Republicans have failed miserably to engage themselves in this argument (that the Republican party is for the rich and the Democratic party is for the poor). My allegiance is to get the poor back on their feet and to enjoy this country that so many of us take for granted.

It worries me that whenever there’s a new government program or agency, that much more of our freedom is swallowed up! He (President Obama) to add another 9 to 15% with cap and trade and health care. That’s on the verge of converting this free society to a socialist society that no longer worries about the free market.

One of the things in my background you should understand is that my family is in Cuba. That’s why I say that we are on verge of knocking on socialism.

All of those plans (health care, unemployment benefits, jobs) are socialist plan in nature. Socialism is when the government tries to do for us what we should do for ourselves. What I’ll tell you is that statement is based on fact and our government is out of control.

So we need to get government out of lives. I live in the people. I believe in “you”. A health care bill is an effort for the government to provide us with health care. That should be in the people’s hands, not the government’s hands.

I content that anytime the government “creates jobs” that it will have destroyed others in the process.

Rick Torres is a life-long Bridgeport resident, a successful small-business owner, and a true leader and steward of public good in his neighborhood, community, and city.

He prides himself in being a Constitutional scholar, and is running to be the kind of a citizen legislator envisioned by our Founders.

Rick was born in Bridgeport in 1959. His father, Juan, a Cuban immigrant and a political activist whose radio program had been shut down by the Batista regime, welcome the Cuban Revolution. In 1961, Juan took his family back to Cuba, to help Castro lead his native land out of tyranny—or so he thought. It took Juan only a couple of months to become disillusioned with the communist dictator, and another 5 years to secure a permission to leave Cuba again. Thus, in 1967, Rick and his brother were brought back to Bridgeport—with not much more than the clothes on their backs.

Today a successful self-made businessman and perhaps the most respected Republican in Bridgeport. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003. He served as a city Republican Town Committee chairman before being forced out after endorsing Democratic state Rep. Christopher L. Caruso in the 2007.