Naturally, I'm frequently asked to share a little about myself in my travels across the district. People want to know more than a candidate's positions - they want to get to know them as a person.

Let me tell you a little about myself so that you may better understand why I'm seeking your support. As I mentioned on my homepage, I am not a career politician nor do I have any desire to be one. I am a concerned citizen and a small business owner that has been directly harmed by Congressional malpractice. The online dictionary at princeton.edu defines malpractice as "professional wrong-doing that results in injury or damage." When Bob Etheridge and others in Congress voted to rob individuals and businesses on Main Street to bailout megacorporations on Wall Street, this is exactly what they did. This created uncertainty and, in addition to cease and desist orders issued to community banks, led to a shortage of cash available to small businesses.

It's easy to place the blame solely on these large banks for causing the housing bubble and the resulting crash, but an analysis reveals that the federal government itself caused the crisis. They mandated that home loans be made to high-risk buyers. Normally, these banks would try to resist such risky loans but Congress authorized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy up those risky assets. Since Congress exempted these corporations from SEC oversight, the damage being done was hidden until it was too late. The problem is that they took out major elements of our financial sector at the same time. This provided the perfect opportunity for the Federal government to step in and take control over many banks. Their poor policies have forced many businesses to close their doors and put employees on the street. 

I've experienced first-hand how unconstitutional government policies have crippled a thriving business. Like many businesses, my automobile dealership relied on lines of credit to purchase inventory for resale. After we sell our inventory, we have the funds to pay back the loans, operate the business, and pay the members of our team. Our credit was exemplary and we were very successful. Yet, Bob Etheridge and others in Congress supported initiatives that limited small business lending regardless of credit-worthiness and halted our ability to purchase inventory. Etheridge helped shut down our business and cost 25 hard-working North Carolinians their jobs. Since then, we have reopened for business and are re-hiring our employees. But, this is in spite of the government rather than as a result of it.

I pledge to do my best to ensure that special interests and unconstitutional government actions do not do this to others. We need to help small business create jobs and families find jobs; we don't need to be passing $2.5 trillion job-killing bills catering to special interests. Placing future generations in debt is not the solution either. We need to reform our government if we are to heal our nation's woes. 

Todd Gailas was born on May 22, 1970 in Lorain, Ohio to Gus Tom Gailas, Jr. and Mary Kaye Sears Gailas. While his parents divorced in 1973, both are now happily remarried. He found himself to be in a situation where he was blessed with two sets of wonderful parents.

While living in Ohio, his childhood home was an 1865 farm house; this is where Todd's family raised chickens, goats, and champion Morgan horses. These horses are a very elegant and mild breed. Neither of those words have ever been used to describe Todd. Fittingly his horse was a jet-black, ill-tempered, high-spirited, full-blooded Arabian gelding affectionately named "Pork Chop".

Todd credits farm-living as playing a major role in molding his character. 

• Animals, which depend on humans for their very survival, teach responsibility.
• Growing crops can be very demanding. But, when the hard work of the day is over, the feeling turns to one of rewarding accomplishment; the value of hard work is realized.
• On a farm, stray animals always find a home, food, and generally get corny names (usually derived from whatever fault they have that makes them special), thus teaching the meaning of compassion.
• Most importantly, farm-living creates a natural enviroment that ensures everyone in the family has dinner plans... with each other. 

His mother moved to Cary, NC, where Todd spent the bulk of his childhood years. After graduating from Cary High, Todd moved to Greenville to attend East Carolina University. While pursuing a teaching degree in History, he was an active member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and participated in the big brothers-big sisters program.

To help finance his education, he began his career in auto sales in 1989. While there, he fell in love with the business. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Todd left school to devote his efforts to a successful sales career. Since that time, he has pursued a number of ventures including a company right here in Clayton.

He will be the first to tell you that he's not perfect. In addition to his successes, he's had two notable failures as well - one commercial and one marital. While many candidates might try to hide this fact to paint themselves in a more positive light, Todd believes in telling it like it is. These aspects of his life may have been very painful, but he learned as much from them as he has from his successes.

Todd would like to dispel a rumor that he is not a member of the Second District community. As most of you know, the Second District runs through Cary, NC. Todd lives in Wake County about 50 yards from the Cary city limits. Mailing address excluded, he does effectively live in Cary which provides city services and utilities. And, for more than 22 years, he has had the privilege of living and working predominantly in the areas east of Cary including Greenville, Clayton, Kinston, Goldsboro, and  points in-between. There is no doubt that the Second District is his home.

While gerrymandered lines drawn by Democratics place his home on the wrong side of this line, there is no doubt this is where his family, friends, business ties, and community reside. This is one key reason that we need to elect responsible candidates like Glen Bradley to the NC House - he is committed to fixing the gerrymandered district lines that split communities in order to secure Democrat victory at the polls. Further, the State Board of Elections has confirmed that he is eligible to run for Congress representing the district. Claims that Todd is an outsider are completely untrue; be skeptical of anyone telling you otherwise.

Todd is fortunate to be in a place in his life where he can make a positive difference and help others in the Second District. Please get involved and help Todd return the US House of Representatives to our citizens in 2010.