Kamal Jain’s Republican State Convention Speech
Kamal Jain delivered the following speech to the Massachusetts Republican State Convention on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the DCU Center, Worcester.
Kamal Jain’s speech:
Thank you – and good morning. It is GREAT to be here!
Our state spends $1 Billion every week! Do you know what they’re spending it on? Would you like to know? I’m Kamal Jain, candidate for State Auditor, and I want to help you find out.
While campaigning across the state, I’ve met many of you at City and Town Committee Meetings and events. I’m thrilled to see the energy and excitement of all our Republican activists!
Let me tell you a bit about my background. My parents immigrated to New York in the late 1950s. I’m actually a bit of an immigrant myself; I was born in New Jersey.
My folks grew up in India – under British rule. Like many Indians, they protested and fought against the British. And you know what? They won.
Growing up in Framingham, I heard stories from my parents about their struggle for independence. I learned the importance of freedom.
In school and Scouts, I learned how our American ancestors had also struggled for independence from the British – and won.
For more than two decades I’ve been working in the private sector, mainly at high-tech startups, running operations and customer service.
I’ve had to meet payrolls, get the job done under budget and ahead of deadline, prune waste and inefficiency, hire and fire, lay off employees – and even lay myself off.
From a very young age I developed a deep respect for our nation’s founders. Each of you found a Constitution in the bag we left on your seat. It’s a gift from my campaign to you. I gave you this Constitution because we must see that future leaders are exposed to the wisdom of our Founding Fathers.
Recently, I was humbled and honored when I received an endorsement from a fellow protector of the Constitution and great patriot: United States Congressman Ron Paul. He paid me the highest honor by saying:
“Kamal Jain is a man of strong integrity and true principle. He has a strong understanding of the pro-American, pro-Liberty principles we dearly need in our elected leaders. I am happy to endorse Kamal Jain in his campaign for State Auditor.”
Ron Paul challenged me to run for office as a Republican, and I am here before you today having accepted his challenge.
We haven’t had a Republican Auditor in Massachusetts since the early 1930s. We’re about to fix that.
I am limiting myself to two terms as Auditor. On my first day in office I will give myself a 10% pay cut and refuse a public pension. No pensions for politicians.
For over two years I have been actively researching state government spending. During that time, I’ve been a public speaker and shared what I’ve learned. But my research turned up more questions than answers.
I started the conversation about Massachusetts state government Total Spending. Last year’s state budget was $28.2 Billion, but Total Spending was $51.8 Billion. Other candidates have picked this up, but I am the one who brought it to light.
Every event I speak at, whether it’s to Republicans, Tea Parties, 9-12 activists, or other non-partisan groups, I’m sharing the truth about state spending.
I’m showing people the difference between the $28.2 Billion state budget, and the colossal $51.8 Billion Total Spending.
Every voter I speak to – all the Republicans, all the Independents, and yes, even all the Democrats – want to know where all that money is going. Where all their money is going.
Obviously, Republicans and Democrats have different ideas and different beliefs about what the state government should spend money on. What laws should be passed or repealed and what services should be offered or abolished.
But the voters, all the voters from every party, agree on one thing: We should know exactly how the government is spending our money.
If you don’t know where all that money’s going, if the state government is allowed to hide its spending, and not reveal how much they are paying, to whom and for what, then you don’t have the information you need to support the programs you like, or to work to abolish the programs you disagree with.
THAT is what made me decide to run for State Auditor. Year after year of hearing about the budget and how it was being cut. Hearing rumors of “off-budget spending” and not being able to find any details or explanations as to exactly what that was.
I wanted to know. Now I want THE PEOPLE to know.
This is what $51.8 billion looks like. That’s a FIVE, a ONE, an EIGHT, and then EIGHT ZEROES before the decimal point.
Our state government spent $1 billion every week last year.
They spent nearly A BILLION DOLLARS more last year than the year before – in the middle of the worst economic downturn of our lives.
Think last year was the exception to the rule? Think again.
That is a simple chart I created by taking the last 10 years of Total Spending and comparing it to each year’s budget. The pink part is the budget each year, and the red part shows Total Spending. About 45% of spending each year is off budget.
Most people I show this to don’t believe it at first. Then I show them the audited data, and they get angry.
Today, we citizens can only get summary data.
