Accountability in Politics

Do you remember the Fast Ferry fiasco?
The same type of mismanagement and lack of accountability continues to happen today.

My Opponent was front and center pushing for the federal government to give Li-Cycle an unprecedented $285 million tax-payer handout, simply because it aligned with the Biden administration’s “Green” agenda. When Li-cycle admitted they actually needed a whopping $980 million to complete the project, and that the market price for lithium dropped to half of what it was (because the market is not as enthusiastic as elected officials are over over-priced electric cars), My Opponent went into hiding. He also has had no comment over the mismanagement of the Community Resource Collaborative (CRC) disaster which was granted funds from a $7.2 million federal grant that Congressman Morelle touted. After CRC mismanaged the resources, the checks have stopped but not before over $1 million of your federal tax dollars were wasted. Has he been voting for your interests or his party’s?

Here’s what accountability is supposed to mean and what I will bring back to this district:

Transparency & Oversight

Accountability in Congress involves ensuring transparency in legislative processes and government operations. This includes conducting oversight of executive agencies to prevent abuse of power, waste, fraud, and corruption, not to continue it. Committees and subcommittees in Congress play a crucial role in overseeing federal agencies and holding them accountable for their actions. I will not only push for additional funds appropriately allocated for our region’s development, I will ensure the money is working towards what I said it would.

Responsiveness to Constituents in Our Region

Too often it seems that members of Congress only listen to constituents when it’s campaign season, yet seem to vote the opposite when special lobbyist groups tell them to or along party leadership lines. But if the party leadership is steering their ship into the rocks, shouldn’t those we elect put our interests ahead of the party or special interest groups? Look at the issue of immigration for example. Are you happy with how they are handling that?

Term Limits

We all know what happens when politicians are in office too long: insider trading, closed-door deals, pork belly spending, and lobbyist money flows like water. It’s hard to hold our Congressional men and women accountable when they become embedded in the marble of their offices.

I would push for limiting Congressional representatives to 6 terms in office; that is 12 years to get done what we campaigned on, which puts a fire under our feet to get it done faster. We need fresh ideas and perspectives in our highest office; term limits can bring in new faces, fresh ideas, and diverse perspectives to Congress. By limiting the number of terms a member can serve, it prevents entrenched incumbency and promotes turnover, potentially reducing the influence of long-standing political interests and promoting innovation in policy making. Knowing they have a limited time in office, officials may be more inclined to act in the best interests of their constituents to secure re-election or build a positive legacy.