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ACCOUNTABILITY & COMMUNICATION

  1. Take small steps towards progress
    through small, pragmatic bills focused on a single issue or a small set of related issues. It doesn't matter how progressive a representative is if progress is completely halted.
     

  2. Find creative solutions
    by harnessing the vast intellectual resources and creativity of the American people. For example, employing technological innovations to adapt to changing circumstances or emergencies in real-time. 
     

  3. Communicate with constituents
    the benefits and potential drawbacks of every piece of legislation by outlining the pros and cons of each proposal and discussing the possible impacts with constituents in regular town hall meetings and ongoing discussions.
     

  4. Foster bipartisanship
    and goodwill by working towards practical solutions rather than assigning blame. 
     

  5. Avoid large omnibus bills
    tying unrelated legislation together. These bills are often used by lawmakers to avoid accountability by slipping in unpopular previsions and assuming most constituents won't pay attention.
     

  6. Ensure proposed legislation is easy to understand
    and communicated clearly to constituents to encourage engagement from voters.

Accountability & Communication

SMALL BUSINESSES FOR THRIVING ECONOMIES

  1. Clearly define small businesses as independent and locally owned
    establishments to differentiate from larger, established corporations still considered "Small Businesses" as currently defined by the SBA.
     

  2. Provide better guidance for first time business owners
    and reduce red tape and unnecessary boundaries by focusing on updating the user interface on government websites to be more intuitive and establish guidelines for allocating existing funding to the smallest businesses to help them access resources often out of their reach. (i.e. Accounting and budgeting advice, architectural services, legal resources, marketing suggestions, help navigating local codes and requirements)
     

  3. Tax incentives and debt forgiveness for small scale job creators, particularly in rural areas, while cutting back on financial incentives for large corporations that don't need them.
     

  4. Focus financial resources for the greatest return on investment.
    $5,000 in the hands of a small business with 5-10 employees can produce far more impactful results for a business AND a community than $500,000 in the hands of a larger corporation.
     

  5. Prioritize incentives for locally owned farms and businesses
    that keep their money in the local economy rather than those owned by large investment firms or international companies. 
     

  6. Find ways to replicate successful local, equitable economies 
    throughout the country by researching and creating guidance on best practices. For example, studying cities like Joplin, Missouri that have the 2nd most minority business owners per capita in the U.S., and finding ways  to replicate that success in other small to medium sized towns 

Small Business

FOCUS ON THE SEVENTH DISTRICT

  1. Giving voice to the People of Missouri's 7th Congressional District
    and the unique challenges we face, including:

    •     Funding  for police and fire departments to be able to attract and retain talent.
    •     Affordable healthcare – including mental health and proven treatment for addiction. 
    •     Incentives for small businesses, innovators, entrepreneurs and new startups in Southwest Missouri. 
    •     Long term solutions for preventing and ending homelessness. 
     

  2. Maintain loyalty to constituents,
    not any one party or person. Supporting legislation that would benefit the residents of the 7th district regardless of the political affiliation any particular bill is associated with.
     

  3. Address the urgent need for high-speed internet
    access that is reliable and affordable in all rural communities.  
     

  4. Focus on cyber security.
    The U.S. risks lagging behind other countries when it comes to securing its digital infrastructure. Maligned actors can cause significant damage to the U.S. with relative ease at a very low cost to them unless our potential vulnerabilities are addressed and reinforced. 
     

  5. Welcome refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers.
    Create an atmosphere where our district can showcase our hospitality and lead the country in resettling the legal immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers who will contribute to diversity and produce more vibrant and thriving communities. This would also help provide much needed relief to the labor shortages we face since demographic trends suggest Southwest Missouri’s retiree population has grown while the area labor force has not kept up.

7th District
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