Jay McGovern

Infobox_Politician
name =Jay McGovern


caption = Jay McGovern is a Democratic candidate for the 4th Congressional District of Florida
date of birth = birth date and age|1961|03|28
place of birth = Sanford, Florida
death_date =
death_place =
state = Florida
party = Democratic
spouse = Carolyn McGovern
occupation = Engineer, Businessman
website = [http://www.jay4congress.com www.jay4congress.com]
nickname =
allegiance = United States of America
branch = U.S. Navy
serviceyears =
rank =
unit =

Jay McGovern (b. March 28 1961, Sanford, Florida) is a Democratic candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the 4th Congressional District ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/fl04_110.gifmap] ) of Florida. If elected, Jay will be the first Democrat to represent Florida's 4th Congressional district since redistricting in the early 1990s.

Early years

Jay McGovern, a United States Naval Academy graduate, was a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, and currently is an engineer, successful businessman and inventor. He recently announced his candidacy for Florida’s 4th Congressional District. He came to Jacksonville in 1985 after flight training in Pensacola and designation as a naval aviator. He served at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station as an instructor pilot, and ultimately as a squadron Commanding Officer. As successful businessman, he holds a patent on a plastics recycling process and operates a horse farm in western Duval County. He served North Florida as a community volunteer, including two terms as Chairman of Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) and as founding Chairman of the Riverside Avondale Development Organization.

Career

Professional Experience

Jay McGovern was a consulting engineer in Jacksonville, FL and Kings Bay, GA, an owner of Florida Equestrian, Inc and a patent holder/ co-inventor of a process and apparatus used in plastics recycling. He later served as a project engineer for bridges and roadways in Jacksonville, FL.

Education & Certifications

Jay McGovern received a BS in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a MS in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and is a registered professional engineer and licensed general contractor in the state of Florida. In addition he is instrument rated and certified as a commercial pilot for fixed wing, rotary wing aircraft.

Military Service

Helicopter Squadrons

Jay McGovern was a division officer, department head, instructor pilot and commanding officer of various helicopter squadrons. He was awarded the CNO Safety Award and Noel Davis Battle Efficiency Award. He flew both the H-3 Sea King and the SH-60 Seahawk.

Command Tours

Jay McGovern commanded the Emerald Knights in Jacksonville, Florida and Expeditionary Port Unit 108, in Atlanta, Georgia/Kuwait.

Aircraft Carriers

Jay McGovern was a pilot for the USS Forrestal, and a catapult and arresting gear officer for the USS Saratoga. He also served as a pilot for the USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS John F. Kennedy, USS Harry Truman, and USS Nimitz.

Global War on Terror

Jay McGovern was a battle watch captain and deputy operations officer for the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. He also participated in Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) Operations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq.

Affiliations

Jay McGovern is affiliated with the American Legion, Experimental Aircraft Association, Florida Engineering Society, National Society of Professional Engineers, and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). [ http://www.jay4congress.com/Qualifications.aspx]

Personal

While keeping a full agenda, Jay describes his most important job as spending time with his family. Jay and his wife of 22 years, Carolyn, were both born and raised in Sanford, Florida. They have two children and enjoy time together on their farm.

Issues and positions

Strong Economy

The first element in rebuilding our economic strength is to get our deficit under control and to stop the free fall in the value of our dollar. Bold movement in addressing these issues will restore confidence in both consumers and the financial markets.

We need to reduce the national debt:

* Rebuild budget discipline; return to “pay as you go” budgets * Reduce earmark expenditures * Stop subsidies to profitable companies, like oil companies * Create jobs in a new energy economy -- green collar jobs * Help consumers who are caught in the mortgage credit crunch * Pursue healthcare reform that reduces cost for consumers and businesses, providing affordable access for all to health insurance * Acknowledge that lengthy military operations in the Middle East are not improving our economic security and ultimately not improving national security

Safe at Home

We need to recognize the fact that safety and security can not be provided by the government in the form of the Dept. of Homeland Security or even our great Military. It starts and ends with the citizens. To be safe at home, we must be strong on the economy, education, and long term planning. These items are the foundation of safety and security.

We need to build upon the strength of our citizenry:

* Restore our constitutional rights -- we can have improved national security without sacrificing basic civil liberties * Recognize the Global War on Terror (GWOT) must be fought by more than our military alone; we need a stronger coalition with better intelligence sharing between countries * Invest in school infrastructure, Head Start, and K-12 education including after school programs that provide alternatives to drugs, gangs, and crime * Establish new programs for non-violent offenders to re-engage with society -- including job training and transitional housing so they can contribute to society as opposed to being a drain on it * Ensure a Government supported healthcare solution for all children * Promote voluntary National service, either in the military, AmeriCorps, or other programs that contribute to the strength of our society

Respected Abroad

Regardless of whether the war in Iraq was a mistake, it is part of our present reality. The unfortunate reality is that while it was a flawlessly executed military operation; it was a misguided war and has not made us safer. Furthermore, this conflict is putting a significant strain on our military resources, constraining our capacity to deal with the true threat of Al Qaeda and Islamic extremism. Al Qaeda's leadership is still hiding out and regrouping in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We can build a broad coalition of partners willing to fight the type of Islamic extremism which fills the ranks of Al Qaeda. What we can not afford is to squander precious American lives and treasure to displace dictators who do not threaten American lives. Orderly and promptly withdrawing from Iraq is a necessary part of our GWOT victory strategy. The Iraqis have to take responsibility for their own governance and find a path toward political reconciliation. Again, we need to refocus our international efforts on the broader GWOT and building alliances with our friends around the world.

America needs to:

* Clearly articulate to the world that we have no quarrel with Islam or its people but we will defend American lives anywhere in the world where they are threatened * Regain the moral high ground -- abide by the Geneva Conventions and stop torture or anything that borders on torture. Do this not because our enemy deserves it, but because that is who we want to be * Talk to other countries -- including those who we don't always agree with, even if using a third party is necessary * Recognize diplomacy is not appeasement, but do not relinquish US sovereignty to the United Nations or any other organization [http://www.jay4congress.com/TheIssues.aspx]

References

External links

* [http://www.jay4congress.com Jay McGovern for Congress Website]