Tag Archives: Candidate 2018

Chris Haulmark’s Campaign To Be The First Deaf Member Of Congress (KS-03)

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From Haulmark For Congress:

There is a disconnect between voters and their elected representatives in Washington. In a representative democracy, we elect representatives to bring our voices to the table and speak for us among our fellow Americans. -. It seems that’s no longer happening. Instead, those we elect to Congress conveniently forget about us the moment the last ballot has been cast, and they listen only to those who corrupt the representative democratic process.

We all know this is true. We know that Congress is beholden to the pockets of special moneyed interests, over the interests of the we, voters. That’s why their job approval rating continues to sink down to 20%. We, the voters are their bosses! Would your boss keep you on the job if you did only 20% of the work?

We need change. We need to clean up the corruption. We need campaign finance reform: a 28th amendment to the Constitution that takes big money’s corruption out of our political system.

That won’t happen if we keep electing the same people- people we don’t even trust! We must inject new blood and better ideas in Congress! We need Chris Haulmark.

A small sampling from Chris’s Priorities Page<:

*Healthcare – We all deserve to be healthy. That’s why Chris Haulmark believes universal single-payer healthcare should be a basic right for all Americans. Your medical attention shouldn’t ever depend on the job you hold or the money you have.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA or “Obamacare”) was a step in the right direction. But it still does not guarantee fully affordable coverage for all Americans. It left key provisions to the states to implement, creating a lot of wiggle room for certain states to shortchange their citizens, including Kansans.

For this reason, Chris Haulmark supports a federally-backed single-payer healthcare for all option. Only this way can we be sure that no American has to choose between one’s home and life-saving medical care.

The single-payer option must include dental, vision, psychiatric, mental, and behavioral health care, along with the numerous preventive and primary care treatment options available on the market, including cannabis and complementary & alternative medicine. We also need to expand federally funded programs for training nurses, doctors, and other healthcare specialists who will work in underserved communities that struggle to recruit and train such professionals.

Healthcare cannot be accessible only as an idea.. It must become reality- available to every single person in every single American neighborhood.

Higher Education – For the first generation in American history, our society owes more in student debt than any consumer debt, so because higher education has become expensive, many promising young people opt out. Those that do go are burdened with such massive debts when or if they graduate, they are in debt slavery for numerous decades, unable to contribute to the other drivers of the American Economy.

That status quo must change. Now. For our country to flourish in these times, we need educated well-trained skilled innovative young people with the right focus in building our country. That means they aren’t just limited in the size of their bank accounts after crushing debt payments garnishing their wages. Our college graduates also want to care, create, and contribute to our society and its economy.

Thus, post-secondary education should not be out of anyone’s reach.

The federal government and the states must boost education subsidies to the point of fully-taxpayer funded education, just as Europe does. We must offer more support for state universities, as well as quality trade and associate degree programs from local community colleges. This combination of special market-demand training and debt-free education is how we can offer meaningful, affordable access to those capable of attending higher education, no matter what their background.

As your Congressman, I pledge to bring back individual service for the people in Washington. My office will always be open to you, offering whatever help needed to achieve the promise of America. I know how hard-working, talented, and diverse the people of Kansas Third Congressional District are. You deserve someone who will work for you.

Together, we can do so much! We can enact smart, reasonable solutions that serve everyone. We can rebuild and protect the middle class, as well as our clean air, water, and environment. We can demand accountability in Washington.

America is stronger than the problems facing it. Let us not steer by the stars but toward them.

All you need to do is Believe.

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Tom Prigg’s Campaign For Congress (PA-12)

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From Tom Prigg For Congress:

I grew up in Washington, PA, in a poor, blue-collar family. My two grandfathers both worked in the steel mills, and I still remember how Pittsburgh’s economy was devastated when the steel mills closed. Entire neighborhoods went from middle-class to poverty. But, unlike Cleveland and Detroit, we brought in new industries and created new middle-class jobs. We should use this same model around the U.S.: invest in sustainable industries that will keep good jobs inside the United States.
Like many of us in the 12th district, the military is a family tradition. I am an Army Veteran who served in Panama and in the 82nd Airborne as a scout sniper and machine gunner. My father is a Vietnam veteran, and my daughter is currently a U.S. soldier serving in the Middle East. A lot of politicians have used veteran’s issues to pander for votes, but very little progress has been made. I promise that I will fight to fix our VA system, and ensure that our servicemembers have the support they need when they return from active duty.

