Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

Billy Kennedy is the former host of WATA-AM's call-in show, "Watauga Talks." He's the son of a minister and mayor of Black Mountain, NC; a farmer; a father; a carpenter; and he is active in community service.

Kennedy was born to Will and Frances Kennedy in 1957 in Richmond, Virginia. He started school in Richmond, and when he was 12 years old, his father was called to Switzerland to serve the church.

Kennedy finished high school overseas and returned to the states as a freshman at Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), and graduated with a double major in International Studies and Foreign Languages.

Following college, he moved to Watauga County. Kennedy became skilled at carpentry; worked as a maintenance man and furniture-maker; and owned his own construction business. He began raising livestock in 2000.

"I chose to earn a living with my hands, and I can see how people have been treated recently. Certainly not like bankers or members of Congress," says Kennedy.

Kennedy's radio show featured guests from community groups as well as visits from elected officials. He knows the issues important to working people and he is ready to tackle our country's problems.

Kennedy believes Washington is out of touch with working peoples' lives and values. His father always taught him to stand up for what was right and fair, but Kennedy sees very little of this on either side of the aisle in Washington.

"Politicians will say anything to get elected," says Kennedy. "But once they're there, they spend their time taking money from lobbyists and handing out taxpayer money to corporate interests. Enough is enough!"

Kennedy is married to Becka Saunders. They have three children and one son-in-law: Amber, who is married to Bryan Madole; Jessica; and Willis.

Instead of working on things that matter, like creating jobs or holding Wall Street accountable, Congress wastes time debating toothless laws written by lobbyists for the very industries the laws are meant to regulate.

In the meantime, our country is in trouble. If the incumbent has her way, she will take us back to the worst economic policies of the last century by keeping tax cuts for millionaires. We just can't afford it. We have work to do.

The incumbent talks about lowering taxes and controlling government spending, but her rhetoric is revisionist history. Here's the whole truth:

• In June 2001, the first of the Republican tax cuts was signed. Three years later, there were 600,000 fewer jobs in our economy.
• The tax cuts at the high end have not produced jobs. In fact, in her own district, unemployment has gone from 5.1% the year Virginia Foxx was elected to 11.2% in 2010.
• It's no coincidence that 84 percent of the debt incurred since 1980 has been under Republican presidents. Republican presidents haven't balanced a budget in the past 34 years.  
• Permanently extending the millionaires' tax cuts would add $4 trillion dollars to the deficit over the next ten years, doubling the deficit, and irresponsibly leaving the bill for our grandchildren.
  

As few as 1-3% of small businesses would be subject to higher taxes, potentially including Rep. Foxx, the richest member of the NC Congressional delegation. But under her plan the rest of us are left holding the bill. Americans must make tough choices, she'll say, but the sacrifices won't be made by her or her wealthy pals.

I've worked all my life. This country has real problems that affect my family and my neighbors' families, and I want to go to Washington to work on real solutions.