Souder Opponent Speaks In Warsaw
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Thomas (R-Indianapolis) spoke at Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church to the Kosciusko Silent No More group during a forum attended by approximately 70 people.
Tom Metzger, (R-Warsaw), write-in candidate for the third district seat, also attended.
Other candidates for the US District 3rd Congressional seat are Charles Newman, (R-Garrett), Phil Troyer (R-Fort Wayne), Tom Hayhurst (D-Fort Wayne) and Thomas Allen Schrader (D-Fort Wayne).
The primary is May 2 and the general election is Nov. 2.
Bob Thomas, 59, grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. He has lived in Hamilton County for 13 years, and recently purchased a house in Fort Wayne.
"I've never run for political office before, but I have been a businessman for the past 30 years," Thomas said.
Thomas said he does not have anything personal against Souder, but said Souder needs to be accountable for his voting record and address constituents' concerns.
Thomas said he supports term limits for congressional leaders and supreme court justices, and not career politicians and said Souder is a career politician.
Thomas said Souder raised $150,000 last year from political action committees and corporations.
"These men have a network where money is thrown at them and they know it's virtually impossible for anyone to step up and challenge them," Thomas said.
He said in a federal campaign the law states a candidate can't recieve contributions from an individual or corporation, but can from a political action committee.
He said he also does not support earmarks as Souder has supported.
"Earmarks are wrong, they are bribery and distortion and need to be stopped," Thomas said.
Thomas was asked about his thoughts on the US-Mexico border situation and illegal immigrants.
"Illegal immigration is nothing but the 21st century version of slavery. There are a bunch of greedy white guys that want cheap labor and to not have to pay for benefits," Thomas said.
Thomas said he thinks there needs to be border security and requirements to get into the U.S.
An attendee asked Thomas what he can do to protect business interests of the third district.
"I've noticed the sentiment here in Kosciusko, Elkhart, and LaGrange counties is different than Fort Wayne and obviously Souder is not making contact with you," Thomas said.
He said a lot of people feel Souder doesn't represent them, but Fort Wayne.
"I have friends in Kosciusko County and know the Rice Brothers and Ford Dealers and plan to talk to community leaders," Thomas said.
Thomas' father, Harold, a WWII veteran with the Eighth Air Force, was a career executive with IBM. Bob attended St. John's College High School in Washington D.C., the largest military day school in the country.
Thomas' desire was to attend the Air Force Academy, where he had an appointment, but his eyesight prevented him from passing the physical exam. Instead, he attended Princeton University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1972.
After graduating from Princeton, he was drafted by the Army in the second year of the lottery draft but a previous kidney infection prevented him from passing the Army physical. He tried, instead, to join the Washington DC police force, but his 4F military status prevented them from hiring him.
Thomas began selling cars at Bethesda Ford in 1972, and after 5 years in the retail automobile business he attended Harvard Business School and earned his bachelor's degree with high honors in 1979.
Thomas moved to Fort Wayne in 1980 to resurrect the bankrupt Lincoln Mercury dealership which had been closed for 8 months.
Despite the worst economic conditions imaginable for a Lincoln Mercury dealership, with a combination of enthusiasm and hard work, and with the support of many people Thomas said he turned Fort Wayne Lincoln Mercury into the largest Lincoln Mercury dealership in the region and one of the largest in the entire country in its very first year.
Thomas went on to acquire Bob Jackson Ford in 1992 renaming it Summit City Ford and in 1997 acquired Allen County Motors.
He consolidated all three dealerships under the Dimension banner and today, combined with Capitol City Ford, Indianapolis, Thomas is the largest Ford Motor Co. dealer in Indiana. Over the years, Thomas said he has employed more than 1,000 Hoosiers in Northeast Indiana and payed more than $180 million in salaries to employees in the 3rd district.
In 1981 Bob married his wife Suzanne, a graduate of St. Mary's College in South Bend. They have three daughters, Elizabeth, 26, Cameron, 21, and Meredith, who died in 2003 at the age of 17.
The Thomases are supporters of Riley Hospital for Children.
It is his business sense, enthusiasm, and dedication, along with the deep appreciation he has developed for the people of Northeastern Indiana is what he said drives his desire to run for Congress.
After the success he has experienced in Northeast Indiana, he feels compelled to give something back to the third district by serving for them as their representative.
Thomas said he believes spending has gotten out of control in Washington, and that our country is going bankrupt. In his opinion, the current members of Congress not only don't know how to stop the spending, but they don't have the courage, the integrity, or the intelligence to fix the problems.
Thomas believes it is time to get the career politicians and lawyers out of Washington, and replace them with businessmen; businessmen who know how to take what was previously a failing, bankrupt company, and transform it into a success.
