Hello! My name is Obi Sium. I am running for the Minnesota 4th Congressional District on November 7, 2006.
I
was born and raised in the village of Adengoda, Eritrea, located in the
horn of Africa. When I was about five years old I went to the only
village school in our area that served ten villages with a total
population of about 7,000. It had only three class rooms. I was
denied entrance because too many teenagers and young adults were trying
to register just as first graders. We had no public schools in Eritrea
when I was born in 1941. They were first introduced when I was about
two or three years old. Finally, after I had waited four more
years, I was admitted to first grade. I walked bare footed three miles
one way to school. We were so poor; I can still remember some years
when I went to bed hungry.
I
overcame many challenges along life’s way. I worked hard and patiently
did my best in school so I could rise from poverty once and for all. I
finally achieved my dream when I earned a civil engineering degree in
1968 from Haile Selassie I University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1969,
I received my dream job as a hydraulic engineer in charge of the
Technical Office of the Water Supply Department for the Municipality of
Asmara, Eritrea.
I
came to the United States in 1973 and earned a Master of Science degree
in mechanics and hydraulics from the University of Iowa in 1975. I have
served as a water resources engineer for the last 30 years first with
the Iowa Geological Survey and then the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (DNR), where I have been for 28 years.
I
am running for the U.S. Congress because I am passionate about
defending and preserving our freedom and liberties. I would like to
limit the size and spending of government and lower taxes to create
wealth. I would like to improve the quality of K-12 education, and also
to reform health care to make it more affordable. I would like to
defend the sanctity of life, and push the frontiers of green energy
production. I want to do what I can to raise the standard of ethics
both in Congress and government agencies. Having a very good
understanding of African culture, politics and natural resources, I can
encourage Congress to have a better grasp of African issues and how
essential it is to have good will among African nations. Having grown
up very close to the culture and politics of the Middle East, I can
also help Congress grapple with the issues emerging from that region
I
want you to join me in building a better tomorrow for our children.
Please sign up to join my campaign. Thank you for the chance to
introduce myself to you.
Sincerely,
Obi Sium
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