Curtis McCrackin of Cedaredge, a former general contractor now in real estate, said some guys read the sports page. He prefers economic and political news, particularly how the federal government “spent our money.”
A turning point for McCrackin was the American Rescue Plan, President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, passed in response to the pandemic. This was “directly responsible for inflation,” he said.
He compared printing U.S. dollars to a heroin addiction. “Feels good but there’s a hangover,” he said. He sees now as the time to “drink our Alka-Seltzer.”
Our conversation then launched into more of McCrackin’s sharp fiscal points, including mistakes made by his own Republican Party with earmarks agreed on in backroom deals that contributed to our country’s debt. Referring back to the Constitution on federal spending, he pressed that Congress must pay this debt, which nearly doubled in the past 10 years from $16.74 trillion in 2013 to more than $32.93 trillion in 2023.
Balancing budgets is plain good government, he contends. He sees no sacred cows. And he’s not letting members of his own party slide on fiscal responsibilities.
McCrackin’s also passionate about no dark money in elections and booting political action committees’ influence out of primaries, including conservative/libertarian leaning Americans for Prosperity. Let individual districts choose their officials, he said.
He is a devout believer in Christ. Yet, here’s something notable about him – he won’t take up a federal fight on abortion. It’s a state’s right, he said.
His message is also one of respect, and he included his own party as needing more of it. If elected, he intends to treat every member of Congress with consideration and dignity. And he’s determined to maintain civil discourse, something we appreciate.
We would, though, like to see a representative with more diversity in background and experiences.
Finally, McCrackin is thoughtful in talking about electing leaders who are not out to divide. “So many voters are voting against something, not for something,” he said. “We need new leadership across the board. If we’re not voting for what we believe is good and valuable, we’ll continue to harm each other.”
