Let’s Expect A Government That Serves Its People
Just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean we have to accept it. Together, we will find solutions that work for all Americans.
Accountability in Action
I will seek to pass an Accountability Act that will create a secure system where all public servants have clear access to the will of their people (through an app or a secure website). This will allow people to engage with their politicians both locally and nationally (mainly through polling the constituents on key issues). Public servants can survey the will of the people at regular intervals on key topics that impact the public. These direct surveys to their constituents will create real numbers that can be tracked. There will be no need for media polling which can be biased and party driven. The goal is to limit or prevent any corruptibility of the party system and any large businesses interfering within the political realm. This in turn should limit manipulation and media influences on key issues. There would be a push for public servants to explain the agenda and laws in clear terms that the people can easily understand, which should bring about more transparency. This Act would not limit how a public servant votes. The vote is theirs as a representative chosen by the people. However, it will allow the people clear access to their politicians' choices, provide clear metrics, and force politicians to explain the reasoning of decisions made without the support of their constituents.
I will not accept donations for my campaign
Your money should stay with you, your family, and your community. I will humbly accept your help and your word of mouth.
Transparency
Money will not buy my support. Big businesses can’t sway my vote. Only the voice of the people can. Each one of my constituents matters to me equally. I will be a servant of the people. People donate to the candidates that will represent them, vote in their best interests, and better their communities. When this doesn’t happen, people are left frustrated and feeling helpless. For this reason, I’m making sure my campaign directly helps our community. So, instead of sending me your hard-earned money, I will encourage you to donate to your favorite local non-profits. Allow this message to spread based on tangible goodwill, not advertising dollars. I understand that this makes my campaign different. It means I need your help more than other candidates. My name will not be known to the rest of our state without your direct help and influence. Systemic corruption is perpetuated by treating our constituents without equality. Allowing one opinion to matter more than another because of funding creates a system that avoids the democratic process. All of your opinions will carry equal weight for me. By not accepting donations and help from a party, business, or PAC, I can act on your collective behalf without bias. This is how politics should operate. The people shouldn’t have to pay for politicians to act in their interests. This should be the expectation of public service.
Bringing Reasonable
Solutions to Our Necessities
Food
We create massive surpluses in food all while inflation has made buying groceries one the largest costs to everyday people. Of the nearly 400 billion pounds of food the United States produces each year, between 25-40% are wasted. (Per U.S. Gov and University of Michigan Sources). Communities, with the assistance of the government, can ease their costs by working together, buying in bulk as a collective, and letting their money extend further. We can work together to find the right community-based solutions to these ever-evolving issues.
Shelter
Housing is no longer accessible to the everyday American. Unlike when I was younger, having a “good job” no longer means you can afford to purchase a house. We must use a combination of technological advancements, byproducts and recyclables, and investment to make quality housing achievable. Creating “cookie-cutter” prefabricated solutions is not difficult. There are solutions that take out the cost of customization while giving a better and more cost-effective product to the people. Our nation can produce shelter as a byproduct of other initiatives. It’s about working together to find actual solutions to these problems.
Healthcare
We have a healthcare crisis in our country. A good example stems from the massive price differences of a “cash” customer and an “insurance” customer. The fact that medical facilities may charge a customer less for a service if paid upfront versus an exorbitant amount if a customer uses insurance illustrates a massive failure of the system. This is multi-faceted. However, it exposes the fact that we need to completely rethink our healthcare system. What should an insurance company “provide” for a customer? Where should the government intervene in the process? We must have open dialogue with our healthcare professionals to find appropriate solutions for the people.
Safety
The job of the government is to protect its people. The protection of its people from foreign or domestic sources of violence, and the safety of its infrastructure for public use are clearly part of this umbrella. However, my three points on food, shelter, and healthcare also fall under our basic needs as humans. How much the government intervenes in these areas is up for debate. What’s not up for debate is that the government has a place within each. We can do better. We can operate a system that addresses these needs in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. We must keep our citizens safe from all sources of danger. From cyber attacks to keeping our neighborhoods safe for ALL, we must work together as a united front in safety.
