I am not involved in his campaign, but from what I hear I
like this guy
because I agree with him about how our dependence on Foreign Oil is bad for our country in many ways.
Latas is running for Kolbe's open seat in congressional district 8, Arizona. When he talks about how dependence on oil is shaping our foreign policy and making us less safe, I believe that he knows whereof he speaks. He got a nice little article
in the Tucson Citizen on Friday.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Energy ex-fighter pilot's priority
BLAKE MORLOCK
Tucson Citizen
He was a candidate before it was in vogue.
Jeff Latas, a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, decided to run for Congress when it meant taking on 11-term U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, who has beaten all comers for 22 years.
The 47-year-old Democrat filed in November, two weeks before Kolbe, a Republican, opted not to seek another term.
Now, Latas has company, with four others in the race.
What he lacks in name recognition or money, he'll make up for in experience, he said.
Here's the part I really like:
Latas came to Tucson in 1978, graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in aerospace engineering and served in the Air Force from 1982-2002, flying F-15E Strike Eagles. He also did a stint in the Pentagon as a planner. That experience informs his decision to make energy his top campaign priority.
He said too many military and diplomatic resources are spent stabilizing the Middle East, because that's where the oil is.
"It's been going on for 33 years, and it's time to quit it."
He proposes incentives to get America off oil from the region and a longer-term goal of getting the country off fossil fuels altogether.
And here is his website:
http://www.jefflatas.com/
I don't know if he has a chance, but I do like what I hear of him.