Thomas' Web site is www.BobThomasForIndiana.com
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Thomas (R-Indianapolis) spoke at Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church to the Kosciusko Silent No More group during a forum attended by approximately 70 people.
Tom Metzger, (R-Warsaw), write-in candidate for the third district seat, also attended.
Other candidates for the US District 3rd Congressional seat are Charles Newman, (R-Garrett), Phil Troyer (R-Fort Wayne), Tom Hayhurst (D-Fort Wayne) and Thomas Allen Schrader (D-Fort Wayne).
The primary is May 2 and the general election is Nov. 2.
Bob Thomas, 59, grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. He has lived in Hamilton County for 13 years, and recently purchased a house in Fort Wayne.
"I've never run for political office before, but I have been a businessman for the past 30 years," Thomas said.
Thomas said he does not have anything personal against Souder, but said Souder needs to be accountable for his voting record and address constituents' concerns.
Thomas said he supports term limits for congressional leaders and supreme court justices, and not career politicians and said Souder is a career politician.
Thomas said Souder raised $150,000 last year from political action committees and corporations.
"These men have a network where money is thrown at them and they know it's virtually impossible for anyone to step up and challenge them," Thomas said.
He said in a federal campaign the law states a candidate can't recieve contributions from an individual or corporation, but can from a political action committee.
He said he also does not support earmarks as Souder has supported.
"Earmarks are wrong, they are bribery and distortion and need to be stopped," Thomas said.
Thomas was asked about his thoughts on the US-Mexico border situation and illegal immigrants.
"Illegal immigration is nothing but the 21st century version of slavery. There are a bunch of greedy white guys that want cheap labor and to not have to pay for benefits," Thomas said.
Thomas said he thinks there needs to be border security and requirements to get into the U.S.
An attendee asked Thomas what he can do to protect business interests of the third district.
"I've noticed the sentiment here in Kosciusko, Elkhart, and LaGrange counties is different than Fort Wayne and obviously Souder is not making contact with you," Thomas said.
He said a lot of people feel Souder doesn't represent them, but Fort Wayne.
"I have friends in Kosciusko County and know the Rice Brothers and Ford Dealers and plan to talk to community leaders," Thomas said.
Thomas' father, Harold, a WWII veteran with the Eighth Air Force, was a career executive with IBM. Bob attended St. John's College High School in Washington D.C., the largest military day school in the country.
Thomas' desire was to attend the Air Force Academy, where he had an appointment, but his eyesight prevented him from passing the physical exam. Instead, he attended Princeton University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1972.
After graduating from Princeton, he was drafted by the Army in the second year of the lottery draft but a previous kidney infection prevented him from passing the Army physical. He tried, instead, to join the Washington DC police force, but his 4F military status prevented them from hiring him.
Thomas began selling cars at Bethesda Ford in 1972, and after 5 years in the retail automobile business he attended Harvard Business School and earned his bachelor's degree with high honors in 1979.
Thomas moved to Fort Wayne in 1980 to resurrect the bankrupt Lincoln Mercury dealership which had been closed for 8 months.
Despite the worst economic conditions imaginable for a Lincoln Mercury dealership, with a combination of enthusiasm and hard work, and with the support of many people Thomas said he turned Fort Wayne Lincoln Mercury into the largest Lincoln Mercury dealership in the region and one of the largest in the entire country in its very first year.
Thomas went on to acquire Bob Jackson Ford in 1992 renaming it Summit City Ford and in 1997 acquired Allen County Motors.
He consolidated all three dealerships under the Dimension banner and today, combined with Capitol City Ford, Indianapolis, Thomas is the largest Ford Motor Co. dealer in Indiana. Over the years, Thomas said he has employed more than 1,000 Hoosiers in Northeast Indiana and payed more than $180 million in salaries to employees in the 3rd district.
In 1981 Bob married his wife Suzanne, a graduate of St. Mary's College in South Bend. They have three daughters, Elizabeth, 26, Cameron, 21, and Meredith, who died in 2003 at the age of 17.
The Thomases are supporters of Riley Hospital for Children.
It is his business sense, enthusiasm, and dedication, along with the deep appreciation he has developed for the people of Northeastern Indiana is what he said drives his desire to run for Congress.
After the success he has experienced in Northeast Indiana, he feels compelled to give something back to the third district by serving for them as their representative.
Thomas said he believes spending has gotten out of control in Washington, and that our country is going bankrupt. In his opinion, the current members of Congress not only don't know how to stop the spending, but they don't have the courage, the integrity, or the intelligence to fix the problems.
Thomas believes it is time to get the career politicians and lawyers out of Washington, and replace them with businessmen; businessmen who know how to take what was previously a failing, bankrupt company, and transform it into a success.
Thomas' Web site is www.BobThomasForIndiana.com
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