Joseph D. Sandy for State Delegate 42B
Announcement of Candidacy
October
25, 2017
Today I officially enter the race and
become a candidate on the books for a seat in the 42nd District Maryland House
of Delegates.
I’m running because I believe that
public representation is in desperate need of an influx of “everyday Joe’s” who
aren’t wrapped-up in allegiance to political parties, who haven’t been ushered
into politics and public representation by “party insiders,” and who, rather
than subscribing to “politics as usual,” are legitimately devoted to the people
& wellbeing of our community. For far too long, politicians far too often
have a reputation of letting us down.
So how do you know I am dedicated to
the people and wellbeing of our community? Public service is perhaps the most
notable and important part of my life, and as such, I have come to fulfill many
roles of service to the community. I’m a member of several local community
councils here in Baltimore, including the Greater Parkville Community Council
and the Police Community Relations Council Precinct Eight. I am a healthcare
professional working for over eleven years with world-class physicians and
practitioners in delivering mental health care services to the regional
community in need; I also provide hospice services to the regional community in
need of ongoing palliative care via home & assisted living visitation. I
assist at a local nonprofit animal rescue, an adoption service for abused
animals in crisis; I’m a designated storm spotter for the National Weather
Service; I am an ally and proponent of peer support recovery services for the
community that has struggled with substance abuse, trauma, & related
circumstances.
Likewise, an informed public is close
to my heart – so let me tell you what sets me apart from the rest. To state the
obvious, I’m not a current or former politician, because we sure have enough of
those. I’m not bought and sold, and will not be obliged to “party
insiders" - though I welcome their support if they truly believe in my
message. I’ve refused the “red tape” and conditions we sometimes find in
political circles that can present as deterrents from new faces entering races,
I can guarantee you that my only allegiance is to you, and to the conservative
values and fiscal responsibility that matter to so many in our communities. I
don’t subscribe to “politics as usual.” I don’t run local political clubs with
access to high-profile favorites & insiders. I’m a “free agent” who wants
the same common-sense values and conservative approaches to legislation
concerning our community – just like so many of you.
Some folks will inevitably question my
experience and ask me what qualifies me for the job, since they’re so used to
predominantly seeing attorneys, businessmen, and “well-to-do” people in
positions of public representation. Political parties, officials seeking
re-election, and big-wheels often count on voters believing that elected
representatives must be individuals of notable affluence in the community. As
for me, I’m a working-class Marylander making a fair living and I have no
stakes in any representative position other than a sincere desire to bring
principle, conscience, and the preservation of liberty to politics and public
representation. So what business do I have in the race?
I hope that my aforementioned resume
of public service in the community today lends itself to my investment in the
community, for starters. All you really need is that very desire to enact
change that reflects principle, conscience, and liberty; you don’t have to be
an attorney, a businessman, a doctor, or a big-wheel to represent the people.
We don’t need another wealthy “party favorite” getting their palms greased by
big name donors, upheld by a significant campaign team making them look
polished & pristine while being endorsed by current and former favorable
politicians. What do we need instead? Individuals of honesty and humility –
candidates who are genuinely willing to listen to people and learn from them.
There isn’t much room for ego. One must compromise, but also stand their ground
on behalf of the constituency. As such, I’m a “straight-shooter” because I’m
not obliged to party insiders and established politicians – I welcome their
support, but I’m not obliged to them. Instead, I’m obliged to the community I
intend to serve. One must be humble, give credit where it is due, and respect
liberty first and foremost. And one who succeeds at being elected to office
shouldn’t plan to do it forever as a career. The founding fathers knew better,
and I respect that tremendously. That’s why one of my main platform issues is
the importance of term limits, and supporting legislation that calls for them.
It's not “experience” that counts the
most. It’s drive that counts. It’s investment that counts.
Today we remember Ronald Reagan as one
of the greatest leaders of our nation – we often draw reference to the Reagan
years and to his legacy on the American landscape. Remember that Reagan was
mocked and criticized by his opponents for a supposed “lack of experience” – as
were countless others who have since left their respective marks on history.
Yes, my sole allegiance is to
preservation of fiscal conservatism and individual liberty of the members of
this community – and part of that is my willingness to be that “straight
shooter,” unencumbered by whether my observations and plans are held in high
regard, or frowned-upon, by big-name donors, and whether or not I am “doing
right” by party insiders. Because the time has come that it isn’t about them
anymore – it’s about us, and it’s about you. I’m smart, I’m articulate, I’m
driven, I work hard, and I apply myself by listening to the members of the
community and embracing this opportunity as a way to remain ever-vigilant of
what matters most to the people of our community – and to be frank, we deserve
such leadership in positions of elected office. Many times, I have said I am
here for you, I am available to you, and I always have been – that will not
change.
I’m running to emphasize community
preservation: I am committed to proposing and supporting legislation that
protects & preserves our communities by fighting forced Section Eight
expansion into our neighborhoods and by combatting illegal immigration in our
communities. Property owners have worked their entire lives making homes and
creating livelihoods in our communities, and the increase in crime levels
threatens our safety, the safety of our most vulnerable neighbors & family
members, and diminishes property values.
I’m running to combat unnecessary
government surveillance in Maryland: for starters, on our very roadways, where
we have recently re-instituted & expanded the grossly error-prone red light
& speed light camera program that previously failed on multiple occasions
in Maryland and in many other states. I don’t think that you and I should be
subject to warrant-less surveillance technology that only definitively serves
to bleed citizens of their hard-earned money, thereby yielding huge profits for
the state – as well as the third-party manufacturers who keep a cut of your
money. While proponents of the program will wave alleged proof that there is a
benefit to public safety, studies have conversely shown increases in accidents,
including dangerous intersection collisions, that occur following the
installation of speed & red-light cameras. Speed limits & signal timing
have been manipulated dangerously in states that employ their use. Top
employees of some of the device manufacturing corporations have been convicted
of bribery and fraud. The use of these devices in Maryland is a prime example
of underhanded "backroom deals" at the expense of liberty.
I’m running because we have career
politicians with decades of time in public office, while I believe in the
efficacy of term limits for optimal public representation in seats of elective
office.
I’m running because I am an ally of
peer support recovery in the community of individuals that seeks to take
personal accountability in overcoming addiction and substance abuse – and we
have a dire, crippling, tragic opiate epidemic on our hands in this state. I
know firsthand that one can turn the path of their life around, and I know that
no single treatment modality works universally for everyone struggling with
substance abuse. Recovery doesn’t look exactly the same for everyone – but it
is very much within reach for all who suffer. I’d like to see additional
diverse approaches to improvements in public health & safety, especially in
substance abuse recovery & rehabilitation.
And I hope to have the opportunity to
continue to share with you the ongoing list of reasons that I’m running, in
coming days, weeks, and months. More importantly, I hope you’ll be vocal in
sharing your concerns, hopes, goals, and ideas for how we may strive to
preserve & improve the community we share.
Whatever your convictions and
priorities, and however you identify politically, I hope that we as a community
can agree that Marylanders deserve the best.
Let’s work to restore and preserve
liberty together, and keep the right principles and conscience at the forefront
of our Maryland communities. That is my wish for our state and our society.
It is an honor to announce my official
candidacy today, and it will be an ongoing honor and pleasure to work over the
course of the next twelve months to earn your faith in my potential to be an
elected leader in our Maryland community within the 42nd District House of
Delegates.
In Liberty now and always,
Joseph D.
Sandy
facebook.com/ElectJoeSandy
By Authority of Friends of Joseph Sandy - Maurice Grace, Treasurer
