Three months ago, my wife and I started a new struggle when we decided I would run for House of Delegates 2nd District as a Republican. This struggle means fighting for the residents of the 2nd District. People in Stafford and Prince William deserve someone who is committed to being their champion and who will not compromise their values or integrity to fit the mold of political correctness. I want to fight for the issues that matter most for our residents and return pragmatic and future-focused leadership to the General Assembly.
Growing up homeless, I was taught the importance of fighting for what you want and that rolling up your sleeves and working hard is the only way to achieve the American Dream. Like so many others trying to escape poverty, my family was trapped under the hand of “good willed” government. The reality is government handouts do not work and keep people dependent and impoverished. People need less government in their lives, more freedom and more money in their pockets. This message is more important than ever before for Stafford and Prince William Counties.
In order for people in our community to thrive we need a strong and vibrant business community. But it has become too difficult to start a business in this area. In fact, we rank top 10 worst places in the country to start a business and for entrepreneurs. We need to incentivize businesses to start and stay here in the district. More businesses mean more jobs and more services offered. I will lower the barriers for businesses to start, fight against job killings taxes like the BPOL tax, and incentivize companies to come to our district so that Stafford and Prince William Counties can become a hub for small business growth.
Second, we must fix the infrastructure that allows people to travel. Every day, like so many families in the 2nd District, my wife Alicia and I are forced to fight the daily traffic nightmare. By the time we get home we are burned out and frustrated from sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for hours at a time.
This problem is only getting worse. This traffic nightmare is a result of too much growth too soon, and poor planning. The county and state government must improve collaboration and anticipate future growth, together. We need to rethink our traffic needs and bring a 21st century approach to tackle congestion, doing for traffic management what companies like Lyft and Uber have done for local transportation. We need to stop applying short-sighted solutions to this long-term problem and instead explore innovations that will make life better for everyone in Northern Virginia.
The third piece for a vibrant 2nd District is quality education for our children. We must leverage technology to create and expand access to general education and technical training. I was one of the first people in my family to go to college. As a child, my parents made sacrifices and had some difficult decisions when it came to my success and education. We need to empower our parents to make the decisions for their kids and fight against DC Bureacrats telling parents what is best for their child. A one size fits all approach does not work. Each child deserves a tailored education that brings out the best in them!
It’s time we bring a fresh perspective and new leadership here in the 2nd District. Please Join us in this fight! Learn more about myself and Alicia and the vision we have for this campaign- please visit www.laquanaustion.com.
