In the ad, Dr. McGoff states, “I’m sorry for the negative ad David McIntosh has launched against Susan Brooks and me. Hoosier voters have seen too many negative ads during this election cycle. It’s what we hate about politicians.”

McGoff reports, “The fact is that David McIntosh is resorting to doctored YouTube clips to distort my record. This type of negative campaigning must stop. The voters have the right to the truth.”

Lou Quinto, McGoff campaign manager, agrees, “David McIntosh is employing amateur ‘gotcha’ campaign tactics. Because he has to cover up where he really lives, his career as a big-time Washington lobbyist, his vote in Congress to raise the debt ceiling and his poor attendance as a Congressman, McIntosh has resorted to distorting the truthful positions of other candidates. He has shown the voters he is nothing more than a Washington politician who will stop at nothing to get elected. The fact he boasts that he will fix Washington is laughable. His recent actions show his real colors as nothing more than a carpetbagger preying on the good people of Indiana.”

Dr. McGoff defends his position as a pro-life candidate and reiterated his challenge to Planned Parenthood. In his ad, McGoff states, “I’m on record challenging Planned Parenthood to stop performing abortions in order to receive federal funds. Mr. McIntosh also admitted supporting federal funding of Planned Parenthood if they stop performing abortions. His negative TV ad doesn’t mention that.”

McGoff’s ad refers to an April press conference at the Indiana Statehouse where McIntosh publicly agreed with McGoff’s stance with regards to Planned Parenthood funding.

Dr. McGoff is the only physician in the 5th District race. Dr. McGoff and McIntosh face off in the May 8 Republican Primary. The new 5th Congressional District includes Hamilton, Madison, Tipton and Grant Counties, Southeastern Boone County, Northern Marion County, Eastern Howard County and Western Blackford County.

Dr. John McGoff, a front running candidate in the 5^th District race, reacted, “I applaud the Grant and Howard County Chairmen for encouraging the ruling. The voters of the 5th have the right to know before they go to the polls. Without expediency, the voters of Indiana’s 5^th cannot make an educated decision.”

Agreeing with McGoff, Grant County Chairman Jerry Shull likens David McIntosh to Charlie White. He stated, “The party just experienced this with Charlie White, and it creates a real problem for the voter and for the administration of the Republican Party when you have to replace him. We had a lot of input from the opposite party on that, if you remember. We do not need that again.”

In the same issue of the Kokomo Perspective, an editorial entitled “Only you can prevent carpetbagging” compares McIntosh to a carpetbagger – an American 19^th Century pejorative for one who practices political opportunism.

Lou Quinto, McGoff campaign manager, reacted to the article, “David McIntosh is the definition of a carpetbagger. He has lived in Virginia for the past seven years working as a partner in a K-Street lobbying firm. McIntosh found the retirement of Congressmen Burton and Pence politically convenient. Shopping for a district, McIntosh landed in the 5th.”

The editorial states, “This is one of the root causes of everything that is wrong with Congress today. Too often, the people representing us have no connection, no tie, no commonality with us. They don’t live here. They don’t truly know what we experience. They aren’t in our communities on a daily basis. How can they claim to know us and our desires or needs? This is one of the root causes of everything that is wrong with Congress today.”

Reacting, McGoff reaffirmed his commitment to the 5^th District, “I have been living, working and serving in the 5^th District community for decades. I am committed to Hoosiers, not to the Washington beltway. I am humbled to have received the endorsements of the Indianapolis Star and Indiana Right to Life. Their support reflects the importance of electing everyday Hoosier representatives, not Washington-insiders and political appointees.”

Dr. McGoff is the only physician in the 5^th District race. Dr. McGoff and McIntosh face off in the May 8 Republican Primary. The new 5^th Congressional District includes Hamilton, Madison, Tipton and Grant Counties, Southeastern Boone County, Northern Marion County, Eastern Howard County and Western Blackford County.

Dr. John McGoff reacted, “I am humbled to receive the Indianapolis Star’s endorsement. For many candidates, a primary election lasts only a few months. But, I’ve been talking to voters since 2007. I have personally knocked on 5,000 doors and attended 500 community events.”

Dr. McGoff’s perseverance and personal dedication are just two of the reasons the Star Editorial Board has thrown its support behind him. The Star writes, “Another factor strongly in McGoff’s favor is that he jumped into the 5th District fray long before it became popular.”

Dr. McGoff began his candidacy for Congress in 2007 when he first ran against Congressman Dan Burton.

