’s to 1865. We should be making the rules and getting on with the more pressing issues. When there are a lack of standards this is what we end up with.

Statesman need apply to Congress. That’s why I am now on the ballot. I see myself as a statesman. This country must get back to “do the right thing” in everything we initiate, pass and enforce from Congress for the nation.

QUESTION: Should the “wall” between the United States and Mexico be built?

ANSWER: No. It is a wall that is a waste of money and will be torn down years down the road because it is a bad idea.

QUESTION: What might it accomplish?

ANSWER: Increase tensions and show this country is not welcoming to immigrants.

TOPIC: Affordable Care Act

QUESTION: The tax reform plan created by Republican majorities in the House and Senate would eliminate the Obamacare “individual mandate” that most Americans must have health insurance or pay a fine. Does this threaten the viability of the Affordable Care Act?

ANSWER: Yes, because most eventually won’t be able to afford it. I believe in Medicare for All.

QUESTION: What more on this, if anything, should be done?

ANSWER: Pass in both House & Senate, Medicare for All. It will cost less and cover everyone.

TOPIC: The opponent

QUESTION: What is your biggest difference with your opponent(s)?

ANSWER: EVERYTHING.

I MUST EXPLAIN.

I actually want to be the U.S. Rep. for the residents of the 2nd District. My opponent actually wants to be a U.S. Senator.

In 2015, after only being the U.S. Rep. for less than 2 years, Robin Kelly publicly announced that she was going a run for the U.S. Senate Seat held by then Sen. Mark Kirk. But, as soon as Tammy Duckworth said she was running for the seat, Robin Kelly re-ran for the 2nd District Seat. This shows my opponent Robin Kelly doesn’t really want this job as U.S. Rep. at all but a bigger position. Her heart and her actions have exposed her true feelings. She really doesn’t want this job. The district continues to suffer.

Example: My opponent is not constituent friendly. The main 2nd District office is in Matteson, Illinois. In an office/Holiday Inn building where you, from the outside would never know the district office is there. No outside sign notifying the office is there. The constituent has to take an elevator to the 5th floor where the constituent has to go through two locked doors just to get access to the district office.

Robin Kelly doesn’t want the constituents to know where their district office is to get any constituent services.

This is ridiculous.

I will have the district offices ALWAYS at street level “people friendly” walk in style.

I am not “Bought & Paid For”.

I am independent in thinking.

My opponent is a selected seat-holder by Michael Bloomberg, for Rahm Emanuel & Michael Madigan.

My opponent is “Bought & Paid For”. There is nothing independent about her as being the incumbent.

In 2013, Robin Kelly was selected for this seat as the selected seat-holder by fellow New Yorker, Billionaire Michael Bloomberg. Because he did this, is proof, his interests won’t be conflicted with or interfered with by his selected seat-holder in Congress. It is Bloomberg’s interests not the will of the 2nd District’s interests that MUST be voiced. I am not bought and controlled as is my opponent.

I am a man “of, by & from the people”. I want to represent this district to help rescue it from the blight and inaction it suffers from. I am a 22 year experienced union member. I will boldly get things done and do it in an organized fashion. My opponent is not. Michael Bloomberg is “Anti-Union”. Now we see why he selected my opponent to be his seat holder for our 2nd District Seat. We cannot have this type of conflict and influence.

After 5 years, no visible difference in the district from this incumbent.

My opponent has to go!!

I believe in excellence in employment & education opportunities for my district with places to work “in the district”. If you want to see if you have a good representative, look around at the 2nd district and contrast that with the district of downtown Chicago or the district where tech giant Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, CA. When you know you don’t see the amenities that other districts possess then you have the wrong representative. You have a case of the “selected seat-holder syndrome”.

No bold, independent thinking or bold ideas to grow our economic situation will ever come forth. This is the result of a billionaire coming in and buying in his influence. That’s not at all what the people of this district deserve. Our seat, our voice is controlled from New York. Thereby our voice for our issues are muzzled in Congress.

THIS MUST CEASE RIGHT NOW!! Kick the billionaire out of our district by unseating my opponent and electing me as its next Congressman. Our interests not a billionaires.

I will be the 2nd District’s “clear & distinctive voice for change” for District 2 of Illinois to work hard to earn your trust.

This seat in Congress can do so much for the 2nd District residents but not with the super rich selecting who sits in our seat. That’s the people’s priority.

What’s good for Bloomberg, Rahm Emanuel & Michael Madigan is NOT what’s good for the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois.

The Remedy NOW is “It’s Time for CHANGE”. CHANGE IS GOOD. BETTER to have the BEST, and that’s Marcus Lewis.

Grassroots Leadership with new initiatives to spur growth and opportunity, that’s what Marcus Lewis will provide.

It’s time to take back our district from the billionaire and millionaires and their selected seat-holder.

I am the BEST qualified for this position. I will prove that as the next U.S. Representative for the 2nd District of Illinois.

A Final Quote:

“A drowning man never looks cockeyed at the life boat coming to his rescue.”