Washington veteran wants to be the next ‘Congressman Ray’
Contact:
Bill Poorman, acting press secretary
poorman@billpoorman.com
Democrat Officially Kicks-off Campaign for the 18th Congressional District of Illinois
Washington, IL; Springfield, IL – August 24, 2009 – Democrat Carl Ray officially kicked off his campaign for Illinois’ 18th Congressional District today at events in his hometown of Washington, Ill., and in Springfield, Ill. The 18th Congressional District seat is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock.
In remarks at the events, Ray promised that restoring the middle class would be his top priority in Congress. Ray emphasized the need for comprehensive and affordable medical care for all Americans. The issue of health care is a personal one for Ray. A few years ago, his wife had two illnesses that
strained the family’s finances. Then he learned his 18-month-old son was autistic. Treatments were available, but they had to start right away:
“So we were faced with a choice. Already on financial thin ice, we could risk financial ruin and start treatment, or we could have a son who may never speak. Of course, we did what any parent would do and moved ahead with treatment, resolving to find a way to pay for it. But the funny thing about health care is you never know how much it’s going to cost until after you’ve received treatment, and when the bills started to come in, it was overwhelming. We were bankrupted by it.
“But despite all the pain and humiliation that went with our financial meltdown, if you asked me if I would do it again, I’d say, ‘In a heartbeat!’ Because thanks to the therapy and medical treatment he received, our son now attends mainstream 3rd grade classes, where he’s a straight-A student and was named student of the quarter last year. I often joke that we used to pray that he’d speak one day, we must’ve prayed too hard because now he never stops. He talks about dinosaurs and the solar system and on and on.
“So I would do it again, but the point is that no one should have to. If there’s anyone around who can appreciate the need for comprehensive health care reform, it’s me.”
Ray also says that, during the time his son was being treated, he saw another child who could not afford additional therapy that seemed to fall further behind:
“I often think of how unfair it is for this to happen to a child, an innocent, someone whose only sin is being born into a family of modest means.
“Earlier this year, there was a program that came up for a vote in Congress to provide health insurance for kids whose parents couldn’t afford medical coverage – the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP. The vote was to renew coverage for seven million children and expand the program
to cover another four million. When that program came up, I thought of that little boy and the countless others like him in our country. And when Aaron Schock voted against the bill, I knew he had to go.”
Ray also criticized Schock for having missed 32 votes during his first six months in office, placing him in the bottom quarter of attendance:
“The House of Representatives only meets three days a week, and yet he’s missed anywhere from one vote to every vote on nineteen different dates.
“Now, just a few months ago, a lot of folks where I work got laid off. Good people, good friends with lots of years of service. It was painful to see and scary, too, since I didn’t know if I’d lose my job.
“So the idea that, in these economic times, our congressman, who has a guaranteed job for the next two years, a job that pays him over $169,000 a year of our money, has great health benefits, retirement, and other perks,
and he can’t show up to do his job? That is unacceptable!
“And even when he’s present, he’s not there for us! He supported the TARP bailout for Wall Street during the last election, but opposed the stimulus for Main Street when he got in. On the one hand, he supports allowing overseas tax havens for corporations and is against limiting the salaries and bonuses of executives at bailed out companies, yet, on the other hand, he’s opposed bills that would help working women, families losing their homes, and the unemployed.”
Ray went on to lay out what would be his five guiding beliefs as a U.S. Representative:
1. If you work 40 hours a week, you should be able to earn a living.
2. The street you live on should always be kept clean and safe.
3. Your children should be able to go to a good school and get a solid
education.
4. When you or someone in your family gets sick, you should be able to
see the doctor of your choice.
5. When you reach retirement age, you should be able to live with
dignity.
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 twelve to twenty-four 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 U.S. Operations Division at Caterpillar.
“I’ve worked with people from all walks of life and led groups in both civilian and military life, peacetime and wartime”, Ray says.
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 fourteen years to his wife Kristin, and they have
two children. They live in Washington, Ill.
