Fed up with the business-as-usual politics in Richmond, former business owner Floyd Bayne decided to throw his hat in the ring.
Bayne is the third candidate running for the 7th District seat in Congress.
Once the owner of Bayne’s Foods, a chain of supermarkets that operated in Southside Richmond, Bayne is running as an independent with strong backing from the Tea Party.
Bayne has long since sold his family business, and he’s finishing up at Mary Baldwin College with degrees in history and political science.
BizSense caught up with Bayne to talk about why he challenged Rep. Eric Cantor and his thoughts on some of the biggest business issues.
Below is an edited transcript.
Richmond BizSense: What is the biggest obstacle facing job creation?
Floyd Bayne: The federal government. Onerous taxes and overbearing regulations keep businesses from being able to build or grow. Some of the environmental laws, for example: Some guy wants to build a factory that will destroy a wetland. So 600 employees go unemployed. We have to look at what will provide the biggest benefit, 600 jobs or some little fish that doesn’t have to alter its migration pattern.
RBS: Where do you place the blame for the financial crisis in 2008 that led us into recession?
FB: Too much government spending and unconstitutional government spending. Both parties are responsible for this, both parties share the blame, both spend money they should not be spending. Prime example: You know that we borrowed as much money as we can from China and they saw the writing on the wall. Now we are printing money out of whole cloth and are creating the circumstances that inflation will hit us.
Obama wants to blame Bush, Republicans blame Obama. I got news for everybody: Both parties are to blame.
RBS: You are in support of drilling off the coast of Virginia. Are you concerned about a catastrophe such as the one in the gulf happening here?
FB: The problem with that rig is that it got a good bill of health from the Obama administration four months prior to blowing up. The very government that is supposed to protect us failed. When cleanup began, Louisiana, Texas and Florida were jumping to help. Who jumped in and stopped them? The federal government.
I don’t have a problem with safety measures. We should have safety measures. Accidents by their very nature cannot always be prevented. How do you clean up? You have to have a plan in place. Obviously with the gulf there was no plan in place.
RBS: As a conservative, why do you feel your interests were not being served by Rep. Eric Cantor?
FB: Eric Cantor is not a conservative. Cantor is a progressive. He can call himself whatever he wants. The fact is he has a long record of growing the federal government and growing the federal deficit. Now to come and say he is fiscally responsible is a joke.
RBS: What vote of Eric Cantor’s over the past couple of years do you disagree with the most?
FB: The Amtrak reauthorization bill. That is a money pit, and they keep throwing money at it.
RBS: You advocate for abolishing the Department of Education. Doesn’t the promotion of education play a role in economic prosperity? Why shouldn’t the federal government be involved?
FB: Absolutely, education is important. Let’s be clear: My wife is a teacher, I am a student at Mary Baldwin College to get a degree to teach. What I don’t believe is that the federal government is responsible for overseeing education. It is a state and local responsibility.
Since the advent of the Department of Education, our test scores have been in the lowest percentile of industrialized nations. What good has the department done for our education system? It is just another bureaucracy where money, instead of going to the classroom, is going toward supporting the bureaucracy.
RBS: Finally, why should our readers vote for you?
FB: I have been a business owner, and I know what it takes to make a profit and run a business. I know the obstacles that are thrown up in front of business to make it difficult. I believe I am better suited than Eric Cantor, who has never run a business and has never once made a payroll. He doesn’t have a clue.
I am not owned by anyone. No big donor owns me. My principles are my own and won’t be sold.
Al Harris is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to Al@richmondbizsense.com.
Al Harris, thank you for finally introducing us to Floyd Bayne. Why did you wait so long?
Floyd Bayne stands for what we thought Eric Cantor represented (and disappointed us).
The fact that Eric Cantor refused to debate him is a clue that Eric is not to be trusted and we should give Floyd a chance to prove himself.
