I am a former first responder to Ground Zero in New York City on September 11th 2001, husband, father, international aerospace entrepreneur, Manhattan College graduate, teacher, coach, a proud and concerned American is running as a Republican for the office of United States Senator in the nutmeg State of Connecticut. As a volunteer firefighter, I was privileged to have experienced firsthand the comradery, and honor bestowed upon all of us who served at Ground Zero. My campaign commitment is to bring “WE THE PEOPLE” together with our common bond as Americans honoring the past, present and future of the State of Connecticut.
'We The People' deserve respect from those whom we elect and who are accountable to us. You should demand from your representatives an accounting of their actions since it is the government works for us, not the other way around! Our representatives should NEVER talk down to us, but instead remember who elected them. They must never forget that they can be voted out as easily as they were elected in.
With all the broken political promises from both sides of the isle, unprecedented compromises that benefit the politician instead of the constituent; it has become harder and harder for people to discern which elected representative really has the peoples interest art heart instead of special interest groups or their own. Everyone is going to take their podium and share why he or she is the best candidate. Many will cite their educational achievements, their successful business experience, or maybe the people around them but few ever really cite how in touch they are with the people. All these are great qualities and are ingredients that make up the whole of the individual, but does that individual really listen to the people and are they really in touch with the average person; those are the question people should be asking.
This is why I am running for senate. Over the last two years I have been listening to people, everywhere, from all walks of life and four things, hands down seem to be universal of what people expect from their government: Accountability and Responsibility, a balanced non-partisan approach and just plain common sense particularly when it comes to implementing any kind of change or reform.
If we survey over the last twenty years and particularly recently we see the government and its elected representatives not acting responsibly with your tax dollars, or even being accountable to you. We see the worst in partisan politics being implemented on every issue and every level and policies living on one end of the extreme to the other. Lastly we see common sense being thrown out the window when it comes to spending, balancing the budget or in enacting legislation that no one really wants or at least in the way that it is being presented. If we acted this way in our businesses, we would fail. Why would we expect any different results in Washington? The people get this, unfortunately DC does not.
If elected as senator my commitment is to help restore the confidence people have in their elected representatives. This is going to require a bold change and action by example on my part and vigilance, patience and interaction from you. This is our nation and we can only bring about the bold change of accountability, responsibility, a balanced approach and common sense if we work together in unity.
Vince Lombardi said “Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity... In doing so a man will realize that he can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, determination, dedication, and competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worth it, it can be done... "
For me the word unity is paramount in his statement. Notice there is no mention of uniformity. Unity is finding the commonalities in our diversities and making that a matter of policy for the good of all people. In contrast uniformity always has the same form, manner, or degree consistent in conduct or opinion.
Since this is the UNITED States of America, I believe in the united principle. As a balanced conservative, unity is one principles by which I define my conservative values from. I have many friends that on social issues, politics, etc - we couldn’t be more different; and even through lively and healthy debates and disagreements, we always strive to find commonalities in the end. This is I conduct myself and how I believe that is how it should be in DC and one of my commitments as a senator is to work from that principle.
As a firefighter I placed my life on the line everyday to save others. As a 9/11 first responder I know firsthand what it means to be a public servant and the sacrifices that need to be made to get the job done no matter how dire the circumstances. By responding to each circumstance instead of reacting to them, gave me as a firefighter the common sense to be able to deal with whatever came my way. It is from those experiences and that approach that I believe will make me a successful senator for the people of Connecticut.
As a candidate for me to truly be a representative of your voice I have to hear you. For me to be the best representative I can be for you, you need to mentor me. I do not claim to have all the answers, and neither should others running for office, if they are intellectually honest with you. Collectively, I believe we can come up with the best answers from our unity as Americans. Through mutual commitment and hard work we can discover together the right solutions together that work for Connecticut first, and America always.