While I was researching state spending, I submitted a Public Records request to get the details on how they spent all the money. I was told that yes, I could have that information. It would only take them 4 months to provide it, at a cost to me of at least $6,000. $6000 and 4 months to find out how they spent my money. How they spent your money.
What can the Auditor do about this? The State Auditor has access to every dollar, every dime of state spending. He can help them keep it under wraps, or he can open the books and let all of us see for ourselves.
What is the role of the State Auditor? Let’s start with what it is not.
The State Auditor doesn’t do financial auditing; that’s done by the Comptroller.
The State Auditor’s office is responsible for Government auditing. Investigating performance and compliance, and identifying waste, fraud and abuse.
The Auditor’s office also works with cities and towns to help represent their interests on unfunded mandates from Beacon Hill.
The position of State Auditor truly is an executive leadership role, not a hands-on audit role. The Auditor sets policy and direction; provides leadership and vision. The Auditor reports directly to the people.
The State Auditor’s office has over 300 employees. About 200 are actual auditors. We don’t need one more Auditor telling them what to do; we need an executive Auditor with vision and ideas…and a plan.
We need an Auditor who understands Total Transparency.
Back to Total Spending: $51.8 billion.
Let’s put that into perspective. $51.8 billion is about the same size as UPS or Sunoco. If these companies published financial data the way our state government does, their executives and directors would go to prison.
According to recent surveys commissioned by the Association of Government Accountants, the vast majority of Americans expect transparency and say that it affects their voting decisions.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
That’s Latin for “Who shall guard the guardians?” or “Who shall watch the watchers?”
My answer is simple: The Auditor – together with the people.
President Reagan liked to say “Trust, but verify.”
But how can the people watch their government if they cannot see the data themselves? How can we trust if we cannot verify?
My platform is simple: The people of Massachusetts must have Total Transparency: Every Dollar! Every Dime! Online!
When I am Auditor, my office will create a transparency website that is easy to use and easy to understand by everyone from a fifth-grader to a great-grandparent.
People will be able to trust it by verifying that all the transactions add up to the audited figure for Total Spending: $51.8 billion.
The website will include details of every RFP, every bid, every contract and every invoice.
EVERY DOLLAR! EVERY DIME! ONLINE!!
The government is spending OUR money; nothing less than Total Transparency is acceptable.
Organizations like the Pioneer Institute and the Boston Herald are already trying to show the public where some of the money goes. But they have to buy the data from the state government.
Imagine what they will do when they have FREE access to ALL of the data?
I’ve already been speaking with developers about transparency data and I assure you: There will be an app for that.
As we develop examples and demonstrations, we’ll post them on my website: MassTransparency.com.
Every voter I’ve met on the campaign trail loves Total Transparency. Every Republican, every Independent. Every Democrat.
When voters go to the polls in November, they’re going to vote for Total Transparency. They’re going to vote for the candidates that told them the truth about state spending. Our gubernatorial candidates have done this. Some state rep and senate candidates are talking about it.
When the people vote for Kamal Jain, the Republican who spearheaded the Total Transparency movement, they are more likely to vote for the other Republicans who also told them the truth.
With Kamal Jain as your candidate in the general election, the Republican Party can win not only the Auditor’s seat. We can take back the Governor’s seat. And we can invade the state legislature with Republican Senators and Representatives.
Do you want a Republican or a Democrat in the State Auditor’s seat next year? If you want it to be a Republican, vote Kamal Jain.
My name is Kamal Jain. I am the ONLY candidate for State Auditor with a pledge and a plan for Total Transparency.
I ask for your vote.
Thank you.
Great speach. We need more people like you who adhere to and love our Constitution! A candidate who hands out the Constitution is a true Republican.
[...] Kamal Jain spoke third and my task here was to advance the slides so the correct slide showed at the correct time with his speech. For those of you who are interested you can read his campaign day speech here. [...]
I saw Mr. Jain speak today in Petersham, and his opponent for the Republican Nomination. Mr. Jain speaks with knowledge, authority, and sincerity. He spoke with clarity of thought and resolve. His opponent was full of cliche’ and irritated the ear. She would be ignored and disregarded on Capital Hill and by the public. We need a clear voice looking out for us. We need Mr. Jain.
Joined my national Tea Party….getting active politically while I still have a voice! I have found a political online community site that allows everyone to fax Represenatives for free. If you are interested in that kind of thing…check it out at http://AmericanVoice.Com.! Also great content I will come back!