My name is Ryan Sanders and I am running for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 19th District.

My car is 18 years old. It has 190,000 miles on it. The heat doesn’t work, the windshield washer is broken, the ceiling is falling in and the engine is burning oil. I also own an old property; when the pipes freeze, I fix them;, if painting needs to be done, I do it. I shovel my sidewalk when it snows.

I am a businessman. My businesses are small but hardy. I have a lot of debt and a lot of headaches. I worry about meeting payroll. I worry about paying the mortgage and about my debt. I worry about providing for my family. I make sales calls every day and get hung up on. But through my businesses I support or directly create 12 jobs.

Why does this matter to you?

Because I’m a Main Street American. Because I’m not beholden to a Wall Street Bank. Because I’m not running for the House of Representatives so I can have a challenging new career or because I need something to fill my time. I already have that! I’m running because I’m tired of being taken advantage of by people who don’t understand what you and I are going through to make ends meet. I am running because it is time someone who understands what the everyday American needs represents us in Washington, DC.

I hear some of our Representatives claim that the stimulus bill didn’t work. But these are just partisan talking points aimed to distract the everyday American from the truth. I attended an event in November 2009 where the senior economist for M&T Bank told the York County Chamber of Commerce that the stimulus bill was the only reason the US economy grew in the 3rd quarter of 2009 and, he added, that only 20% of the stimulus package had been spent at that point! Throughout the country, economist after economist has declared that the stimulus made our economy grow. I don’t know how you can construe that fact any other way than: the American Recovery Act with its, stimulus and its tax cuts, worked and is still working.

However, just because we’re doing one thing right though does not mean our work is done. Unemployment is still too high. As of February 5, unemployment was listed at 9.7%. Without a healthier business environment, the private sector won’t replace the stimulus as an engine for growth and we all know the government can’t afford more. But instead of solutions, I hear some of our representatives wax eloquently about cutting off the very aid that has helped to blunt the recession and start us back on the road to recovery. Yet I notice that many of these same representatives caved to the previous administration’s calls for irresponsible spending every time it was requested; be it unfunded tax cuts, an unfunded expansion of Medicare, unfunded wars…the list goes on…unfunded…unfunded. And now we have a deficit bigger than we have ever seen at the worst possible time: when our economy has stumbled.

A smart representative would drop partisan talking points and look at what is working and develop plans to complement them. Here is what we know works:

Jobs: I support tax cuts for small business and greater access to credit. I strongly support using $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid from their bailout to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to grow. A new small business tax credit, increased Small Business Administration loans and reform of credit card laws are additional required steps that will allow small business to focus on what they do best: create jobs.

Small Business: The Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that small businesses have created 65 percent of the net new jobs in the U.S. over the last 12 years. But they are struggling to get access to credit to continue to grow and invest. The government must ensure the continued ability of small businesses to access credit, to hire new employees, invest in research and development, and develop new avenues of growth.

Financial Services Reform: The Volcker Rules, which gives regulators the right to limit the scope and scale of firms that pose a “grave” threat to stability, would be an excellent step and Congress should pass them as soon as possible. We don’t want to be caught in another situation where the big Wall Street banks are once again “too big to fail”.

Health Care: We cannot rest on our laurels if we implement the above plans and create jobs. We need a long term solution that will increase the health and wellbeing of all Americans. We must reduce the burden of health care on small businesses and the everyday working person. The health care bill the Senate passed is the best chance we have had in decades to address the lack of coverage among tens of millions of Americans. We still need to address the costs. We still need to address frivolous lawsuits and defensive medicine. And we still need to ensure that people are not having their coverage denied or dropped for a preexisting condition.

And we simply cannot take our eyes off the fact that the current health care system is too expensive for us to afford and doesn’t provide a fair level of service that a country as wealthy, and capable as the United States should have. We have excellent health care for too few and average or terrible health care for too many. The House of Representatives needs to pass the Senate bill with no delay so we can get one step closer to bringing the US health care system back to the very top of the world. They must then immediately return to address costs and lawsuits.

Balancing the Budget: The most important rule that Congress allowed to wither under the Bush Administration was the Pay as You Go rules for the Federal Budget. It has finally been made a major priority again. This simple act of fiscal responsibility was one of the reasons the US economy began this millennium with a budget surplus and the US economy was the most admired in the world. Economic growth will return, and once unemployment and the business environment picks up again the federal budget will improve. But the government MUST live within its means during good times. Our country had a 6 year economic expansion from 2001 to 2007 but our government did not save a single dime for a rainy day and in fact spent us into a huge hole that was the largest ever in history at that point! It is the duty of our leaders to manage the books well so our children don’t pay the price of our waste. It is our duty to be fiscally responsible when it matters most, not when it sounds best.

These are the plans and goals that will bring growth and success back to the US economy and increase wealth in Central PA. If we all run for these goals, we all win. We, the everyday people, will have succeeded.

I am a small business owner whose family has lived in Central Pennsylvania for over 10 generations. I am running for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 19th District. I am campaigning to hear and address your needs in these hard economic times. We need to fight for working families and small business. As your Representative in Congress, I will focus on freedom, responsibility and smarter government. Together we can win. Work with me!