As an Independent, I am not tied to party lines or party agendas.
This means I can act in the best interest of Tennesseans and Americans without fear of reprisals from a party.
Economics
Economic stability, predictability, and institutional trust are public goods, and policy should minimize uncertainty that disproportionately harms ordinary participants in the economy. This means that, while some can benefit from volatility in the markets, it is in the best interest of the country to have price-stable and predictable inflation. This acts as the cornerstone of a positive-sum economy. Uncertainty can erode this system. We must seek stability. Our country depends on rational decision making geared towards the needs of the entire populace. In short, a healthy economy depends on stability and trust. Moderate, predictable inflation supports growth, but unnecessary uncertainty rewards speculation instead of work and makes everyday life less secure. Economic policy should prioritize steady growth, rational decision-making, and long-term stability for everyone.
Labor
As your candidate, I will advocate for policies that not only protect jobs but also enhance the dignity of work, ensuring that every worker is treated with respect and has a voice in the decision-making process that affects their lives. I will advocate for equitable treatment, wages that represent your value, and improved work-life balance. I will strive to ensure that our workforce is empowered and heard. Let's work together to build a prosperous society for all.
Environment
I believe we can foster a culture of responsibility toward our natural surroundings and our planet. I will advocate for innovative solutions and collaborative initiatives that will create a lasting and positive impact on our communities. By focusing on renewable energy, conservation efforts, and responsible resource management, I aim to create a bridge between economic growth and ecological sustainability. I will promote initiatives that focus on sustainability, conservation, and education. Together, we can pave the way for responsible stewardship. Let’s unite to foster a healthy environment that benefits everyone while ensuring our planet remains vibrant for generations to come.
Education
By channeling resources into enhancing educational programs, we can create pathways to success for every student, regardless of their background. It is imperative that we ensure our education system is not just about passing tests but about developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills for the leaders of tomorrow. Schools should be SAFE places where students are equipped with both a solid academic foundation and essential technical skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Together, let’s create an education system that nurtures talent and fuels ambition, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities of those in power: This world is not always fair and equal. While our rights must always create equality amongst the citizenry by law, it is imperative that those in power seek to help those without a voice. Being stronger than someone/something does not mean you impose your will. Bullying only ensures that you will always have to excerpt power. Striking first radicalizes generations of people against your power. It ensures that you will always have enemies that seek harm to you. Fostering unity, both at home and abroad, is essential for the health and survival of our nation.
Animal Welfare
We must have standards of care for those that are under our responsibility. This is most evident in the treatment and mistreatment of animals. Whether domestic pets, wildlife, or livestock, we must seek to protect animals and treat them with respect. We can always grow and do more for the animals that feed us, share the world with us, and give to us as loving companions.
Foreign Policy
Our citizenry comes first. However, we live in a world economy where events around the globe have heavy implications for our citizenry. We must strengthen our bonds with our allies, promote messages of peace and unity, and always use violence as a last resort for the defense of the defenseless. Stability throughout the world means meaningful ties to world organizations, the promotion of fair trade, and trust in our system of governance. We must act as a trustworthy partner rooted in principles that are not impacted by party agenda. This trust is crucial domestically and abroad.
Duties of the People
Domestically, our citizens must be able to trust in our systems. We live in a time where people are intentionally fed misinformation without the basis of proof. The information coming from the government, our legal system, and our politicians must be researched and presented without bias. We must demand this from those in power. It is perfectly reasonable to have differences of opinion. However, let’s make these differences based on real information and not propaganda.
