October 8th
Issue of the Week: Activity Is Not Accomplishment
Summary
Throughout my career, I've spent more than 30 years planning, building, improving and delivering projects. Some took months, others took years. But the goal was always the same: solve a problem, deliver something worthwhile and leave things better than we found them.
I believe public service should be held to that same standard.
Starting something is not the same as accomplishing something. And being busy is not the same as producing results.
The Distinction between attempts vs results is important
Getting something accomplished in Jefferson City requires more than introducing a bill.
You have to make the case for it, build support, work with people who may disagree with you, navigate committees and ultimately get enough people behind an idea to move it forward.
And when one party holds a supermajority in Jefferson City, expectations should be even higher. With that much control over the legislative process, there is an extraordinary opportunity to address the serious, long-standing challenges facing Missouri.
The question isn't simply how many bills were introduced or passed. It's what those efforts actually accomplished.
My opponent likes to tout her ability to sponsor a bill but notice most of them were never voted on or implemented – even while operating within a supermajority! I would not consider that a success and certainly wouldn’t use that as something to put on marketing material.
Key 33 Details – Show Me 33
Our communities face challenges that deserve more than discussion and promises.
Our public schools are making difficult decisions about funding, staffing and educational opportunities. Families continue to struggle with healthcare costs and access. Small businesses need a capable workforce, and our cities are managing growth, infrastructure and public safety needs.
With years of legislative control, how much meaningful progress has been made on these challenges?
That's a fair question for voters to ask, especially when the people making those decisions have had the authority and opportunity to act.
A Better Path Forward & Conclusion
I believe we should measure our representatives by more than the number of bills they sponsor, meetings they attend or announcements they make.
Not every effort will succeed. I understand that. I've managed enough difficult projects to know that setbacks are part of getting things done.
But when something doesn't work, you learn from it, adjust your approach and keep working toward a solution.
That's the kind of accountability I believe we should expect from our state government.
We have serious challenges ahead of us and what we need is a greater commitment to doing the work, solving the problems, and building something better.