America has gotten way too polarized for my tastes, with social media driving a frenzy of ever more extreme belief and vilification of the other side, no matter which side you are on, and with seemingly no end in sight.  If you look online at what either side is saying, you see people demonizing those with different opinions, disregarding them and any valid points or approaches they might have on principle, without really hearing what they have to say or trying to come together to find a better solution.  People are throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and it’s all leading to one large unproductive screaming match. In addition, many people decry the lack of bipartisanship these days, yet don’t take the steps to bring it back or to actually work together to get things done and to govern effectively.  I intend to actually work with people of all parties and beliefs for the betterment of our district and the State of Vermont, as that seems like the only sensible thing to do if you’re trying to make a difference. I tend to approach things with the simple assumption that the vast majority of us are good people, want what is best for the world, and that we all have our own unique insight or take on ways that might benefit people to reach our common goals-- things such as happiness, health, having a clean environment, a prosperous economy, social justice, and so forth.  And I feel by working together we can make those mutual goals a reality much sooner than by working apart and refusing to communicate or engage with each other. So, I listen, hear what people have to say, try to figure out if what they are saying is valid and motivated by good, or rooted in something else.  Depending on what I find, I take the best parts, engage with that, and try to find common ground to work towards a better solution.  Sometimes there’s nothing you can do, of course, and encounter resistance based on outdated notions and prejudice or anger or simple political stubbornness.  But sometimes you’ll encounter an idea or approach that you may not have considered before, and that might very well have merit and be useful for advancing society and one’s own goals.  So, in my opinion, being bipartisan does not mean abandoning one’s principles; it means taking into account as many different viewpoints and ideas as possible to build the strongest, most unassailable position possible, to craft the “best” solution one can hope to come up with.  And then to have the personal relationships with people of all parties to be able to convince them of your plan’s merits, and hopefully have them even back it, thus actually making progress and a real difference in this world.  That is why I am happy to state that I always strive to be truly bipartisan--no matter how “progressive” or liberal I may happen to be at the same time!  To that end, I am proud to report that during my eight years on the West Haven Selectboard, working with people of different parties and ideas, that I was only unable to come to a mutually acceptable solution to an issue maybe three or four times, and felt forced to vote no on it accordingly.  I feel that is a powerful testament to the ability to craft acceptable and useful plans simply by listening to each other and working together to find a common solution...pretty much just what is needed in Montpelier and the world right now!

Why Be So Bipartisan Right Now?