Gun Control
I am the first to admit that I enjoy shooting and the ability to have guns for self-defense. Our 2nd Amendment secures the ability for us to bear arms. It does not specify what arms we have the rights to bear, nor does it say to the extent we can bear them. We already have established “arms” control. We can’t, for instance, protect ourselves individually with nuclear weapons. There already are, and should be, rules in place that protect our citizenry from the technological advancements we’ve made in the last 250 years. This should be an open discussion in all facets to ensure the safety and security of our populace. Law-abiding citizens that enjoy shooting shouldn’t be punished for the criminal actions of the few. However, we can do better to prevent tragedies by having an open dialogue. We can also accept some controls and procedures if that means we have less needless tragedies within our country. I believe this to be a commonsense issue that deserves care-driven discussion at every level. Understanding that we already have controls in place helps us open the discussion and determine what arms we should be able to bear in the modern world, which of our citizens have earned the right to carry them, and what we do to prevent the criminals from having them.
Religion
This country guarantees freedom of religion to its inhabitants. The separation of church and state is a cornerstone of our constitution that safeguards our rights to choose whichever religion or non-religion we wish. At minimum, there are hundreds of different major denominations of Christianity within this country that all have wide-ranging beliefs and values. There are thousands of organized bodies of religious beliefs. There are millions of distinct relationships between our citizenry and their views of religion. These freedoms make our country a great place where we can welcome and learn from each other. If history has taught us anything, we must not embark on a path of intolerance toward religion. Such a system has killed millions of people in human history, and we have fought desperately in this country to ensure our rights to choose our own religious paths. The separation of church and state ensures we honor those that have fallen due to ignorance and intolerance. Our people and communities have the right to practice their own religious doctrines without fear. This right must be protected.
LGBTQ+
All are citizens regardless of anything that makes us different. We should all be granted the same equal rights as citizens.
Immigration
Law-abiding immigration is another cornerstone of what makes this country great. Welcoming the business and labor of our immigrants and foreign tourists should bring hope. We are a land of opportunity, after all. Anyone deemed to be breaking our laws should be dealt with accordingly. However, this must be done on the basis of proof. Innocent until found guilty. We must not preemptively judge. If people break laws and endanger our people, immigrants or citizens, then they should be punished in accordance with our laws. Due process is necessary to keep all of our citizens and visitors safe. We also must ensure our individual states will have the right to govern their own citizenry. If our states do not have the resources to protect their populace, then we must provide the resources. We must be protected by those that live within our community. Faces that we know and build our trust around. Faces that are there when we are at our best and our worst. It is up to us to use logic and reason when it comes to those that enter our community. We must have safeguards against terror, both foreign and domestic. We must allow due process and deal with our threats accordingly, and with reason.
Abortion
Protecting life is at the cornerstone of the government’s purpose. Timing of when we grant the rights of the living to an unborn child is an incredibly complicated and divisive topic. Scientific, religious, and philosophical views have all been brought up to support each side of this contentious argument. I can’t imagine the pain and emotion associated with someone being faced with such a decision. Each and every circumstance is different. Each risk is different. However, having a blanket ban undermines equality and the freedom a woman has in protecting her own life, and that of her potential child. Instead of making policy precedents that have no end, we must first take action on the reason these choices have been made. If we want people to feel safe, we should provide resources instead of judgement. Allow people to know that they have a community that will protect them no matter what. Our constitution guarantees the equal protection of all our citizens. We are allowed to defend ourselves against other citizens that might harm us. We can even take another life in self-defense. The same protection must extend to medical decisions. Like police officers that can use lethal force in the protection of others, medical professionals must be extended the same rights to protect their patients. We can’t put a blanket ban on our police or citizens’ rights to defend themselves against active threats. Each circumstance is different. Each circumstance requires extensive care. Each circumstance requires professionals that must be able to operate without fear of repercussions in the best interest of all the lives they have in their care. There is no end to a precedent that controls abortion through policy. Controlling abortion through a blanket policy means each circumstance, no matter what, is exactly the same. It means that there are no special circumstances. It means we value the life of one, no matter what the circumstance, more than the other.
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