McGoff believes that the Indianapolis Star’s endorsement demonstrates strong support from the local Central Indiana community. He stated, “While other candidates are receiving endorsements from outside the state, I am proud to have the endorsement of the Indianapolis Star, Central Indiana’s leading news source for over 100 years. The voters of the 5^th District want a representative that is a strong member of their community.”

The Star Editorial Board was impressed with Dr. McGoff’s professional experience. The Star reports that Dr. John McGoff  “edges ahead of the rest based on his professional and personal experience, his thoughtful stance on key issues such as health care, and his history of independent thinking.”

McGoff has been running a strong race for Congress framed around his professional qualifications. Dr. McGoff states, “As a lifelong Hoosier, an emergency physician, and a Brigadier General in the Indiana Air National Guard, I believe that I have the ability to be the Congressman that Indiana’s 5^th District deserves.”

The Star Editorial Board agrees stating that his work as an emergency physician gives him a unique perspective on healthcare – one of the most pressing issues today. They write, “McGoff, an emergency room physician and former Marion County coroner, is well-suited to help craft a federal approach to health care and health insurance…”

Additionally, the Editorial Board believes that Dr. McGoff’s experience as a Brigadier General lends itself to important issues of national security. The Indianapolis Star writes, “McGoff also displays a grounded, seasoned approach to issues of foreign policy and national defense.”

While McGoff’s perseverance and strong resume are important factors in the endorsement, the Star Editorial believes it is Dr. McGoff’s strength of character that sets him apart from the field. They write, “… his record speaks well of McGoff’s ability to stand for what he thinks is right rather than what partisan leaders want. That trait is often lacking in Congress, which needs more leaders with McGoff’s experience, depth and independence.”

In response to today’s endorsement, Dr. McGoff thanked the Star Editorial Board for their support, “I would like to express my extreme gratitude to the Editorial Board of the Indianapolis Star who, I’m sure, after hours of candidate interviews had a tough decision to make.  As May 8^th quickly approaches, I will continue to travel throughout the District listening to Hoosiers and working to earn their vote on Election Day.”

The new 5th Congressional District includes Hamilton County, Madison, Tipton and Grant Counties, Southeastern Boone County, Northern Marion County, Eastern Howard County and Western Blackford County.

Norquist was reacting to a statement released by Dr. McGoff in which the front running candidate reiterated that he would not sign any pledge from any political organization.

“As a member of Congress, I will be beholden to Hoosiers in the 5th District, not some Washington, D.C. organization,” Dr. McGoff said.

What makes this latest attack on Dr. McGoff so bizarre is that Norquist recently flew to Indianapolis to personally endorse the former Congressman-turned lobbyist David McIntosh in the 5th District Republican Primary. McIntosh is a full-time partner at Mayer Brown – a major K-Street lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. – and lives in Arlington, Virginia.

“I guess lobbyists won’t have to work nearly as hard to see McIntosh, since he is one,” observed Lou Quinto, McGoff campaign manager. “Hoosiers are starting to see that organizations from Washington, D.C. do not throw their millions of dollars to candidates based on ideology. They use their money to elect their Washington-insider friends.”
In his statement, Norquist also stated that the pledge is not a commitment to Americans for Tax Reform. Dr. McGoff disagreed, “It is my strong opinion that such pledges morally commit politicians to the organizations that manufacture them, not to their cause.” Americans for Tax Reform spent over $330,000 advocating against Republican candidates in the 2010 election cycle.

“In his campaign ads and on the campaign trail, McIntosh, right alongside Norquist, claims he is the only true conservative in the race. Yet, he contradicts his supposed values by attacking other leading candidates like Dr. McGoff by distorting the truth about their records,” Quinto continued. “All the while, his Congressional record shows that he has voted to increase the debt-ceiling and his firm lobbied for Merrill Lynch during the height of the financial crisis and bailout. I’m sure many voters don’t consider that the action of an ‘across the board’ conservative.

Quinto reported, “It doesn’t matter that Dr. McGoff is conservative, pro-life, a defender of the 2nd Amendment and against increasing taxes. If you aren’t a Washington-insider and a friend of these national organizations, you’re deemed as non-conservative.”

Dr. McGoff is the only physician in the 5th District race. Dr. McGoff and McIntosh face off in the May 8 Republican Primary. The new 5th Congressional District includes Hamilton, Madison, Tipton and Grant Counties, Southeastern Boone County, Northern Marion County, Eastern Howard County and Western Blackford County.

“After harassing phone calls by Americans for Tax Reform this week,” McGoff said, “I have reaffirmed my vow to slam the revolving door shut on Washington politics by refusing, once again, to sign any pledges.”