After I finished my military tour, I started working in Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh in 1996 to support my daughter Brooke. I was able to take advantage of tuition discounts to begin working part-time on a degree. It took a long time, but I eventually earned a Bachelors of Science in Neural-Psychology and Sociology. After 9/11, I learned that the Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health created a new program to train professionals in emergency management. I jumped at the chance to serve my country again, and earned a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and Public Health Preparedness while continuing my research full-time at Pitt.

In 2013, my scientific funding expired and I found myself without a job. Knowing that scientific funding was not going to get better (and will only get worse under the Trump administration), I decided to pursue journalism after earning a Bachelors for Creative Non-fiction writing, mainly focusing on environmental and political issues. For my efforts I was awarded the Heinz Endowment Grant for an internship at Allegheny Front Radio. Later, I became a contributing writer for USA Today – College, and I’ve been published by National Geographic, Alpinist Magazine, and a host of other publications.

Today, I’m a Research Associate at Carnegie Mellon University, where I study brain cell circuitry of learning and plasticity. In normal terms, I study how our brains change as we learn. Our brains form new connections (aka, “circuits”) between cells as we are exposed to new information or stimuli from the environment. Newly-created circuits change (aka, “plasticity”) as our brains collect more data.
The scientific approach I routinely use at work can be used to address important issues in our district. I want to combine my diverse experience and knowledge to create policies that work for people and their communities. My educational background may not be in politics, but it is relevant for a congressional seat – not only for the public and government policy work that comes with it, but in the way it helps me interact with — and fight for — all of you. We have all seen where our “trained” politicians have gotten us. But, with your help, we can create real, concrete, attainable solutions that can be implemented now, and in the future, to help small communities flourish.

As a progressive candidate, I know that change is needed in D.C. We need people to get involved in the political process, and concerned citizen-candidates, like me, that are willing to take on our corrupt government. If I am elected, I plan to work with local Pennsylvania groups so that I can introduce and fight for legislation that will help our state’s communities grow and stay strong.

Prigg’s Progressive Platform is one of the strongest and most detailed that I’ve seen:

*I support the establishment of a universal healthcare system – Universal healthcare isn’t simply economically sound, it’s a right.
H.R.676 Medicare For All Act 32 works towards this goal of providing free universal healthcare, and proposes to cover:
*medically necessary care, including primary care and prevention
*dietary and nutritional therapies
*prescription drugs
*emergency and long term care
*mental health services
*dental services and vision care

*I support the development of renewable energy industries. – Unlike fossil fuels, these renewable energy industries aren’t going away. The sun will not stop shining, the wind will not stop blowing, and the water will keep flowing. These industries will provide a sustainable economy and provide jobs far into our country’s future. One important first step towards this initiative, to ensure efficient distribution of power to our homes and industries, would be to upgrade the existing power grid. Not only would this improve our environment, but boost our economy as well.

*More jobs. More job security – The industries of wind, solar, enzyme, and wave turbine would create millions of manufacturing, engineering, sales, technical support, and service repair jobs. Unlike fossil fuel jobs that often disappear when the fossil fuel is depleted, renewable energy jobs provide good-paying work with job security.
*Lower cost to consumers – the economy is stimulated when consumers have more to spend.
*Energy Independence – Save billions of dollars of government spending on importing fossil fuels.

Tomm Prigg For Congress
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“Precious” – Abdul for Governor Of Michigan

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https://youtu.be/5RBx523o5rE

This movement is about a politics of purpose. I am driven by a core belief in Michigan’s people – our potential and the promise of our future. I was born and raised in Michigan. I wore the winged helmet as a lacrosse player at the University of Michigan. There I met the love of my life, Sarah. At 30, I was appointed to rebuild the Detroit Health Department after it was shuttered when Detroit faced bankruptcy. As a doctor, an educator, and a public servant, my work and my life has always been about creating opportunities for real people.

I am running for Governor because I believe we will come together right now because of our shared future.

