Julian Castro’s Presidential Candidacy: Values, Politics and Political Expediency
Imagine you are a lawyer and you’ve been elected to the City Council. Council members are paid so little that you have to maintain your legal practice in order to pay the bills. What would you do if one of the clients of your law firm also had a request before the City Council about land use, and after studying the request you discover that the plan would harm the aquifer underneath an environmentally sensitive area and therefore be bad for the communities’ drinking water? As a City Council member you have to vote on this request, but as an attorney who also represents the company, you are obligated to always do the best for your client. How would you vote? What would you do?
On March 22, 2019, presidential candidate Julian Castro answered this question when he spoke in San Jose, California.This was the actual situation that confronted Castro in San Antonio when he was on the City Council and working as an attorney. What was his response to this dilemma? Did he vote for the proposal as he was legally obligated to do and look out for the interests of his client, or did he vote his conscience and in the way his constituents wanted him to? One day Castro walked into his law firm, and quit his job and he voted against the land deal as a City Councilman.
Castro was tested at that time, and if elected President he will be tested all the time. What kind of President will he be if he is elected? I believe what he said when he stated that he would always make decisions based on what is in the interest of the entire nation, not just special interest groups. In my opinion Castro has integrity and lives up to his values.
Castro served President Barack Obama as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development at HUD. He travelled to over 100 different communities in 39 states and saw how they were dealing with housing issues, economic development, quality of life issues, and neighborhood development. He learned a lot from them and brings that experience with him as he embarks on his quest for the Presidency.
Castro wants to be President of all Americans who move forward together with one destiny. That destiny is to be the smartest, the healthiest, the most just and the most prosperous nation on earth. For example, Castro explained that to be the smartest we have to start early and pay teachers what they deserve; we can move toward this goal also by investing in free universal pre-k for 3–4 year olds, which he has already done in San Antonio,Texas.
Castro also pointed out that if we are going to compete and collaborate with nations around the world today that are producing tons of young people who are intelligent, ambitious, creative and innovative, we need to invest in universal higher education and make our public universities tuition free along with community colleges, and apprentice and job training programs.
Another point Castro made was that if we are going to be the healthiest nation on earth we need to change our healthcare system and strengthen Medicare for the people who have it and make it available to everyone else. He also went on to say that he believed that no matter who you are or how much money you have you should be able to get the health care you need.
If we are going to be the fairest nation on earth, Castro stated, we need to reform our justice system to make sure no matter who you are, you are treated as being innocent until proven guilty. And that no matter what the color of your skin, all persons should be treated fairly by police departments.
Furthermore, Castro also said that if we are going to be the most prosperous nation on earth we need to promote prosperity for everyone. One step in that direction is raising the minimum wage and making sure that women get equal pay for equal work.
Regarding immigration, Castro believes we need to harness the power of immigrants in our country by passing comprehensive immigration reform. The campaign will be unveiling its immigration plan within a few weeks. The plan will be sweeping and will be what the nation truly needs to prosper in the years to come, he said.
Castro’s vision for the future of our country is to bring people together and to unite us as a President for all Americans. He doesn’t want to make America anything again, he wants to make America greater than it ever has been for many years to come.
Watch for Julian Castro in your area, and listen to him at the Democratic debates. Decide for yourself what you think of this man. I had the privilege of meeting him and hearing him speak in person. I was impressed. Maybe you will be too.
Please note: I do not work for the campaign nor am I affiliated with it in any way.
