Column: Spence to work for students
April 4, 2008
America has been overwhelmed with political talk the past few months. Hillary and Barack, McCain and Mitt. The constant barrage of political analysis and the 24-hour news cycle is enough to turn off everybody but the most hardcore politicos. What gets lost in all of this media hoopla is the old adage: All politics is local. That’s why I’m endorsing Sean Spence for the Missouri House of Representatives.
Spence is running to replace outgoing (and amazing) Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, for the 25th district seat, which includes the MU campus. Spence went to MU and was very involved on campus, both in progressive organizations and in student government. After school, he went on to work for a Fortune 500 company, and was an important part of his employer’s international operation, helping to build the company’s global public relations division. Spence has also worked with former Sen. Ken Jacob, D-Columbia, and State Auditor Susan Montee and started his own small business.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about politics today is the lack of access that citizens have to their elected officials. This hasn’t been the case with Spence. From day one, I have found him to be completely open to new ideas and extremely receptive to student input. If that’s not refreshing enough, he actually listens, thinks, and responds to his constituents’ needs and ideas, seeking to learn more or to assist in any way he can. It’s these qualities that are rarest in a politician; a caring, accessible and, above all, responsive person is hard to find in the halls of power. Sean has demonstrated he’s all of the above, and if elected, he won’t forget us.
Spence’s campaign has been the leader in seeking active student input and involvement. Sean has made a commitment to increasing state funding for the university, and understands MU is the driver of the state’s prestige and economy. If we give Spence a seat in the state legislature, he will stand up for us, stand up for more funding and stand up for lower tuition.
Spence isn’t just running a one-issue campaign, though. Unlike many politicians, he has displayed the ability to step back and look at the big picture. He understands what it takes to have a prosperous and healthy society; the central platform of Sean’s campaign is to have all Missourians “educated, employed and insured.” He realizes that the best way for Missouri to prosper is to give education opportunities to all, providing Missourians with the skills needed to get jobs in the new economy. Insuring all Missourians will dramatically reduce the overhead costs of businesses, which in turn will drive the economy.
Spence is a young, dynamic candidate who epitomizes the core values of the Democratic Party: He is open to new ideas, willing to work on a bipartisan level for the greater good and is committed to the overall prosperity of his constituents. Spence’s accessibility and desire to help in any way he can are reflections of his strong character and his devotion to the idea that the goal of politicians should be to help people, not themselves. His campaign’s core themes of student and community involvement, along with his zeal to have every Missourian educated, employed and insured are ideals to which we should all aspire.
Spence will be a fighter for us and for working Missourians in the state legislature; he will be a champion of the ordinary citizen and a voice for the voiceless. Let’s send Spence to Jefferson City to fight for us and for our values. On Aug. 5, please join me in voting for Sean Spence.
More April 4, 2008 Outlook Stories
- House considers changing helmet law — Fatality rates have increased with the repeal of helmet laws, according to a study conducted by a professor from MU’s ...
- Spence to work for students — America has been overwhelmed with political talk the past few months. Hillary and Barack, McCain and Mitt. The constant barrage ...
- Prof. surveys environmental attitudes — Although awareness of global warming is on the rise, the American public is more concerned with local and national environmental ...
- Student, health educator campaign — College Democrats of Missouri President Nate Kennedy said one of his main goals as an active member of the Democratic ...
- Sturtz meets students — Paul Sturtz, a candidate for Columbia First Ward city councilman, which encompasses MU, met with students Thursday night at the ...
Most recent Outlook Stories
- Student apartments burglarized at The Links — Police believe at least 12 apartments have been burglarized with a master key.
- Bank bailout is socialism — It's been seven weeks since we last discussed the economy. Seven weeks ago, Congress was deep in deliberation about the ...
- Protesters speak against Prop 8 in Columbia — People also protested the measure in Chicago and St. Louis.
- Travel costs expected to be low for Thanksgiving — Gas prices usually rise around the holidays.
- GREENway fashion show highlights recycling — On Saturday, Campus Lodge Apartments hosted Project GREENway Fashion Show, in which local students volunteered as models, showing off clothes ...