Turner’s the first Republican elected in his district since the 1920s
Less than two years ago, Republican Congressman Bob Turner was a retiree. An entertainment industry executive, Turner sold his company Orbis to Carolco Pictures, then joined Multimedia, a newspapers, broadcast, cable, and entertainment conglomerate, before turning his attention to politics. He ran against Queens incumbent Anthony Weiner in 2010, losing by a narrow margin. “I made the first decision 18 months ago to run against Mr. Weiner,” Turner says. “While not entirely quixotic, it was a protest against a number of things—his positions and the direction of the country. A lot of it had to do with Obamacare and the implications of that, and I thought I would join the fight.”
But then Weiner’s texting scandal unfolded, and Turner won the special election against David Weprin to replace the disgraced politician; it was the first time the district has elected a Republican since the 1920s. “I think that this is indicative of a lot of things,” says Turner. “This district, while heavily Democratic, is working-class or middle-class. This is a big shift and it’s profound, and I think it’s indicative of a national mood.”
Inside the congressman’s Kew Gardens office, the space is unpretentious and clutter free, with an unglamorous view of Queens Boulevard, yet Tuner’s exuberant personality more than fills the room. It’s here that he reviews reports from the many committees on which he serves—the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security. “There’s a tremendous amount to learn here,” he says. “I think there is an opportunity to fake it if you’re so inclined and not do all of the necessary homework, but I found that everyone is rather diligent and dedicated. Many of the people in the capital work 24/7. I got a memo suggesting that you carve out at least one day a month for your family and relaxation.”
Turner's Platforms
It was a family issue that made Medicare a topic of interest for the Congressman. A father of five, Turner and his wife, Peggy, a nurse, adopted a child when their oldest son met a woman with AIDS who wanted to secure care for her son when her time came. “The facts are simple: The wheels are coming off this,” he says of Medicare. “We cannot continue to do what we are doing. If we have to raise taxes to do it, we could wreck the entire economy. We are morally obligated to help those in need, and we have legally bound ourselves as a nation to do exactly that. We can take care of people 55 and over who are already in the system—they have paid their dues and have built their lives around these programs; we have to protect them. Those that are younger are going to have to make substantial changes.”
Another issue in the congressman’s crosshairs: the budget. “We have to come to a budget resolution or the government shuts down,” says Turner, who is diligently working with Congress to help trim the budget by an estimated 35 percent. “But it can’t be done in a recession. It’s going to have to be done over a period of years, and we are going to have to grow our way out of it.”
The Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Education are also hotbutton issues. “A lot of the Department of Agriculture can be folded into another department,” Turner says. “I think we spend about $50 billion in the Department of Education, yet federally, we don’t educate a single child. I would take those responsibilities and much of that money and push it back to the states and back to the communities.”
Regardless of all the larger issues facing the country, Turner, who intends to run for reelection in 2012, believes one man can make a difference. “I offered my services here as a practical businessman,” he says. “I’ve told people that I will tell them the truth. I hope they are receptive, and from what I’ve seen so far, I think they can handle the truth.”
