On this day 230 years ago, our Constitution was signed after months of debate in Philadelphia. As then-Senator Barack Obama said in 2008, "The document they produced was eventually signed, but ultimately unfinished.”
As citizens, each of us must do our part to make our Constitution more finished. To make our union more perfect and whole. To make our government - at all levels - more inclusive and transparent.
If elected Mayor of Kentwood, Michigan, I plan to do my part to make that happen.
The idea that government belongs to the people is one that is ingrained in us from an early age. We should certainly celebrate the progress our country has made in making our government more responsive to the people over the past 230 years. Yet I don't need to tell you about the threats to representative government that exist today - including voter suppression laws, gerrymandering, and the obscene amount of special-interest money in politics.
As I mentioned in July, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s family gave $2,500 to my mayor’s 2013 campaign. Since he was elected, decisions have been made with little to no input from ordinary residents. In addition, despite the diversity of our community, there remains too little diversity among City staff and on boards and commissions.
That can change - but only with your help.