QUINCY, Ill.-Maurice Taylor Jr., president and CEO of Titan Wheel International Inc., is running for president of the U.S. and said he will rebuild the country's manufacturing base if elected. Mr. Taylor announced his bid for the Republican nomination at a recent rally in Quincy, home of Titan's corporate offices.
``Maury Taylor understands, Maury Taylor cares and Maury Taylor will stand up and fight for the working people of America,'' Mr. Taylor said.
Backing jobs and manufacturing is like supporting ``apple pie and Chevrolet,'' said Earl Seymour, president of United Rubber Workers Local 164 at Titan Tire's Des Moines, Iowa, plant.
``I think he will be a job creator,'' the union president said ``But they're lower-paying jobs than what we're used to.''
Mr. Seymour said he'd like to hear more about Mr. Taylor's views on labor, but admitted he probably would not vote for the Republican candidate. Mr. Seymour said he's a lifelong Democrat who pretty much votes that party's ticket.
``I don't know whether I could move over or not,'' he said.
Mr. Taylor listed what he sees as America's three most pressing needs-restoring the nation's manufacturing base, tax relief and cutting the federal budget and bureaucracy.
Between 1989 and 1993, America lost more than 1.8 million jobs to overseas workers, Mr. Taylor said. He warned that Asian companies control the machine tool and equipment industries, and that Japan dominates entire sectors like electronics.
Cheap Chinese labor also is threatening the U.S.'s economic status, he said.
Calling for tax relief for America's ``working families,'' Mr. Taylor jabbed at the political professionals in Washington. The government collects $5,500 from a person earning $20,000 a year. That person's employer kicks in another $4,000, meaning the government takes $9,500 on that $20,000 income, he said.
``Washington sure gets its fair share of the cut, but the worker and the employer get left holding the bag,'' he said.
If elected, Mr. Taylor said he would cut $180 billion from the budget deficit by firing a third of the federal government's top-level bureaucrats.
The savings in salaries, offices, cars, travel and other expenses would just about wipe out the budget deficit, Mr. Taylor said.
The reduced federal work force would require state and local governments to take over many federal programs, he said.
Mr. Taylor said he figures it won't take him long to accomplish his goals and sees himself as a one-term president.
``Someone just has to go up and clean up the mess,'' Mr. Taylor said. ``That's me. I'm a Mr. Fix-it.''