Elk Mound man set his sights on a new address: The White House
Monday, April 7, 2008 1:47 PM CDT
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En route to Texas, semi-retired trucker Bill Ingram of Elk Mound stopped briefly at an I-94 truck stop during last Monday’s spring snow storm to talk about his aspirations to become the first U.S. president from Wisconsin. Bruce Dybvik/Dunn County News
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ByBruce Dybvik, Reporter
Bill Ingram works hard. Semi-retired, he drives a semi-trailer from his home in Elk Mound to all points around the country.
In addition to his trucking duties, Ingram is also running as an Independent candidate for president of the United States. His campaign slogan? “Put a Working Man in the White House.”
Serving as president of the United States is a tough job, but Ingram says he is up to the task he is no stranger to hard work or public service.
From farm boy to fly boy
For starters, he grew up on a dairy farm outside of Durand. After high school, he joined the Air Force and served in the Office of Special Investigations. This duty took him to Europe where he worked as a bodyguard for U.S. government VIPs during the terrorist threats of the 1980s.
“This is where I got my start in anti-terrorism,” Ingram said.
Following his Air Force service, Ingram went to UW-Eau Claire, majoring in managing information systems, working as a police officer in Durand to help pay bills. His technology degree and law enforcement training led to 17 years employment, and retirement, as a UW-EC campus security officer.
In the meantime, he also found time to become a fireman/first responder and to command the local Civil Air Patrol squadron.
Problem solver
About this time, the average individual would rest on his laurels and just rest. However, Ingram’s life and work experience trained him to “be a problem solver,” and he saw big problems with the way things were being handled in federal government.
For example, when he learned about the handling of the Emergency War Spending bill in 2007 with all the tacked-on special provisions or “pork” Ingram was irate.
“There was the money for the troops, but then there was all the pork attached, which almost doubled the cost and then they couldn’t pass it. ... This was absolutely ridiculous,” he declared.
Common ground
While driving truck around the country, Ingram talked with people performing his own public survey of sorts and discovering, “From New York to Texas, these people all had the same views that I had. So after testing and talking to people I thought, there’s no incumbent ... maybe I should run this year. I definitely have the background and necessary experience.
“My background is in emergency management, and right now we are in an emergency,” he added.
In keeping with his training, Ingram’s approach is to simplify the issues to make them manageable and then to eliminate the politics and solve the problems.
Of critical concern
Some topics and recommendations of critical concern to Ingram include:
Economy: “Many working Americans are heading toward retirement deeply in credit card debt. Credit card companies need to be regulated, and exorbitant fees reduced and applied toward the principal.”
Taxation: “Do away with all personal exemptions. A family with a gross income of less than $50,000 should pay no income tax. Do away with the fuel tax and tax the excessive profits of big oil companies.”
Declare an end to the war: “Give Iraq a $1.5 trillion bill for the war and secure the oil fields until it is paid. Bring 50,000 troops home and secure the U.S. borders and ports.”
Health care: “First and foremost, lower health care costs. Also, my goal is $500 per month for a family plan major medical with disability and life insurance with the needs assessment. Make a law that you cannot sue anyone in the health care profession, from the hospital down to the first responder.”
Imports: “If a country sells us $1 million in cheap toys or other products, we give them $1 million in U.S.-made products from Caterpillar, John Deere, Ford, GM, etc. instead of cash. Charge the importer a substantial inspection fee, instead of the taxpayer.”
Education: “Eliminate the A,B,C type of grading and go to a pass/fail system. Teaching will be based more on a training model with proof of proficiency measurement, instead of short-term memory tests.
“Set up Civil Service opportunities in addition to the military for college-age students to serve their country and to get free college.”
Energy: Convert from fossil and nuclear fuel to electrical energy. “I will put federal money into programs and businesses to produce electricity from wind, sunlight and moving water.”
Legislation: “Each bill will be voted on by itself. There will be no more bills that have money for the troops, something on abortion, and a health care program for illegal immigrants all rolled into one.”
Guns and jobs
Ingram's recommendations above are just a sample of the views and information available on his website: www.ingram2008.com.
His positions suggest his independence and, as an Independent, he is rallying with others to create alternative forums for the issues.
On Friday and Saturday, he attended a series of debates with 30 other Independent and Third Party presidential candidates in Cincinnati, Ohio. Another debate is scheduled for June 7 and 8 at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
Ingram defends this exercise as both a privilege and benefit for our democracy.
“The main parties offer just cookie-cutter representation,” he said. “I had a guy come up to me and say, I don’t know who to vote for. My union says I have to vote Democrat if I want to keep my job. But then the NRA tells me that if I want to keep my gun, I have to vote Republican.’ I told him, vote for me, and I’ll see that you keep both.”
Ingram, in true Independent fashion, firmly believes the maxim that “anyone can grow up to be president.”
This interview with Ingram took place at truck stop on I-94 in the middle of a spring snow storm. Afterward, this working man from Elk Mound excused himself and climbed up into the cab of his truck.
“Sorry to cut this short, but I have to be in Texas in two days,” he said.
With that, he was gone off to discuss more ideas with his constituents along the way.
Bruce Dybvik can be reached at bruce.dybvik@lee.net. |
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Gloria Harper wrote on Aug 4, 2008 6:46 AM: