Patel keen to promote Indo-US ties; has met Narendra Modi.
AB Wire
An Indian American businessman in Louisiana, Abhay Patel, 40, is trying to do a Bobby Jindal act, by seeking high office with no experience at the grassroots level: he’s going to contest for the US Senate.
Patel, a Republican, kicked off his Senate bid at Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Free Speech Alley, on Wednesday. Patel, an LSU graduate, received his law degree from Boston University.
Patel plans on running as a “next generation” Republican that wants to take the baton of leadership from the older generation and lead the party in a new, more constitutionally conservative direction, reported The Hayride.
Patel embraces his Indian-American heritage more than Jindal did, and according to Hayride met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent visit, in Washington, DC.
Patel is very passionate about improving U.S.-Indian relations.
“Look at where India is located. They have China to the east and Pakistan, who hid Osama bin Laden in daylight, and Afghanistan, which is always in turmoil, to the west. It’s vital we form a partnership with them,” said Patel, to Hayride. He also pointed out that much of the world’s shipping passes through the Indian Ocean.
Patel is also very passionate about free trade.
“If we started a business, it shouldn’t be our goal just to sell in New Orleans and the Northshore. Our goal should be to get on an online market like eBay for example and sell all over the world. Instead of just selling locally, we should be selling to New Delhi and all over the world,” said Patel.
Patel, who is the son of immigrants from India, has some strong views on immigration. While he realizes that it is not possible to deport 12 million people, he also rejects amnesty.
“If you’re a criminal, you’re gone.” he said. But Patel also brought up something that is not usually mentioned when discussing the immigration issue, the welfare state which he believes provides incentives for Americans not to work.
“This whole “jobs Americans won’t do” line is infuriating. My dad came here and he only had $8 in his pocket. He would’ve picked lettuce if that was how he had to survive because he was happy to be here in America,” he added.
Patel spent much of his professional career as an investment banker raising money on the private debt and equity markets for companies such as General Electric and Harley Davidson. He then returned to New Orleans and joined the New Orleans Business Alliance where he was responsible for recruiting businesses to come to New Orleans. Patel believes that the tax code is too complicated and needs reform, however he will release a tax reform plan later in the summer. But there will two things that definitely will be in there, ending taxation of capital gains, which he sees as punishing investment, and repatriating corporate profits held overseas by American corporations.
Patel, who is nearly legally blind, uses Uber to move around, said the report. Ideologically, Patel describes himself as “between Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.”
“Although I can barely see, I’m going to rate this restaurant on Yelp. It’s what people do these days. What we have in the sharing economy is a self-regulating marketplace where buyers and sellers do business together without some government bureaucrat in the way.” he said.
On his campaign website, Patel writes that if elected, he would stand for limited government, individual liberty and local empowerment.
“I’m not a career politician. I’m a businessman who learned about hard work and sacrifice by watching my immigrant parents. Over my career, I’ve advised some of our nation’s most important companies, led economic development and promoted the overall growth of our local, state and national economy,” he writes.
1 Comment
Blind?????