I’m thankful someone with real world business experience is willing to drop his own interests and go to Washington and stand up for private (SME) enterprise.
I urge your readers to visit http://www.floydbayne.com, get informed and remove “business as usual” incumbents from office.
Linda Heath
Mr. Bayne’s comments on the wetlands, his seeming ignorance of the fact that President Obama had nothing at all to do with the financial meltdown (and the fact that no one has even implied he did), and his implication that business is the only thing that matters from a governmental standpoint mean he is just like every other Tea Partier running this year: ignorant in terms of what average Americans really care about (providing for their families, economic security, environmental protection, pride in their country and its position in the world, and a desire to return our country to its greatness without partisan bickering and finger-pointing), devoid of any original thought process, and completely owned and influenced by American business. Mr. Bayne will absolutely not be receiving my vote. He is a typical big-business Republican, disguised as a freedom loving “Tea Partier.” I am 100% for less intervention by government in business and personal life; I am not for an individual latching on to the latest trend and blaming everything on Obama just to garner a few votes.
And for the record, I’ve run three businesses: two successfully, one not so much. I completely understand what goes into running a business and it is true that government (on the federal, state, and local levels – not just on the federal level, as Mr. Bayne says) is too involved in business today. But I also know that the “Tea Party” does not have American’s best interests at heart. Please, America: vote smart.
I voted for Cantor and he’s done nothing but represent his so called republican views. Not this time. I’m voting for Bayne this year and I’m hoping others follow suit. We need someone who will trully represent the people not the republican party. Cantor is a career politician not a representative.
Vote Bayne!
I will be voting for Bayne. If I could fire every single one of the Congressmen and Senators and start over, I would do it.
I also think a lot of people will be positively surprised by Bayne.
Look at the votes Rep Cantor has made. Mostly good, but still looks as if voting for BIG Gov’t.
http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=5121
Sorry, we are done with the bail-outs.
Bail-outs that we all thought would somehow help the man on the street, ended up benefitting the few whom it enabled to get out without blemish. Our family, friends, and neighbors have suffered enough waiting. It is time to vote for a Conservative who says what he means and means what he says.
Let’s end BIG Gov’t, All the way around. Ramp up spending on the Miltary. Our nation is the greatest Nation on earth and we should NOT be ashamed. We should NOT be ashamed of our Christian heritage, hard work, and committment to seeing worldwide freedom.
I voted for Floyd and I hope that you will too. Floyd Bayne is a true conservative. Eric Cantor is a career politician. We need citizen legislators who represent Virginians. The Republicans AND the Democrats have melded into republidems. They are working for Washington and not Virginians. If we don’t get this Election right we will be working for China. Thank you Floyd for speaking for me.
Corrine, it is your uninformed disdain for global trade that the “Tea Party” is exploiting with its far-right protectionist policies. Your negatively-themed mention of China serves as proof that a “Tea Party” victory is a giant step back for America. Please, conduct some historical research. The United States’ extreme protectionism was a major factor in the cause of the previous decade’s world wars. True, free, global trade produces transparency and common cooperation between and among distinct economies. It is not a threat. Free trade builds the increasingly important rapport between governments that is needed in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment. What I find distrubing is that the “Tea Party” – supposedly of freedom, mind you – does not support a globally free marketplace.
Let me ask you this: would you rather be allied with China as a strong trading partner, or irritate them (as we have done for several years now with no clarity in either our trading policy or our currency policy) to the extent that they view the United States as a political threat? In fact, I believe that the anti-free trade feelings espoused by “Tea Partiers” and the far right are merely masking true feelings of racism and hatred of the rest of the world.
However, if the protection of American jobs and industries is your true fear, then destruction of trade with China is not the answer. Instead, your “Tea Party” should be attempting to understand why companies are moving their plants and factories out of the United States and to countries such as China. This is an American problem, not a Chinese problem. We deal with it by fixing our issues, not by punishing a key trading partner.
