Much to the chagrin of my Dad, I don't like to make New Year's resolutions. It is not that I don't think introspection is important; it is incredibly important to assess where you are in life and what changes should be made. I just am uncomfortable with New Year's resolutions. First, there is the failure rate, and, therefore, many people don't take your resolutions seriously. Second, when I find something in my character or practice that needs to be changed, I do it immediately.
To find out what this has to do with politics, please read below the fold.
In June of this past year, I noticed in photographs that I was looking mighty fat. Then, in July for my sons' yearly checkup, I had to get on the scale with my son Zeke to get his weight. This meant the doctor needed my weight. Oh my God, I was seriously porking. Five years of kids, surgeries, and runs for Congress had slowly packed on the weight. I decided right then and there that it was time to lose weight. Making minor changes to what I eat (Watching Snacks!) and being a little smarter about exercise ( I was already a fitness fanatic.), I have dropped ~20 pounds. That was pre-Christmas. I'm sure that I have back slid some, but I will get back on the scale on Wednesday. I still have 10 pounds to go.
A year and a half ago, frustrated by the state of the nation and our community and frustrated that our local Congressman, Bill Shuster, had a free ride back into Congress, my wife and I decided that I would run for Congress. We worked really hard, learned a lot, and surprised everybody with our performance. But still, we lost.
We have a great team that is incredibly skilled, and they helped us to examine our practices. Most of the changes are relatively simple, and the effort individually will not be much more than what we put out last year. We will work smarter, there will be more hands pulling the weight, and yes, we will work a little harder. But, there is one that is going to be tough. Raising money.
I don't like to do it. I would much rather spend my time doing my homework finding effective solutions to the myriad problems facing my community and country. I would much rather spend my time talking directly to voters listening to their concerns and explaining why I believe in the things that I believe in.
But, good jobs are not going to come back to our country and communities, health insurance for everyone will not be achieved, our troops will not be returned from Iraq, and global warming will not be tackled if Bill Shuster remains in Congress. It is up to me. Since you can't run a campaign solely on sweat and love, I have got to raise money.
Local elections are out of the way. The holidays are just about over. No more excuses. Wednesday, I start raising money.
Good Luck to you on your New Year's resolutions, have a Happy New Year, and please support your local candidates.
You can find out more about my campaign by checking out my website: http://www.tonybarr2008.com Thanks.