I appreciate you,

Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul For Michigan
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Liuba Grechen Shirley’s Campaign For Congress (NY-02)

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Liuba For Congress

Liuba has spent her career leading organizations to empower working families both at home and abroad. She has forged partnerships between nonprofits, government, and businesses to tackle issues including economic development, access to health care, paid family leave, and government transparency. She has worked with farmers, diplomats, healthcare workers, government leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Liuba has led delegations to Capitol Hill to lobby for strong American leadership at the UN, has fought to make the use of international aid funds more accountable and less corrupt, and has worked to help restore economically depressed communities around the world.

She has focused specifically on women’s economic empowerment working on projects for Women Deliver, PL+US: Paid Leave for the US, Vital Voices, Global Health Visions, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Liuba served as a UN Women’s Empower Women’s Global Champion for women’s economic empowerment. Together with UN Women, she launched the #IAmParent campaign for Parental Leave.

Liuba and her family have called Long Island home for 5 generations. Her mother, Katherine Grechen, is a public school teacher and single mother. Liuba’s grandparents were Russian immigrant who moved to Amityville in the 1940s to build a better life for their children. Her grandmother, whom she was named after, opened a small wool and yarn business, and her grandfather helped build the first lunar module to land on the moon. Liuba’s family taught her the value of hard work and the importance of community, and she and her husband are now raising their two young children in Amityville.

Liuba founded a grassroots group called New York’s 2nd District Democrats to engage Long Islanders in the political process. At first, she thought the group would mostly attract Democrats alarmed by Donald Trump’s policies — but the group has actually welcomed many independents and even some Republicans who want new leadership in NY02. Liuba holds an MBA with specializations in Management, Economics, and Social Innovation from New York’s University’s Stern School of Business, and a BA in Politics and Russian from NYU.

Just A Few Of Liuba’s Priorities:

Environment – I grew up swimming in and sailing on the Great South Bay. Over the years, however, we’ve seen more instances of brown tide affecting our beaches and our fishing industry. Sea levels have risen, storms have increased in strength, and downpours have become more frequent. Flooding has become more of a common occurrence. Long Islanders are facing drastically increasing flood insurance premiums. These are just some of the effects of climate change and outdated practices that have affected our coastal district, and will only get worse if we do not address them now. For those of us who lived through Superstorm Sandy, we know the dangers of more intense and frequent storms, and we know the effects they have had on our homes, our lives, and our economy. Protecting our island’s natural environment and coastal economy, and enacting policies to combat the effects of climate change are critical to our community.

That is why I support smart investments in renewable energy to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, create good green jobs, and make energy more affordable for Long Island families.

We must work to improve our water quality and infrastructure, reduce nitrogen pollution in our waters, and mitigate brown tides. Protecting our drinking water from contamination, and cleaning up any groundwater contamination that already exists, such as the plume emanating from the Northrop Grumman plant in Bethpage, is critical.

Health Care – The Affordable Care Act is an important first step toward fixing our broken system. The law has enabled 20 million Americans to access health insurance, yet Rep. Peter King voted to repeal the ACA, which would have left 74,000 people in our district without health insurance, and denied three hospitals in our district – Good Samaritan, Southside, and St. Joseph – more than $14 million in funding. Rep. King voted to gut Medicare.

60% of Americans want to “expand Medicare to provide health insurance to every American,” and it’s time Congress fight for Americans, rather than the special interest groups that dominate health care in our country.

I would support Rep. John Conyers’ HR 676 Medicare for All. Health care is a human right.

I am running for Congress because we don’t get to choose when we get sick and healthcare shouldn’t just be reserved for the rich. We need to fight for affordable care for ALL.

Liuba For Congress
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Todd Allen’s Campaign For Congress (TX-24)

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I intend to be a representative for everyone in the 24th Congressional District, not just those who happen to agree with me or identify with my party. That means I am willing to listen and engage in conversations, especially when we don’t agree. The issues below are my conversation starters, not the final word. That word can only come from the people of the 24th. If you’d like to know more about a specific issue or would like to keep the conversation going, please contact me here.

Allen’s Issues:

Kitchen Table Economics – Middle Class Tax Cuts and Deductions

•The American middle class deserves a tax break. Let’s put money back in working American’s pockets. When working Americans have more money, they spend it in their communities, creating jobs. A prosperous and robust middle class means a healthy American economy.

