My name is Bob Hastings. I was born in 1965 and raised in San Francisco, California. I was the last child of Vivian and Walter. I like to tell people they stopped having kids when they finally reached perfection. I have three brothers and two sisters. My parents split up when I was nine years old.
I grew up in the Mission District of San Francisco. I attended St. James Elementary School, James Lick Junior High and John O’Connell School of Technology. After a five year break from school I attended the College of San Mateo where I studied Drafting and Design. I now work as the Document Control Manager for a Sparks, Nevada company.
When I was 28 I met my wife Nadine. She was a single Mom going through a divorce and we began dating. She had two kids – Brian (7) and Devon (2). On August 19, 1995 Nadine and I married. Shortly after our marriage the children’s father walked away and signed his rights over to me. I adopted them and have never looked back. In early 2000, shortly after we decided to not have any more kids God smacked us upside the head and informed us he, not we, were in charge. On November 11, 2000 our last child, Daniel, was born.
My sister and her family have lived in Carson City for over 30 years. Nadine and I wanted to move to Nevada for about ten years. We were unable to as both my parent’s battled illness for many years. In an unexplainable period in 1994 and 1995 we lost my Mom, my Dad and Nadine’s Mom in a four month period. As hard as that was, it did open the door for us to move to Nevada. I moved up in November of 2005 to start a new job. Nadine and the kids moved up in February 2006. We live in Northern Nevada and love it.
We have always been politically minded but it is different in Nevada. You are actually able to see, touch and meet the politicians. They are real people. They are not afraid to shake your hand or talk to you. Most don’t see themselves as any better. It is refreshing.
Coming from San Francisco people are amazed we are Conservatives. It is a bit shocking. The simple answer is I am a redneck who clings to his God and his guns. Reality is I am a Christian who is trying to be a good father and husband. I don’t hate anyone based on the color of their skin or their ethnic background. I attended schools where I was by far the minority. Racism was not an option. I was friends with everyone. I don’t hate people who need help. I just expect that they will try to help themselves and not expect a lifetime free ride. After the divorce my Mom was on food stamps for about nine months. She hated it and worked hard to get off as quickly as possible. She knew her children were her responsibility. I myself was out of work in 2007 and needed a little help but the help I got wasn’t meant to be permanent solution and it was not my “paycheck”. I don’t hate immigrants. I am related to many. I do expect that you will come to this great land the right way. I’m OK with taxes as long as they are limited and help to do those things that the Constitution calls for the Government to do. I believe there is only one perfect document and that is the Bible but I do believe the Constitution is as close as you can get. I believe that the Constitution doesn’t need to be changed or interpreted because it was written very simply because the intent was for Government to be limited and simple.
Bob Hastings – Writer/Editor
The tea party — express or not — is a ‘dumbing down’ of the conservative ideals. Most of the ones here in Michigan have very little or no “real life” experience in business and pretend know whats best for our tax system. I have studied the tax system for 30 years and tried to offer my services for writing speeches, research, etc, However, when they found out I am a centris independent thinking individual , they wanted no part of my offer.
keep up the good work.
Bill krupar
Thanks for the input and kind words. Keep up the fight.