Name on ballot:

Ron Burrus

Running for:

U.S. House – District II

Political party:

Non-Partisan – Independent

Campaign website:

www.rbd2hawaii.com

Current occupation:

Unemployed – Analyst

Age:

64

Previous job history:

Media, Entertainment, Finance

Previous elected office, if any:

None

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii.

Vast experience in a number of industries and the study of politics since college. In a society of specialists, I am a decathlete and I believe that kind of background is well suited for the many issues we are confronted with today.

What will be your top priority if elected?

I have an aggressive national agenda. I want to break up the media, banking and agriculture industries. If I succeed in this agenda, not only will the people of Hawaii benefit, but the nation at large. This challenge will be like kick starting a 747, but we have to begin. My priority for Hawaii is to find ways to diversify the economy and get folks back to work safely. New infrastructure programs to plan for rising sea levels will also create jobs.

As Hawaii and the nation face the COVID-19 pandemic, what more can Congress do to protect residents’ health?

We will all have to respect everyone’s lives and continue to wear masks and perhaps face shields as well. They seem to learn something new about the pervasiveness of this virus everyday. I think the government has proven they can not protect us from this virus so far, so we have to protect each other. I think the role government must play, is to continue to provide stimulus programs, help find a drug that will kill the virus. I think the chances of a vaccine are becoming more and more difficult due to the mutation of the virus, in particular, the anti-bodies disappearing after a few months of infection. In addition, when an effective drug is found, we must not let the pharmaceutical industry, in particular Gilead, who made a deal with Trump to mark up their Covid 19 treatment drug 28,000% or more. It cost $10 to make a 5 day treatment, they will charge between $2,800 to $3,200. We have to stop the fleecing of the American public.

What more can Congress do to help residents who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Secure funding for skills training and alternative energy projects. We have to diversify this economy quickly as possible. We need to also continue with paycheck protection programs and UI stimulus benefits.

How should the federal government deal with its increasing budget deficit as it spends hundreds of billions on coronavirus-related aid and expenses?

I don’t know exactly because the only thing they can do is raise taxes and / or print money, or even worse, put us into austerity programs again. Does anybody really think we can pay off a $26 trillion national debt that increases daily? Deficit spending will continue. It took 20 years to go from a $400 billion surplus to a $26 trillion dollar debt, so the powers that be over the last 20 years have done a very large disservice to the country. I will look for responsible ways to budget our resources much more effectively.

If elected, what can you do to help ease the deep divisions and inequities in American society that have come to the forefront in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd?


We have to look and listen to the truth and acknowledge that our country has been built on a foundation of racism. The Constitution said that black people were only 3/5 ths of a person, so we started this a long time ago. Women couldn’t vote until 1920 and all black folks couldn’t vote until 1965. The truth and history need to be put out on the table in broad daylight, so we can acknowledge the faults and then begin to heal, and rebuild our society into the civilization we know it should be, we have to do it.

Do you support reforms to policing in the United States? If yes, please explain what reforms you support.

Yes, but we also have to reform the U.S. and destroy our foundation of racism. The reforms I want to see are based in rooting out the real problems. One of these is that we have to invest heavily in behavioral health care. President Reagan began the start of heavy cuts to mental health and it was continued by states and local governments for decades. That left the police to deal with all of it and they are not trained or paid for it. In addition, the police agencies need much more training. Many agencies all over the country only require 6 weeks of training, not nearly enough for that job. For example, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs’ Dept. has a 5 and half month training academy, and it is a standard, I think, that every police agency should administer. More training gives confidence on how to deal with a myriad of situations the police are confronted with daily and they will have better instincts and reactions to situations, resulting in much less use of lethal force.

What specific policies should Congress enact that would help mitigate the affects of sea-level rise and climate change?

Clearly we have to stop burning fossil fuels. We should subsidize fast charging stations for electric cars all over the country because until then, electric vehicles can not be the ubiquitous form of transportation. My preference would be to go to hydrogen fuel cell cars, but infrastructure changes for those would be another very large undertaking.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I will work tirelessly for you and will give you my very best at all times. Please strongly consider my candidacy, I appreciate it, and I would be extremely thankful for your support.