One Step At A Time

Exciting.  Crazy.  I’d love to join you.  Not in a million years.  These are just a few of the reactions Ashley and I have received from people after discussing our plan to run across the country.  Most of us have had some pretty unique ideas over the course of our lives, but not all of us have the chance to see them through.  I don’t want this to be one of those times.  After five years working behind a desk on federal and state policy issues, I believe it’s time to try something new – to take a chance.

I love my work, don’t get me wrong.  Sharing ideas with inspiring leaders, listening to conversations between our nations’ great thinkers, working on policies that have the potential to help tens-of-millions of people – this work is what drives me.  As a nation though, we have also struggled through a daunting recession and a period of frustrating gridlock in Washington.  All of this has helped to define my interests and passions – namely, working with people to keep pace with our larger societal challenges.

Based on my experiences in Washington, I stand to believe that our nation’s greatest challenge is establishing and preserving the fundamental building blocks of what form good governance:  Free and fair elections – that is to say, necessitating changes to campaign finance laws, voting rights, and districting.  Providing for, rather than taking from, future generations through education, healthcare, social safety nets, the common defense, and our natural resources.  Establishing and defending a fair set of laws for all people, starting with policy making and leading to civic involvement and enforcement.  And providing outstanding infrastructure and a fair tax structure so that businesses can thrive and each of us can live productive and comfortable lives.

I have wanted to take this journey across our country since I began to understand the concept of community.  Its importance to me has since been reinforced as I have worked on civic issues yet felt a disconnect between what happens in Washington, DC and what works across America.  My goal is to engage people in conversation about what good governance means to each of us.  Ashley and I hope to collect examples from these conversations where we appear to find success (and where we can improve), reflect on and learn from what we see, and share conclusions with these communities and others after our journey is complete.

I hope that this adventure is something others feel passionate about and will want to share in.  We would love to have as many people as possible join us for our conversations and our runs.  Living in a free and functioning society requires constant attention and work.  I have faith that if we all thoughtfully take one step at a time we will see that our country is not far off course and that we are all closer then we think.