Mark Reed is an energetic Republican candidate who is challenging incumbent Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman for California’s 30th District in western San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County. He visited the Epoch Media Group’s Los Angeles office on Aug. 17.
Reed supports many of President Trump’s policies, including having a more efficient government, building the border wall, and immigration reform. The 30th District of California has been represented by a Democratic Congress member since 1963.
Reed was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, which is about 20 minutes northwest of Los Angeles. He runs his own business, and is also a realtor, rancher and an actor.
However, when the 61-year-old went on an acting audition for a new role recently, he noticed that many people his age don’t look healthy. He says they may not be taking good care of their amazing bodies given to them by Heaven.
“Realize that you body is a machine, and if you don’t care of that machine, it’s gonna break. It’s nobody’s fault but your own” said Reed.
A Natural Way to Achieve Health
Reed is not happy with our current healthcare system, and he says he refuses to buy health insurance. He thinks it’s not reasonable to pay about $6,000 in premiums and another $6,000 in deductibles before the insurance company pays for the rest of the medical bills.
“That’s called catastrophic insurance, not health insurance, and you’re still paying for it,” he said.
He has turned to natural ways to maintain his health. He exercises regularly, eats healthy, and doesn’t drink alcohol or do drugs. When he does visit the doctor’s office, he makes sure to keep it reasonable.
“If I have to go see a doctor, it costs me $120. If I need some medication, they know I’m paying for it and I want the least amount,” he said.
However, for people who were born with or developed serious conditions outside of their control, Reed considers it a different situation. He “absolutely” supports government support in those cases.
“I don’t think any family should go bankrupt taking care of a child at all, ever,” he said.
However, he states that 85% of all issues that are treated at the hospital are from lifestyle choices: drinking, smoking, not exercising, laying around, and eating the worst kind of foods.
Affordable Care Act Didn’t Fix Health Care
Reed thinks the Affordable Care Act didn’t address the key problem with health care, which is cost, and he regards insurance companies to be practically extortionists.
“The problem is the insurance companies … because we have the malpractice suits … What they are treating is the possible lawsuits that come up for missing something.”
He thinks people today are too quick to sue; it’s a negative mentality and wastes resources. In order to turn things around, he wants to enact judicial reform.
Another thing that’s driving up health care costs is expensive drugs, and he says the government should step in.
“In processing a new medication here, it takes a billion dollars to get one through. Then you have the patenting process. They are guaranteed the patent to prevent generic reproduction of that new medicine until they earn their money back. It’s a corrupt system,” he said.
Having a free marketplace and fair competition will reduce the cost, he says, and encourage mass production of new medicines that are available to all people who need it.
Reed remembers a time when he used to pay $25 for his children to get basic treatment or medicine in county clinics.
“We need to get back to the county hospitals systems that the Fed needs to pay for. County facilities used to take care of any entity or individual person that don’t have the means. They will give you free or reduced medical health care to make a life worth living but it’s not gonna be Beverly Hills medical health care,” he said.
Downfall of Morality is the Root of Many Problems
Reed says that many problems happen now in the United States because there is a relative lack of a moral code and self-responsibility.
“[I read] a wonderful article on what was the downfall of all nations or empires throughout history. They equated it to the moral decline of the leadership of a country. When the country, the nation, the empire finally collapsed, it collapsed from within and the people no longer knew what they stood for,” he said.
For example, some people don’t want to take responsibility in caring for themselves or their children in many instances; instead they seize the opportunity to sue others and want the government to provide welfare. In addition, he says some of our government leaders also lack honor and financial responsibility with promises of benefits that the U.S. can’t afford.
“I’m grateful that this administration is in office, because it’s exposing some of the most corrupt elements that exist in our government, that exist in Washington D.C., and it’s flushing it out. It’s giving the opportunity once again for America be a law in order and a morally righteous country,” he said.
Furthermore, he thinks that we need to respect each other more and everyone should work on civility with others. He says harassing policemen or politicians for doing their jobs, or those who have different opinions, is not the right thing to do. We need to learn to respect and support one another.
“Your neighbor matters because your neighbor might save your life one day. So how you treat one another is what we really need to pay attention to. And partisan politics is destroying that right now,” he said.
Reed married his childhood sweetheart, Nina, in 1978. They have three children and ten grandchildren.
