My Values
Community Centered Solutions
The purpose of government is to do good for and by the people. The best way to do that is with what I call “Community Centered Solutions.” Described succinctly, these types of solutions dive face-first into everything necessary for a good representative government. They are solutions that seek leadership and guidance by those that policies affect to ensure the best possible outcome for a given community. For a legislator to achieve this requires tireless dedication to collecting community feedback, a constant search for new perspectives, and the cultivation of new community leaders. The best way to find these perspectives and leaders is to empower others to share their voices in the policymaking process.
Prioritizing Working Families
The needs of Iowa’s working families have long gone ignored by the the powers that be in Des Moines. As the son of a working class family that faced near complete financial devastation due to the 2008 Great Recession, I’m all too familiar with this reality. I am dedicated to being a constant advocate for Iowa City’s most vulnerable populations. Know that when I’m in this tireless fight, I’m in it for my family. I will not yield
Citizen Legislators = Civic Educators
Breaking down the barriers of entry to political activity and advocacy is crucial to empowering members of our communities with diverse and varying backgrounds. Policymaking is complicated. It requires a lot of advanced knowledge that isn’t always taught in schools or could otherwise be extremely inaccessible to people of diverse backgrounds. It is an obligation of legislators and public servants to serve as civic educators for their communities. Public servants operate within the complex systems and bureaucracies of government and are therefore best equipped to help others navigate them. In doing so, they not only build public trust, but also a more informed and responsive electorate that is better able to voice their concerns and get results.
Transparency
Constituents need to be able to trust their elected officials, especially if they take on the role of civic educator. One important way that trust can be built is to be as transparent as possible. I plan to release all of my recent tax records, information related to investments, and if elected, will publish brief educational explanations into every vote I take on the House floor. Public officials need to be open, transparent, and accessible to build the trust and relationships in the community that allow for the best results to come from policymaking in representative government.
After I receive my 2021 tax return, a link to all my financial disclosures will be located here.