GOP Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz joined Chris Ryan at the Concord Photo Service Main Street Studio to discuss several issues including whether he will use or answer personal attacks against Republican opponents, if he’d be able to work across the aisle, the mental health epidemic and opportunity gap. The Texas Senator relishes his reputation as an outsider who has frequently been at odds with the Republican leadership in the Senate. However, he will not engage in personal attacks on frontrunner, Donald Trump or any of the others in the large field of candidates. In fact, Cruz has lauded Trump for bringing media attention to the immigration issue. Cruz Considers himself to be a true consistent conservative. However, he claims that he is willing to listen to the other side when it comes to compromising. He is not interested in making a deal just for the sake of making a deal. Cruz rails against what he describes as the Washington Cartel which consists of career politicians of both parties who are in bed with lobbyists. As a result, the budget is always increasing because their idea of compromise is to agree to each others spending proposals.
When he was asked about the government’s role with mental health and drug addiction, Senator Cruz shared some personal information about his father’s alcoholism and his sister’s problems with alcohol and drug addiction. As a former prosecutor, he believes that non-violent people with drug issues should be directed to treatment programs, and violent drug offenders, however, should be given tough consequences. He also believes that community and church groups have a significant role in dealing with the problem. Cruz believes that better health care is also a critical part of the solution. The senator has called for the repeal of Obamacare because in his view it provides fewer choices and has higher costs. Cruz would replace Obamacare with a reformed health insurance system which would be more personal, portable, and affordable.
Ted Cruz also discussed the “opportunity gap.” He believes that the Obama and Democrat big government policies are the reason for our stagnant economy which has caused a shrinking middle class. He pointed out that the top 1% currently control more of the country’s wealth than at any point since 1928. He believes that tax and regulatory reforms would stimulate the economy. Cruz has also called for a flat tax which would simplify the tax code and eliminate the IRS.