Americans for Tax Reform is the organization created by Grover Norquist. The mainstay of the organization is a pledge that requires federal politicians to vote against any net tax increases.

McGoff believes that the problem isn’t the substance of the pledge, but the pledge itself. “I am firmly committed to cutting taxes and advocating a strong climate for economic growth,” McGoff said. “Unlike my opponents, I simply do not need the blessings of the Washington beltway to help me keep my commitments.

“The truth is that these pledges mean nothing. Just look at my opponent David McIntosh. When he was elected to Congress in 1994, he committed himself to the Contract with America which limited him to three terms in Congress. Yet, here he is again running for Congress once more promising another three terms.”

Last month, David McIntosh publicly signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge at the Indiana Statehouse. When questioned if his first three terms applied to his new pledge, McIntosh stated, “I basically view this as starting again in serving. What I thought would work best was what I did before… I think last time I didn’t spend the whole time there, and I don’t know what it will take to get the job done.”

According to House Roll Call Data, David McIntosh missed 70% of his roll call votes in his last term as Congressman, and according to the Indianapolis Star, his voting record in 2000 was cited as the second worst in Congress.

Lou Quinto, McGoff’s campaign manager, stated, “It’s no wonder that McIntosh said that he didn’t spend the whole time there. Maybe David is signing the term limits pledge because he forgot about the one he signed in ’94. He’s signed so many pledges. I bet they are all running together at this point.”

McGoff believes that such pledges violate his commitment to voters, “Pledges such as Mr. Norquist’s are exceptionally presumptive. Why would I sign any commitments before the 5^th District has chosen me as their next Congressman? I will not commit myself to the Washington beltway because I am committed to voters in Indiana’s 5^th.”

The new 5th Congressional District includes Hamilton County, Madison, Tipton and Grant Counties, Southeastern Boone County, Northern Marion County, Eastern Howard County and Western Blackford County.

Currently, regulations are causing waste upwards of $1.75 trillion annually. Generally, we perceive regulations as a burden on business. The most interesting part about over-regulation is that not only are businesses unable to grow and hire, but those already in business pass the cost of regulation off onto consumers because they constitute “hidden” taxes.

Consumers are the true bearers of the cost of regulation.

President Obama has enacted more than 500 new regulations during his three years in office. We have to turn no farther than bills such as Dodd-Frank and Obamacare to see the crippling of effect regulations are having on the economy. Obama’s new regulations will add $40 billion in additional burden to consumers and will disable new firms from entering the market place.

The effect of regulations goes beyond hidden taxation. It also increases government payrolls and federal employment. As regulations ramp up, so does the size of the federal government. In fact, the regulatory pipeline is expected to increase the federal workforce by 4% and increase federal payrolls by almost $50 billion.

Obama continues to pile on debt by way of bad policy and increased regulation, but when it comes to regulations, the blame is not all his. Congress was given the explicit authority to veto legislation requiring additional federal regulations by the 1996 Congressional Review Act. However, Congress has only used this authority once since the bill’s passage. If Congress cannot stand up to the President and defeat such burden-increasing measures, who else will protect American pocketbooks and support positive economic growth?

The truth is that the federal government’s addiction to regulation has immensely decreased access to new capital and investment. We must not allow the Executive to interfere in our economic markets any longer. New regulations are crippling the economy, slowing job growth, and disadvantaging everyday Americans.

I appreciate you reading my blog over the past several weeks. I hope you have enjoyed my webisodes – especially this week’s on small business and the economy.

In the last week of the campaign, it’s all hands on deck. Please sign up to volunteer in order to spread my message. As an emergency physician, a Brigadier General, and a small business owner, I have what it takes to represent you as your next Congressman.

First, Obama has fought in Congress to make permanent legislation passed in 2010 that temporarily cut capital gains taxes for small businesses. While I agree with these efforts, I can’t help but feel that the initiative is contradictory because he has increased capital gains taxes on individuals.

I’ve already mentioned this week that many small business owners file tax returns based on the individual tax code. Thus, an increase in capital gains taxes for the individual tax code negates any cuts made in the corporate code with regards to small business. Obama must make consistent across the board cuts in order to spur the economy.

Second, Obama continues to push hiring tax credits as a solution to increase employment. However, no matter the form they take in the tax code, hiring tax credits simply don’t work because they are temporary.

Businesses don’t hire based upon tax credits. They hire workers because it’s what is best for their business. Generally, firms don’t hire temporary workers, and therefore, temporary tax cuts do nothing to aid in employment. Obama is just giving away taxpayer dollars!