Another question I would like to pose: what does the “Tea Party” actually plan to _DO_ about the problems facing the United States? I have heard what they will not do, I have heard what they think the problem is, and I have heard who they have a problem with. What I have yet to see put forth is a comprehensive plan that will address the major problems our nation faces. All I see are ignorant, outdated ideas about the direction our country should take instead of the path it is on (abhorrent ideas, such as protectionism). I do not see a creative, realistic plan for reducing our deficit, paying down our debt, employing more Americans, addressing the need for a comprehensive energy policy, effectively dealing with illegal immigration, protecting our environment and natural resources, and encouraging American and foreign businesses to grow within the United States.
I would like to mention that I am not a supporter of Eric Cantor. I also think he is a poor candidate in this race, in addition to Floyd Bayne. You are right that Eric Cantor is a career politician, also bought and paid for by big business. But I cannot see where electing an individual like Floyd Bayne will serve in the best interests of America.
At the same time, I am not a Democrat. I am incredibly displeased with the extremely liberal fiscal path our currently elected representatives have taken us down over the course of the past four years.
A true freedom lover, like myself, wants to see freedom not just in America, but throughout the world. Our country must shine as a bright light once again. Protectionism, wealth destruction, ignorance, and the deliberate and malicious instigation of fear in the American people will not accomplish this goal. And that is why I will never vote for a “Tea Party” candidate.
Daniel I’m not sure I understand your comment. Nowhere in the interview does Mr. Bayne blame President Obama for the financial crisis, nor does he say that the only role the government has is in supporting big business. In fact, every position you attribute to him is not present in his answers here, nor are they found on his website where he discusses his positions. You also state that he has no plans to do anything regarding the economy, yet he clearly states on his website that he wants to reduce regulation and government influence of private markets in order to increase economic activity.
In regards to free trade, you attribute a strong protectionist position to Mr. Bayne. Again, nowhere in the interview or on his website does he state a belief in protectionist policies. He makes it very clear that less intervention is the key to jump starting American business again. Is the reduction of regulation not considered promoting free trade?
None of your points regarding Mr. Bayne were even close to his official position, perhaps you should re-read the article.
@Daniel. The Teaparty is not an organized party that supports specific candidates. It’s purpose is to promote, among other ideas, Fiscal Responsibility, Limited government and Free Markets. You cannot stereotype the Teaparty Movement as a group of ignorant sheep following their leader, because there is no leader. It is made up of Average Americans who are fed up with elitist, professional politicians ramming their agenda down their throats, claiming that their constituents are too ignorant to know what’s best (kind of sounds like the way you describe the Teaparty…”All I see are ignorant, outdated ideas”). The Teaparty does not support individual candidates, did you not notice that? Perhaps you have been reading the “Daily Kos” for you information on the Teaparty Movement. Try this site instead http://www.teapartypatriots.org/
Regarding a “global economy” with “free trade”, it is hard to compete with state sponsored corporations that promote child labor and subsidize their industries to undercut the competition from other countries (unless of course you are one of those countries) especially when Unions in the US have artificially driven up US labor costs. Our so-called elected officials have allowed one of these “Global Free Trade Partners”, China, to buy up 95% of the rare minerals on Earth with surplus USD that they were able to accumulate because of our unwillingness to boycott products produced by child labor and because we allow China to manipulate it’s currency against the USD and subsidize state run businesses to keep prices low.
Kevin,
To briefly address your points I am taking direct quotes from the interview above:
- On Obama and the financial crisis: “Obama wants to blame Bush, Republicans blame Obama. I got news for everybody: Both parties are to blame.” Again, Republicans have not ever blamed Obama for the financial crisis of 2008. President Obama was not in office at the time, so he could not have caused the crisis or played any part in it. A little knowledge on Mr. Bayne’s part would clear this up. Ignorance on this level concerns me.
