My Beliefs
I believe in the promise of America: government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”
I believe we, the people of eastern Kentucky and all across the U.S., must hold our elected representatives accountable when they put personal or party loyalty ahead of their oath to support and defend the Constitution. And we can remind them the last time a government neglected the will of the American people, a lot of tea was dumped in Boston Harbor.
Eastern Kentucky has a proud history of standing up for better lives. I believe it’s time to stand up again. We deserve better; we deserve a representative who will fight for legislation to support the right of all citizens to:
Life:
Liberty:
pursuit of Happiness:
I found my Great-Grandfather's miner's union card and service medal in our old cabin. They reminded me that strong unions and organizing make our lives better.
I believe we deserve:
...to heal our communities and environment.
Eastern Kentucky is a beautiful place to live. To keep it that way, we must protect our communities and environment that have been left vulnerable to natural disasters and employment vacuums. Beyond restoring funding for social services, we need a new approach - one that lets us chart our own future. I propose a Resilient Community Corps that would provide support for communities to heal themselves, and make federal funding for projects that impact the environment contingent on a Community Development Agreement. Click below to learn more about this new "old" way to protect our communities and environment into the future.
...to earn enough to provide food, clothing, a decent home, and a good education.
Skyrocketing costs for housing, food, childcare, and education, plus stagnant wages and rising inflation, are making life unaffordable. Across the country, 60% of people live paycheck to paycheck, and in eastern Kentucky, 25% live at or below the poverty line. People should not go hungry, be homeless, or not be able to raise a family. It's time to embrace Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Economic Bill of Rights, and guarantee, to everyone, a job sufficient to afford the life we deserve. Click below to learn more.
...a national healthcare system that prioritizes people over profit and ends medical debt.
People shouldn't die, go without medicine, or go into debt because they can't afford healthcare. But, between 45,000 and 60,000 people die each year, and 500,000 face bankruptcy, because our medical system is broken. The only just fix, a national healthcare system, is supported by over 60% of voters. It’s time to demand legislators pass the Medicare for All Act of 2025 to guarantee healthcare for all and save our rural hospitals in eastern Kentucky. Click below to learn more about the healthcare system we deserve.
...to reclaim our fair share of the wealth.
Today, the top 1% has more wealth than the bottom 93% of earners and one person, Elon Musk, has more wealth than more than half of Americans combined! Simply put, our economic system is not working for most Americans. It's time to stop the ever-increasing wealth inequality and return wealth to workers. Click below to learn more about legislation to reverse increasing wealth inequality.
...a government that has not been corrupted by large private donations, PACs, influence-peddling, or bribery.
The lack of ethics in politics extends from accepting ‘gifts’ and campaign donations in exchange for friendly votes, contracts, legislation, policy, or appointments; through diverting money, selling merchandise, or manipulating markets for personal gain; to allowing unelected or incompetent loyalists to subvert the agencies that work for our benefit. Click below to learn more about corruption in our government and what we might do to stop it.
...to live without fear.
The Trump administration is declaring ‘national emergencies’ to instill fear in Americans. They have tried everything from grabbing people off the street and using weapons against lawful protestors, to cutting the agencies that keep us safe and attacking private boats in international waters. It's time to restore the role of Congress in handling national emergencies, military action against other nations, and funding for security agencies. Click below to learn more about strategies for restoring trust in government.
