I want to run for McLean County Board, because, while I have many passions, they are all rooted in improving the quality of life for all residents of McLean County. This includes ensuring that our access to care services, parks, and natural, renewable resources are protected; that the county is supporting our labor unions, and that McLean County becomes a beacon in the Midwest for livable wages, affordable housing, community care, safe and vibrant neighborhoods, equity, and solidarity.
The Issues where I believe I could make the most impact include increasing transparency and accessibility between the County Board and the public including allowing members to meet virtually as during COVID, as well as allowing for public comment to be given virtually, or via email and submitted into the official public record.
If elected to the McLean County Board, I will make it my priority to connect with constituents and work to create a vision for McLean County that will uplift our community and advance progress for all. It’s time for a McLean County Board that values the lives and voices of all residents living here.
I also know first hand the struggle it is to find quality care when yourself or a family member needs care in a nursing home. I watched my grandmother and mother struggle to figure out a plan when my grandmother’s health was rapidly declining, and have heard countless stories through my work with retirees and seniors, about the horrors of privatized nursing homes. Keeping our county nursing home well funded and county operated is a priority for me.
I am also passionate about criminal justice reform and the great strides that Democrats have made in ending cash bail and more through the pretrial fairness act. I want to ensure those values are welcomed and enacted in McLean County through the oversight the McLean County Board Justice Committee has over the Jail, and that all of our incarcerated folks, whether from McLean County or outside of our county, are treated fairly and with dignity including having access to quality healthcare.
And as we look into the future and see the facts laid out on the table, we know that climate change is a clear and present danger to our country and the entire world. We are lucky to live in the Midwest where the weather is more predictable than other places, our soil is fertile and agriculture is thriving. However we are already seeing the effects of droughts and flooding on our own farms right here in McLean County.
As climate change escalates, we will undoubtedly see more and more people moving away from the coasts and towards the Midwest. McLean County needs to be prepared for this influx of population with up to date, modern infrastructure from our roads and bridges, and affordable housing, to a continued shift towards growing renewable resources and protecting the environment and preserving our natural recreation sites. We also must focus on providing union jobs, and maintaining our family owned farms and ensuring our land remains nutrient abundant to continue feeding an ever expanding population.
Donating to this campaign will help ensure that McLean County has representation that is forward thinking, innovative, and powered by the people.