(April 2)  Mount Baldy School District Board Member Paul Hannosh is seeking to unseat his fellow Republican, Paul Cook, as congressman in California’s 8th Congressional District.
Hannosh was born in Detroit, Michigan but grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. He attended Pasadena City College and majored in liberal arts  at Cal State LA, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree.
Cook, who was a colonel in the Marine Corps prior to beginning his political career as a member of the Yucca Valley Town Council before going on to the California Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives, faces in Hannosh another veteran. Hannosh served in the U.S. Army.
Nevertheless, Hannosh sees military action as a last resort and while at Cal State LA he formed a coalition for peace in the Middle East.
Hannosh has worked in real estate and is now a biology and history teacher in a different school district from where he is a board member.
Now married with a daughter, Hannosh characterized himself as a political conservative who considers Cook too liberal for the constituency he represents.
“I believe like 90 percent of Americans that Congress is not working in our interest,” Hannosh said. “There is too much money corrupting our system. Our politicians and our political system should put Americans first, not the lobbyists.”
He tore into President Barack Obama, saying he was pursuing counterproductive policies.
“One of them is the Affordable Health Care Act, which cost me personally over $4,000 per year in increased premiums,” he said. “From this there is a loss of jobs. Employers are letting people go so they can avoid the mandate. Job creation is hugely important to the citizens of this district. We have too many unemployed and underemployed. I want to reform our tax system that is hurting our employment situation by embedding a 22 percent hidden tax on all domestically produced goods, which makes imports cheap and inflates the cost of  American–produced products.  I advocate a fair tax – HR25 – which would grow the economy and simplify our tax system by creating a national consumption tax in place of the income tax. I also oppose amnesty because of our current economic system cannot afford to import poverty and take jobs away from American citizens.
I also believe it is important for us to end foreign intervention and bring our troops home so we are not subsidizing foreign economies.  I believe we should speak out on behalf of the world’s most persecuted group, the Christian minorities in the Middle East, by ending all foreign aid to the countries that persecute Christian minorities. I support the second amendment very strongly and I believe our current congressman has not been representing one of the more conservative districts in the county adequately. My opponent Paul Cook is out of touch with what the Eagle Forum says is the 87th most conservative district in the country. His congressional voting record scorecard according to the Eagle Forum is 33 percent. He votes with the Democrats more than the Republicans  I also oppose government snooping and spying on Americans and the collection of their electronic data without a warrant.”
Hannosh continued, “I believe we need to reform our banking system by auditing the Federal Reserve as the Federal Reserve has been a failure at its two main goals of fighting inflation and preventing recessions.”
Though he espoused conservatism, Hannosh said he was not going to tap into political action committee money available from conservative coalitions.
“My campaign motto is to put Americans first  I am willing to take on the establishment  in order to restore power back to the people,” he said. “Because I’m not taking money from the large PACs  my support is coming from average citizens and I want to be a humble servant and listen to the people by creating an electronic town hall where my constituents can give me feedback and help me understand what the important issues to them are. Paul Cook supported the bank bailouts of 2008 and I pledge to reform our banking system. I served my country in the Army and I serve my community as a teacher and we need someone who will put Americans first, not special interests. We’ve had enough of the insiders who control Washington. We need an outsider who can’t be bought. I am not a career politician.”
Hannosh has received an endorsement from the Federation of Republican Women, the National Republican Liberty Caucus and Paul Schrader, who is running for San Bernardino County sheriff.