Third and finally, the President wants to increase a tax deduction for startups. His hope is that more startup firms will enter markets, but the problem with this type of deduction is that fixed costs create significant barriers to entry for firms, especially those with a limited access to capital. Additionally, this type of deduction is not immediate and does nothing to help businesses until AFTER they have filed their taxes.

A better strategy, instead of this toxic system of tax credits and deductions, would be to address the large amount of government regulations which is plaguing all businesses and the economy. I will be blogging about regulations tomorrow. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out my webisode on small business and the economy!

So today, I’d like to highlight Obamacare’s attack on small business.

First, we have to take a look at the “small employer health credit.” This is the tax credit provided to employers to help small businesses cover the costs of the law’s mandated employer-provided health insurance. The problem is that no businesses are applying for the credit.

Currently only one half of businesses that the Obama administration expected to participate are claiming the credit. But when the time comes, experts believe that utilization of the tax incentive will be much closer to 0%. Businesses aren’t accepting the aid because of excessive regulation and the extremely confusing language used to write the credit.

Second, as I’ve mentioned before, Obamacare raises taxes in two ways. On one hand the Medicare payroll tax will increase from 2.9% to 3.8% for those earning more than $250,000. On the other hand, the bill also calls for a 3.8% surtax on investment income. These increased tax rates hurt business by discouraging employment and investment.

Third, if your business hires more than 50 people, it could be subject to a fine of $2,000-$3,600 per employee. That’s right! We’ve all heard about the individual mandate, but there’s an employer mandate too. If businesses with 50+ employees fail to provide insurance, they will be forced to pay a fee to the IRS. With the increasing costs of healthcare and the resulting rising insurance premiums, some businesses are left questioning how they will be able to afford health insurance for all of their employees.

Finally, the individual mandate affects small business as well. Just as investment and death taxes hurt small business owners, those small business owners employing more than 50 people and filing under the individual tax code will be required to pay an additional 2.5% tax on income alongside a potential fee per employee. How does the President plan to support these types of businesses?

All of these taxes and fees are additional burdens on top of an already struggling economy. As we understand more and more of Obamacare, we realize that President Obama did not have everyday Americans in mind. Healthcare must be reformed, but increasing tax burdens on small businesses is NOT the way to go.

But, Obamacare isn’t the only tax increasing culprit. President Obama has made it difficult for small businesses to thrive. He has increased taxes, designed bad tax credits, and decreased access to capital. I’ll be blogging about those tomorrow.

In the meantime, check out my webisode on small business and the economy!

Dr. John McGoff, a candidate for Congress in Indiana’s 5^th Congressional District, is skeptical of claims by Planned Parenthood that their funding goes to services like mammograms, today issued a challenge to the organization.

“Planned Parenthood claims that none of their government funding is used to perform abortions,” McGoff said.  “There is a simple way to settle this issue.  If Planned Parenthood truly wants to have health clinics, they simply need to stop performing abortions and I will personally urge funding to have them instead provide mammograms, STI testing and cancer screening.  But until they do that, as a physician I fear that the funding they receive that helps them turn an average profit of more than $50 million a year just lets them aggressively advocate and perform abortions.”

McGoff, who has stuck to a strong-life position throughout his medical practice and runs for office, said that such a move would cut down the incredibly long wait for couples waiting to adopt children.

“In recent days I have been concerned that Planned Parenthood is dragging down one of the most beloved allies of health advances – the Susan G. Komen Foundation,” said McGoff, citing an article quoting one organizer of their annual Race for the Cure as stating the applications were down 50% for the run this year in reaction to reports of the Foundation funding Planned Parenthood (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Komen-Foundation-still-reeling–148051425.html).  “And that was the reaction in the State of Washington – not exactly the most pro-life state.  If there is a chance that Planned Parenthood has set back the attempts to cure breast cancer by misleading the Komen Foundation into believing they perform mammograms, then I just don’t see how the government can ever provide funds to Planned Parenthood again until they make a clean break to become a provider of health clinics which no longer perform ANY abortions.”

McGoff said that as a physician he sees a looming crisis in access to health care, and that converting Planned Parenthood’s one billion dollars in assets and trained personnel to true health facilities and providers would go a long way to meeting the need in years to come.

He was also critical of a seeming quid pro quo under which Planned Parenthood flooded money and workers into the campaign of Barack Obama in 2008, and then were rewarded with the Presidents work to pour money through them via Obamacare, which McGoff strongly opposes.

The new 5th Congressional District includes Hamilton County, Madison, Tipton and Grant Counties, Southeastern Boone County, Northern Marion County, Eastern Howard County and Western Blackford County.