- On business and government: “I have been a business owner, and I know what it takes to make a profit and run a business. I know the obstacles that are thrown up in front of business to make it difficult. I believe I am better suited than Eric Cantor, who has never run a business and has never once made a payroll. He doesn’t have a clue.” That is the complete answer Mr. Bayne gave when asked why readers should vote for him. Granted, this is a business Website. But does Mr. Bayne have goals beyond helping business? He didn’t make that clear. Even a business owner reading this site has key points he or she would like to see in a political candidate that go beyond business; I am not sure why Mr. Bayne did not mention these other points, unless they do not exist. Again, he just hasn’t made it clear.
- On reducing regulation: I don’t have a quote from the interview above. But you say his Website mentions a goal of reducing regulation. Great. But my question to My. Bayne is: Which _SPECIFIC_ regulations do you plan to reduce? It’s great to say you plan to do something. However, without specifically addressing exactly what you’re going to do, I can’t vote for you.
- On free trade: I was addressing something stated by Corrine Dixon, not in the interview.
I hope that clears up your confusion on my thoughts. I have already voted this morning, and I did not vote for Floyd Bayne.
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Jeff,
You are correct that the “Tea Party” movement originally started in support of these ideals. It was Rick Santelli’s amazing rant on CNBC regarding the irresponsibility of certain homeowners and the stupidity of our federal government that so appropriately addressed all that is wrong with our presently elected officials.
However, the original “Tea Party” movement has been hijacked by far-right Republicans who do not give a damn about the well-being of our country or about fiscal responsibility. Yes, I’m talking about Christine O’Donnell, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, etc. These new “Tea Partiers” are merely playing to emotions with their fear-mongering and non-specific claims about the actions they will supposedly take once in office. Consider that my research has concluded there is not a single “Tea Party” candidate who has provided a specific plan for which expenses they will cut in the name of deficit reduction. How can a candidate who supposedly espouses fiscal responsibility but has not put forth even a basic summary of proposed cuts be taken seriously? My answer is that he cannot.
Some of your concerns on China are well-founded. But you will find equally alarming concerns in any of our trade partners. Because China is our largest trade partner, it’s also the one our media focuses on the most, which is why you’re hearing more about it. I encourage you to research Brazil, Mexico, Canada, even our European trading partners. You will find issues with each. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the United States is not perfect in any regard, so I am sure our trading partners also have reservations about _US_ from time to time. Again, it is a sad thought but I am concerned that the anti-free trade feelings put forth by many Americans are merely masking hatred for other races.
And one last thing: if you believe the U.S. does not manipulate its own currency, you’re living under a rock.
Wow. This is truly a free country. Anyone can run for office.
I like that Bayne is running against Cantor, who is not conservative, but a radical in the vein of G.W. Bush.
However, like Daniel, I strongly question his environmental/economic positions.
The current rulling duopoly/government are owned by the corporations, and giving the corporations even more power will not help the American people.
I would just like to point out that our wetlands serve a very important environmental function, and it has nothing to do with fish. They are very important because they help prevent flooding. When we get a higher-than-average rainfall, wetlands act like a sponge, absorbing that water and eventually allowing it to filter into our groundwater supply. This replenishes our groundwater (important for anyone who uses that water for household or agricultural purposes) and prevents runoff, which carries silt and pollution into our bodies of water (as opposed to that pollution being filtered out by layers of soil and rock). When we have too much runoff, we end up with floods. I hear floods have a pretty nasty economic impact, by the way.
I’m not saying we should prevent the construction of factories. I work in economic development and certainly understand the great need for job creation – especially in this economy where families are struggling. I’m just suggesting that we should site new construction appropriately (or, even better, reuse the vacant building and browfield sites that we already have if they are appropriate for a particular project).
I think Mr. Bayne should take a course in environmental science while he is a student at Mary Baldwin and learn the real costs of ignoring environmental issues before he is elected to office to vote on them!