Putting food on the table requires livable wages and economic growth. When people earn more, they can afford groceries, housing, and a better quality of life. Some ideas to bring good paying jobs to East Texas is to identify and support House and Senate bills that promote livable wages. We can better market our region and partner with businesses interested in relocating to East Texas to create higher income jobs. Advocate for small businesses for payroll tax cuts to help small businesses increase revenue. Lower taxes mean more room to hire, grow, and reinvest in our communities. Enhance local schools' vocational training and higher education to create a skilled workforce (no mandates without funding).

I retired from education after working 21 years in the field and that's not counting the three years as a substitute teacher. I know the mental exhaustion that teachers go through. Teachers in rural areas are paid low salaries and it's time that changed. We can find money for what we want to find money for. Let's concentrate on one of the most important careers in this nation--teachers. We celebrate Teachers Appreciation Week in May every year, but it's time to give them more than cookies and a mug. No to vouchers! Taking from public education to help private schools is dead wrong! I will do away with laws that help some, while hurting others.

Right now, democracy feels broken. Too often, there is corruption without accountability. Tax dollars disappear into projects we never asked for, and transparency is almost nonexistent. Politicians seem more focused on pleasing big donors and corporations than listening to the people who elected them. Conflicts of interest are rampant, with lawmakers voting on issues they are financially tied to. Meanwhile, legislators fund pet projects instead of investing in real community needs. They rarely speak with their constituents — regardless of party — because they’ve stopped seeing us as their priority. Democracy should not be about quid pro quo deals in back rooms. It should be about open government, accountability, and leaders who serve the people first.

Everyone deserves access to care without the fear of financial ruin. There are several ways to try and solve this problem through policy reforms, such as Medicare's new drug price negotiation program under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is already working to lower prices, projected to save the government and beneficiaries billions in its first few years. We can continue to collaborate with medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies to reduce healthcare costs. Value-based care is better than traditional fee-for-service and telemedicine can lower the cost for consultations. We have to bring down costs across the board to help hardworking people in East Texas not just survive, but thrive.