Public Education. Rising energy costs. Environmental challenges in land, air and water. Keeping local economies distinct and strong. Keeping families together. Providing pathways to hope, and corridors to fairness and justice. These are but a few of the ongoing challenges we face as Vermonters, and as a Nation.

In fact, the State of Vermont offers so much, but at the same time it takes so much to live here. The answers to finding balance are all around us, but connecting to those answers has seemingly been elusive to state government... partially at least due to the fact that not all legislators fully understand the potential of "the new economy" or the technical realities, pro and con, required to participate.

Vermont's people have historically enjoyed a fierce independence, choosing a bit of healthy detachment from the rest of the nation in order to pursue an extremely self governed approach to community. Witness our venerable town meetings... the process is hardly pretty, but it is the most raw form of democracy still at work in the towns and villages that create the fabric of our great State.

The Mission for an individual in public office is to address the concerns of the community that put him or her there, while simultaneously *understanding* the scope of the challenges to solve those concerns with respect to the rest of the State's residents and businesses. A successful and worthy public servant understands the nature of "balance" in all things, and seeks to find consensus toward that balance... helping the state move forward, but retaining the ideas and proven strategies that have worked; modifying, changing or removing those that don't.

My mission is to become your Senator from Washington County. I intend to bring everything in my professional, social and community experience to bear, to be your voice in Montpelier and to help create a future that retains the best of who we have been, and exposes the best of who we can be. And, I need your vote to help make it happen.