Fred Flannigan, aka (Terry Florio) in my non-radio life, was born in Waukegan, to an Italian immigrant father and a first generation American mother of English/German/Italian descent. I was raised in Waukegan and Chicago, like so many of my contemporaries, by blue collar, middle class working folks who believed completely in the American dream. Like most parents of their generation they were socially conservative people who understood the value of hard work, frugality, and real family values. They managed to survive the Great Depression, win a World War, adapt to rapidly changing social norms, and put up with kids who they did a little too much for. Having spent my early years rebelling against their societal norms, rejecting their values, spending too much time with people I shouldn’t have been with, in places I shouldn’t have been in, I finally came to an understanding, albeit a little slowly, of just how important their values really were.
I am the oldest of three children. My mother and brother still reside in the area, and my sister Robin was lost to a car accident in 1981. My wife Vicki and I are the proud parents of three grown children, Jodi, Jeremiah, and Zachary, two of whom graduated college and all of whom went on to professional careers, and more importantly went on to have fulfilling family lives. How they managed this with me as their example is beyond my comprehension, although I suspect their Mom had more to do with their successful development then I. Vicki and I are even prouder grandparents to four grandchildren, Summer, Emma, River, and Levi, with hopefully many more on the way.
For the past 30 years I have worked in industrial sales, design, and engineering. I am currently employed, as a Service Center Manager for a large fortune 400 corporation. In contrast to so many who preach to you about free trade, and open markets, I see it from the inside every single day and can recite chapter and verse, the pros and cons of American competitiveness, and the exporting of our way of life. While so many of these “free market capitalists” will yammer on from their ivory towers, based on their political leanings and sensibilities, I actually experience both the truth and the myth of “free trade” and its’ effects on our standard of living.
My approach to life is fairly simple… I’ll do no harm to you and that’s all I will ask in return; however, if you can’t follow that simple rule, I can easily revert to an eye for an eye. My politics are much the same. I am Libertarian by nature, and am convinced that our founders were as well. I believe in less government, less regulation, an overwhelming national defense, the abolishment of all taxes on income, privatization of most government functions, and a return to constitutional principles. I believe the rights of the individual are codified by our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and should be paramount in the hearts and minds of our elected officials whenever they make a decision that affects the citizenry.
I’m not a radio professional, (yes I know it’s obvious), but I took advantage of the opportunity I have been offered for a single reason. I wanted to give voice to your frustrations, concerns, ideas, and desire for change in our social/political system. If ever you feel I have abrogated this responsibility, or moved away from what I consider both my guiding principle and mission statement with this radio show, I want you to let me know it.
All of us as citizens can be the catalyst for change, but it can only happen if we stay strong, and most of all, stay united in our desire for change.
Oh yeah, and lets have some fun along the way.
