Primary Election Date: 08/14/2012
General Election Date: 11/06/2012

Who Am I?

I am a progressive version of Howard Beale. I am a father and husband whose family is more beautiful and talented than I deserve. For 27 years I have gotten up every day and gone to work (except for two months in 2007 after the office I worked in closed). I have always been interested in politics and was involved when I was first got out of college. When my family moved to Connecticut 5 years ago I decided to become active in my small town government, so I joined the Environment Commission. In 2008 and 2010 I knocked on doors for Congressman Chris Murphy. I attended several school board meetings and a town council meeting last year when their was discussion about closing our local elementary school--the one both my children attend; this discussion occurred because the town was struggling with declining tax revenue due to the financial crisis.

I believe that the internet is a great force for democracy when used correctly. Voters, candidates, and elected officials have access to the best thinkers in every field. By taking advantage of the high-quality information available, each of us can be better informed citizens. I often visit sites like Democracyjournal.org and edge.org and blogs by Paul Krugman, Mike Konczal, and Dean Baker. In my opinion, there is no reason for candidates to be ill-informed--though many still are and actually seem proud of it.

Why Am I Running?

My inspiration was my own experience. I lost my job in 2007 and know the impact it has, which made me furious when so many in Washington ignored the plight of the unemployed. My mother lives in an in-law apartment in our house, so I know how important Social Security and Medicare are; I also know that dealing with the rules is daunting for seniors. My family is extremely fortunate to have a wonderful local school. Still, I understand that the quality of schools is dependent of the quality of those in the teaching profession whom we pay too little and criticize too often. I finally decided if it I was going to say loudly and often that our government should do better I must be willing to become the change I wanted to see. So I am a candidate for Congress.

The reason I chose to become a candidate for the House of Representatives is that I have seen in my own town the damage from policies enacted on the national level. I believe that money and lobbying have so corrupted our national lawmaking that each candidate must commit to truly represent the people. While I support the efforts to overturn Citizens United and, perhaps, pass a constitutional amendment to fix these problems, I think action most occur now and must be taken by each of us.

I am running to prove to the hundreds (maybe thousands) of other people like me that we can make a difference and open up the legislative process beyond its current realm of millionaires and career politicians.

Hold Me Accountable!

I have made a Ulysses compact.
Neither I nor anyone on my staff will become a lobbyist until we have been out of Washington for at least 5 years.
Anyone giving my campaign $100 or more will agree not to contact me or my office about any issue in which he/she has a direct financial interest.

Beyond that, I am committed to reforming the capital gains tax so that it does not favor the wealthy or Wall Street manipulators.
I have stated: I will co-sponsor Al Franken's legislation that holds the rating agencies accountable; I will join those supporting legislation that will make Kevin's Law (properly regulating food production and distribution) applicable to all industrial food businesses.

My DFA values:

My entire campaign to this point has been attending local meetings to introduce myself. I have not held any fundraisers--either real or virtual. I am concentrating on qualifying to be on the ballot, which means gaining support of 15% of the delegates at the district convention in May. In essence, I am only seeking support from those in the community. Democracy for America is the first "outside" group I have contacted.

Security encompasses economic and health security. That is why I am emphasizing fairness in taxation (fixing the capital gains tax) and the importance food safety. As a candidate I think it is imperative that I stress issues that protect the majority of citizens. This includes protection from the excesses of Wall Street and the inadequacies that have become institutionalized in our food production due to the lobbying efforts of powerful cartels.

I believe Liberty can only really exist where there is a commitment to justice, equality, and freedom. Unlike some, I am convinced that these are complementary ideals not competing ones.

My Campaign is People-Powered!

My campaign's first endeavor was to create an online presence. I researched the services provided by "political web design" companies located in Washington. These were both expensive and predictable. I decided to have my website designed by a neighbor who I know from my son's Cub Scout troop. It is a true representation of my campaign, and, most importantly, me.

My primary adviser, Dale Shannon, is not a political consultant. He is a senior economist at the Connecticut Economic Resource Center. He is well-versed and objective regarding many of the critical issues surrounding the financial crisis. The essential thing he brings to my campaign is that he is someone who I completely trust to be honest with me and tell me when I have crossed the line into political calculation. There is an inherent danger that faces anyone who engages in the political process, I know Dale will keep me true to my grass roots.