Back to the Basics

A critically important theme in my campaign is that our nation needs to get back to the basics of how we govern ourselves.

Communication with District Citizens

A central, basic tenet of democracy is that the will of citizens must be reflected in how the country is run. Being elected to Congress begins a series of responsibilities that I will assume thoughtfully and seriously - promise to all the residents of the 3rd Congressional District. I also ask you to do your part. It is appropriate to ask your Congressperson to support your position on issues but you have to understand that, as a democracy, all voices and all viewpoints need to be heard and considered.

Effective Governing

The United States has been a beacon of democratic government that has inspired people throughout the world for over two centuries. Although we still have a strong democratic culture, we have lost focus on some of the principles that caused that admiration.

Health Care

Costs, policy and management of health care in the United States have for too long been poorly contained, coordinated or guided. I give credit to the Obama administration and Congress for tackling a very complex issue that has too often been driven by non-transparent activity of organizations and individuals. I give the administration and the Democratic controlled Congress a low grade, however, for rushing to promote poorly designed bill components that are unrealistically costly and for not effectively involving Republicans in the debate and word crafting. I don't approve of the Republican tactic of voting as a 100% block, and deplore some of the rhetoric of their elected and other political leaders. The process through which the 2010 legislation was created was very poor in many respects. It was too partisan, and the information given by politicians was too often presented as fact when the information was opinion, inaccurate, or misrepresented.

How to Buy Jon's Vote

YOU CAN'T!!

My Democratic and Republican opponents in this campaign have been given lots of money. Many of you tell me that you are disgusted with how much campaigns cost and how the lawmaking process is more often than not inappropriately influenced by money donations and other forms of influencing power. America's democracy will not thrive - perhaps not survive - when a Machiavellian atmosphere exists. Might, in any form, should never be permitted to trump what's right.

Jobs and Economic Recovery

The United States - and most of the world - has experienced a recession with a profound and far-reaching impact. We must thoroughly and thoughtfully study what has happened over the past decade to better understand why it happened and then thoughtfully determine what policies need to be revised, developed, or ended to reduce the likelihood of a reoccurrence. This work should be accomplished through the collaborative efforts of Congress, business, labor, and academics.

The Media

Some resources I used as a Civics/Government teacher discussed the role of media in the governing process. Some resources actually referred to public media as a "fourth branch of government". The point made was that the media industry has a tremendous influence on how people think about issues and their representatives in government.

Patriotism

The most common use of the word 'patriotism' in the United States political arena in recent years has been in the context of supporting our military service men and women. Supporting them and showing appreciation for their service is a very important thing to do for many reasons. A personal story describes one reason. I thanked an elderly relative that I met for the first time at a family reunion some 15 years ago. In meeting him I discovered that he had served America in WW II. His response to my expression of thanks made it very clear to me that I needed to make a point of thanking veterans and those currently serving whenever I discovered their service status. The most common display of patriotism tends to be wearing a United States flag pin. Some, like my wife and I, fly the flag in our yard.

Stewardship of U.S. Revenue

I am a fiscal conservative. I was raised to know that when I didn't have enough money for expenses I needed to reduce future expenses or find ways to increase my income---often determining that it was best to do some of both. Congress must discipline itself to spend taxpayer money much more frugally than it has. Laws must be fiscally grounded by using the same financial decision making process that successful families, businesses, and non-profits use - in short, budgets must balance expenses and income.