There is a small bus that delivers seniors to my church on Sundays. As the riders of the bus disembark, a small, wispy-haired man with a cane shuffles to the front of the group so he can open and hold the heavy church door for the rest. He does this every week.
Good character is easy to see. Either you have it, or your don’t.
It is just as easy to see that our democracy is being ruined by self-serving people with poor character. We need to fix this.
In Missouri, Josh Hawley has vowed to protect health care coverage for pre-existing conditions– while he’s filed suit to eliminate coverage for that in the ACA. What does that say about the character of this man?
In Missouri District 2, a congresswoman named Ann Wagner refuses to meet with constituents in public. Do you trust a person who can’t or won’t rationally discuss the decisions she has made on our behalf?
In St. Louis County, we have State legislators who gleefully accept large campaign donations from remote corporate donors to assure their anti-labor votes. Should billionaires in Joplin be buying politicians in St. Louis?
Of course, at the national level, our legislative, judicial and executive branches are awash in un-checked and greed-driven petulance and dishonesty.
There ARE good people out there, eager to serve, who are both accessible and responsible; who know that our country and state work best when we come together, not wedged apart; who have the character to represent us well.
Continuing the West County Democrats tradition of education, four of these candidates for State offices presented themselves at the October general meeting. Their positions were compelling and they were all refreshingly open.
Along with Clair McCaskill and other local candidates we have profiled at WCD, these candidates ask for your support and vote. In November we have the opportunity to shuffle up to the front and hold the door wide open for them.
Kevin Fitzgerald is running for state rep in MO 89. He is a retired asbestos worker, longtime widower, and single dad. Kevin believes that the Missouri legislature’s priorities should reflect our shared values with an emphasis on fairness and compassion.
Sarah Unsicker wants to continue to represent you in 91st District, to make the St. Louis region, and Missouri as a whole, better places to live and work. These needs include quality schools; access to healthcare; and common-sense gun laws. She is working for ethics and lobbying reform to make sure the legislature works for all Missourians. believes every person deserves dignity and respect.
Helena Webb is running for the Missouri House of Representatives in District 100. Missouri is full of untapped potential. Her vision for Missouri is one that ensures a bright future for our families and economic growth for our community. The Saint Louis area – and Missouri as a whole – should be a destination for businesses of the future. We can get there by investing more in our infrastructure and the education and health of our citizens, so we have a productive work force and desirable talent pool to offer.
Mike LaBozzetta is running to represent the 99th district in the Missouri House of Representatives. The 99th includes the cities of Manchester, Twin Oaks, and Valley Park and is a wonderful, diverse place to live and work. His goal in representing this area is to create a government that invests in its citizens by investing in their education, in their healthcare, and in creating a diverse economy that provides opportunities for all.
Submitted by Mark Toenjes, WCD Member