•For many Americans, child care costs are like having a second mortgage, and student loan debt feels like quick sand. We have an obligation to help working American families. By increasing the tax deductions for child-care and student loans, we recognize the burden faced by American families and offer a deserved helping hand.

Education – They’re Children, Not Products

•For too long we’ve been sold standardized testing and vouchers as “solutions” for public education, but these solutions are really just band-aids for bullet-holes. Education isn’t about test scores or treating students as a defective cog in a testing machine, it’s about opportunity. It’s time we acknowledge that there is as much value in a student who has a genius for machinery as there is for one who can write an academic essay.

•With that in mind, we have an obligation to provide an opportunity for our children who have a skill or an interest beyond academia. We must invest in entrepreneurship, skilled labor, and innovation. By investing in a variety of educational programs designed to match the needs of our changing labor force, we offer our children the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families in the future.

Healthcare – Increasing Access for All Americans & Lowering Costs

•60,000. In just the 24th District, that is the number of Americans who would lose healthcare coverage under the Republican House plan energetically supported by our current representative. Most of us would agree that healthcare insurance premiums are too high and that the cost of coverage is hurting more American families than it heals.

•A single-payer system is now a part of the national conversation and one many Americans are interested in exploring. As your representative, I will advocate for this approach and work to improve healthcare accessibility and cost for all Americans.

Todd Allen For Congress
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Sarah Smith’s Campaign For Congress (WA-09)

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Meet Sarah Smith, candidate for WA-09.

Like so many in the 9th, I’m a middle class working woman and wife, living in Kent, trying to keep up with a mortgage payment and student loan bills. I’ve worked any job I could to keep that roof over my head today. I’ve been a foreclosure specialist, a paralegal and a liability negotiator. Today I work full-time as an administrative coordinator for a small business.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been socially, if not politically, engaged. I’ve marched, donated, served and organized for Planned Parenthood, the World Wildlife Fund and the Humane Society. Through the years I’ve worked with refugees, Indian-Americans, young girls and feminist groups.

Working families like ours have lived on the edge of disaster for a long time. Yet despite all the times Congress has threatened the social safety net that helps people get their lives back on track, the net was always there. There were holes in that net, to be sure. That’s why I’ve helped coordinate food drives to aid families impacted by program cuts. But the net was still there. That all seemed to change November 8th, 2016. The 115th Congress is more hostile to the needs of working families than I’ve seen in my lifetime. It was, for me, an awakening, and I knew it was time to abandon my armchair liberalism and get involved.

Sarah on what is wrong with the current Democratic party:

Just a small portion of Sarah’s Policy Platform:

PROVIDE ALL AMERICANS WITH HEALTHCARE THROUGH MEDICARE

This will include high-quality general, dental, vision, and mental health coverage. Medicare is more efficient than any private insurance provider and is accepted by 95% of doctors. Under our plan, private insurance companies will be allowed to compete with each other in a truly free market to offer supplemental insurance plans.

INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DOCTORS, CLINICS AND HOSPITALS

We have a shortage of doctors and health care facilities in America today. In rural areas, it can be almost impossible to see even a general practitioner let alone a specialist. The American Medical Association currently restricts the number of doctors who are admitted to medical school and the number of foreign trained doctors who can be certified to practice in America. They do this to ensure higher salaries for doctors. We believe doctors are incredibly valuable members of our communities and economy and should be paid well — and they should not have to create shortages to raise their wages!

END THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE

Many children go to schools with aggressive zero-tolerance disciplinary practices, which are directly tied to Congressional funding requirements. These policies often result in suspension or expulsion for students with disciplinary issues — pushing them out of school and into the criminal justice system. Not only does this leave children without the resources they need to succeed, but it also creates antagonism between children and authority figures, contributing to the likelihood of their incarceration.

GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS ONCE AND FOR ALL

We will reform our electoral system to create a more perfect democracy: This will include removing money from politics, getting rid of the electoral college, investigating alternative voting systems such as ranked choice voting, and making election day a national holiday. In addition, we must improve the actual mechanics of voting to make it easier to vote and to defend against electoral fraud.

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