Independent Centrist for the People, not Party

Common Sense Solutions, not Politics

★ AEROSPACE ENTREPRENEUR ★ INDEPENDENT PROBLEM SOLVER ★ IMMIGRANT SUCCESS STORY ★ NATIONAL DEFENSE EXPERT

Why I’m Running

The Problem: Families in CA District 30, in areas such as Glendale, Burbank, and Hollywood, are being priced out of their own communities. High costs for housing, gas, groceries, and childcare mean even dual-income families struggle to make ends meet.
My Solution: Attack affordability from the federal level. The root cause is runaway federal spending driving inflation and high interest rates. I will:
- Demand the federal government reduce the deficit by at least $250B annually to stabilize inflation and bring down interest rates
- Require the federal government to publish quarterly financial reports (just like public companies) so taxpayers can see where their money goes
- Focus on bringing good-paying jobs to the district through STEM investment and trade programs
Why It Matters Here: When federal spending is out of control, California families pay the price at the gas pump, grocery store, and when trying to buy or rent a home. A technologist knows: fix the foundation first.
The Problem: Our public schools should prepare every student, whether they're headed to MIT or trade school, to succeed in the real world. Instead, schools have become battlegrounds for culture wars while basics like math, science, and critical thinking take a backseat.
My Solution: Get back to fundamentals and expand pathways to success:
- Prioritize STEM education and basic thinking skills over political agendas
- Massively expand support for trade schools (plumbing, electrical, mechanics, tech) - these are six-figure careers that don't require crushing student debt
- Make student loans and grants available for STEM and trade students, not just traditional four-year degrees
- Focus on teaching kids how to think, not what to think, and how to Learn, not just what to Learn
Why It Matters Here: Burbank is home to entertainment industry professionals, Glendale has thriving small businesses and residents that work at JPL - our kids need diverse pathways to success, whether that's film production, aerospace engineering, or skilled trades. Every child deserves an opportunity.
The Problem: As an immigrant who came here legally, earned his education, and built a successful company, I know firsthand that the American Dream works when we have clear rules, pathways to citizenship, and integration support. Our current chaos at the border disrespects legal immigrants and makes everyone less safe.
My Solution: Compassionate but rational immigration reform:
- Secure the border: illegal immigration is unfair to the hundreds of thousands who wait in line legally
- Create a clear path to legal status for undocumented immigrants already here who: have no criminal record, have lived in the US for 3+ years, pay taxes, and demonstrate basic English and civics knowledge
- Make legal immigration merit-based to meet our economy's actual needs
- Support integration: newcomers succeed when we invest in education, job training, and community
Why It Matters Here: Glendale has one of the largest Armenian-American populations in the country. West Hollywood and Hollywood are extraordinarily diverse. Immigration built this district - and smart, humane immigration policy will keep it strong.

The Problem: Entertainment industry workers in Burbank and Hollywood face instability. Small business owners in Glendale struggle with regulations and costs. Young people can't find career pathways that don't require $200K in debt.
My Solution: A system engineer's approach to economic growth:
- Invest in STEM and trade careers: create national competitions, prizes, and recognition for skilled trades alongside traditional academic achievement
- Cut the red tape: streamline federal regulations so small businesses can thrive, not just survive bureaucracy
- Reform defense spending: I know from experience that DoD wastes billions on inefficient acquisition. Fix that process, create more high-quality jobs, and deliver better defense for less money
- Support California's creative economy: entertainment, tech, and innovation are our strengths
Why It Matters Here: Burbank is a hub for studios and production. Glendale has a vibrant small business community. Hollywood is the creative capital of the world. We need a representative who understands how to build and sustain good jobs - not just talk about it.
The Problem: Career politicians have been in Congress for 30+ years and nothing changes. Dysfunction is the norm. Partisan games replace problem-solving.
My Solution: Bring system engineering discipline to government:
- Term limits: 5 terms (10 years) for House members, 2 terms (12 years) for Senators. Fresh ideas, less entrenchment.
- Transparency: Make federal spending as transparent as a publicly-traded company's financials
- Campaign finance reform: Limit PAC spending and shorten campaign seasons to 6 months so elected officials spend more time governing, less time fundraising
- Merit-based government: Federal employees on performance contracts, judges on term limits with renewal based on merit
Why It Matters Here: Voters in CA-30 are tired of the circus. They want someone who will go to Washington, solve problems, and come home - not become part of the swamp. I have no interest in being a career politician. I’ve already succeeded. This is about service, not status.
The Problem: Los Angeles has nearly 4 million residents spread across 500+ square miles. City Hall feels distant, unresponsive, and disconnected from neighborhood concerns. Whether you're in Glendale, Burbank, or West Hollywood, you know the frustration: massive city bureaucracies that move slowly, ignore local needs, and seem more focused on downtown politics than fixing potholes, addressing homelessness, or keeping streets safe in your neighborhood.
My Solution: Right-size local government to restore accountability and responsiveness:
- Break up mega-cities for better governance: Any municipality over 1 million population should be segmented into districts of no more than 750,000 residents within 12 months of each census
- Counties over 3 million should be divided into segments of no more than 1.5 million residents
- State Supreme Courts oversee segmentation to ensure compact, continuous districts that avoid gerrymandering
- Result: Smaller, more responsive local governments where your voice actually matters and officials are accountable to neighborhoods, not massive bureaucracies
Why It Matters Here: Parts of CA-30 fall under LA city jurisdiction - a government so large that individual neighborhoods get lost in the shuffle. Glendale (population ~200,000) and Burbank (~100,000) function as independent cities and prove that smaller governments can deliver better services, faster responses, and more accountability.
When city government is closer to the people it serves, you get:
- Faster response to local issues (public safety, infrastructure, quality of life)
- More accountability: officials can't hide in massive bureaucracies
- Budgets that reflect neighborhood priorities, not downtown politics
- Real representation where your councilmember actually knows your community

Meet John

Hi, I'm John, and I'm honored to be running to represent you in the US Congress.

A little about me: I'm a former aerospace technologist-entrepreneur, immigrant success story, and political outsider running for Congress in California's 30th District because I've had enough of the partisan dysfunction paralyzing Washington. For 40 years, I solved complex problems for America's national defense—developing cutting-edge aerospace technologies, holding top-secret DoD clearances, founding my own R&D firm, and earning NASA recognitions for contributions to the Hubble Space Telescope. I didn't build aerospace systems by picking political sides. I built them with data, logic, and rigorous problem-solving.

Born in Beirut and educated in physics at the American University of Beirut and Tufts University, I came to California over 40 years ago and have called it home ever since. I earned my MBA from USC at the age of 67, raised two daughters here, and now have three grandchildren in California public schools. Fluent in four languages and representative of the district's multicultural fabric, I'm running as an independent with no party affiliation, no political debts, and one clear mission: bring the same disciplined, systems-level thinking that builds large, complex systems to the work of governing for the people. My commitment is simple—Common Sense Solutions, Not Sides. Progress, Not Political Deadlock.

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