Conservative Running Against Rep. Olver

By Izzy Lyman
August 2002 Print Edition

Republican Matt Kinnaman, 41, of Lee, is running against U.S. Rep. John Olver, the Amherst Democrat who has represented the 1st Congressional District for five terms. Olver's district is the largest in Massachusetts and includes Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester, and Middlesex counties.

A former teacher and program director in non-profit enterprises, Kinnaman wants to bring his business, educational and charitable experience to Washington. His platform can be summarized as pro-business and pro-defense. He has lived in the District for eleven years. This is his first time running for public office.

He's the underdog in a race in which the incumbent is better funded and enjoys the full support of the Democratic Party machine. However, one high-profile Republican is sending out a letter of endorsement on his behalf. George Gilder, who served as a speechwriter for Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney (Mitt's father) and Richard Nixon, now runs a high-tech company in the Berkshires, says of Kinnaman, "Never have I been so excited about a candidate as Matt Kinnaman."

Gilder also criticizes Olver for using his eleven years in Congress to push his "tax-and-spend, litigate-and-regulate agenda and pursue Third Worldly leftist illusions in foreign policy." (Olver is a member of the Progressive Caucus, an organization that supports a socialist agenda and whose members include Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Rep. Bernie Sanders.).

Kinnaman and his wife, Loren, have been married for sixteen years and are the parents of two young children. He has an M.A. in political science from the University of Rhode Island and is an active churchman.

MassNews: Why do you want to run against John Olver?

Kinnaman: It's an opportunity as a citizen and voter. I believe this year, it's also a duty. It's a good opportunity to mount a grass-roots campaign to unseat one of the most ineffective and out-of-touch, and by some measurements, dangerous members of the House. I only throw "dangerous" in there, because he's cast votes which represent a mindset which is bad for the priorities of our country.

Since September 11, Olver has voted against five anti-terrorism measures and the entire defense appropriations bill. I don't question his patriotism, but I question his judgment on issues of national strength and security.

MassNews: Do you think Olver is isolated by living in Amherst, a community further to the left than most in western Massachusetts?

Kinnaman: He's a true believer by virtue of his stands on issues. I think that he does a terrific job of presenting a genial, non-threatening, safe and even comforting impression to a large number of voters. But there is no sense of being in-touch with the majority. The majority of Amherst is not reflective of the majority of this district.

MassNews: You have said that we, as a country, are "at a critical moment" regarding national defense. If so, do you think airline pilots should be armed?

Kinnaman: It makes sense to me that we should trust our commercial pilots to possess firearms in the cockpit. Armed pilots will be better equipped to defend passengers against terrorists. Allowing for this simple defensive measure promises to save the lives of innocent civilians.

MassNews: You are running as a pro-business, supply-side conservative. How is Olver, who has received campaign contributions from the business community, anti-business?

Kinnaman: Olver voted against the expansion of enterprise zones and the extension of tax exemptions for businesses. We need to know that as a District. We need a Representative who will do just the opposite. Olver, by his votes, sees business as an enemy, not as an heroic and positive force to generate well-being for our communities and our families.

MassNews: You stated that while you want an efficient, well-funded government that can provide the necessary provisions for defense, law enforcement and public services, you think that taxation has gotten totally out of control. You want taxes to be low and the tax code to be simple. In that spirit, are there any federal programs that you would like to see downsized or cut?

Kinnaman: I am in agreement with many other voters who believe that our government suffers a spending problem, not a revenue problem. The logical starting point on spending questions is to let no spending budget item grow faster than the rate of inflation without a 2/3 majority vote in Congress. Military spending must be exempted from this formula.

MassNews: Let's talk about education and social issues. Many Americans think our public schools are in crisis, graduating students who are illiterate, and being run by administrators who are promoting an anti-American, immoral agenda. Some conservatives think it's unconstitutional for the federal government to be involved in education, while others think vouchers and tax credits will break up the monopoly of the National Education Association. What's your reading about the crisis in education?

Kinnaman: Incentives are critical to success. The public education system, while populated by many excellent, dedicated teachers and administrators, is unfriendly to incentives (e.g. merit pay and bonuses for teachers). Furthermore, market-style competition has been shut out of the public education arena. Poor performance too often brings no consequences with it, and excellence is not tangibly rewarded.

Another cause of our education crisis is the de-emphasis of basic academic discipline and content. Self-esteem enhancement, social promotion, and sensitivity training leave little room for the rigorous study of literature, math, and science.

Parental choice and participation are essential to educational excellence. Parents must be given maximum freedom to choose the school they want their children to attend. Government policy should be crafted so that public, private, and home schools have equal opportunity to flourish in an open market of ideas and choices.

MassNews: What are your thoughts about abortion?

Kinnaman: I'm pro-life. I believe that the smallest, most defenseless and most innocent citizens need protection. Innocent human life should not be destroyed whether it's for an economic reason or a hardship. I think federal funding of abortion is a bad idea, and I would vote against partial birth abortions.

MassNews: President Bush has appointed several homosexual activists to posts in his administration, including Scott Evertz to direct the Office of National AIDS Policy and Stephen Fong (former president of the Log Cabin Republicans of San Francisco) to a post with the Federal Transit Administration. As a social conservative, what are your thoughts about these appointments?

Kinnaman: I have to conclude that the President selected these individuals on the basis of their professional qualifications.

MassNews: And your thoughts on federal gun control laws?

Kinnaman: Rigorous, thorough enforcement of existing gun laws makes sense and is a moral necessity. Creating new hoops for law-abiding gun owners to jump through will not reduce gun violence. Rather, it will distract law enforcement resources away from the front line of the battle against actual criminals.

Kinnaman's campaign web site is www.kinnaman2002.com.