I have admired his approach to working with others for some time and after talking to him in person last week, I am even more convinced that he is the type of leader that is needed in government at all levels. Being able to disagree without being disagreeable is a skill that doesn’t seem very important to a number of our elected officials today.

We are all equal share holders in this great nation and at whatever level of government one serves, the main concern should always be what is best for all. As Governor Huckabee stated, “sometimes we are wrong and they are right and sometimes they are wrong and we are right.” Thinking that others have nothing to offer and preventing a dialog from occurring keeps progress from being made. I am a firm believer that Governor Huckabee is absolutely correct in his idea.

As I think about what I hope to accomplish in Jefferson City I want to take what he said to heart and listen to the comments and concerns of all the citizens of the 134^th. When one is elected to represent a district, it is one’s responsibility to represent everyone in that district and become their voice in the legislature.

It would be an honor to be your voice in Jefferson City.

Those two events don’t seem to be related in any way other than my inability to be in two places at once, but after some thought I could not only see a relationship between them but also one of the reasons why it is important to me to be your representative in the Missouri House of Representatives.

My granddaughter and all of her extended family have the ability to enjoy a great milestone in a little girl’s life because of the hard work of the many dedicated public servants who help keep not only our community safe and running smoothly, but also those who represent all of us whether in government positions or the military. They miss events just like this one away from their families on a regular basis so that we at home can enjoy the peace and safety that we sometimes take for granted. We need to be more mindful of our public servants and the sacrifices they make on a daily basis so that we can enjoy our lives as we do.

And it is also part of the reason that I feel compelled to go to Jefferson City. We are all busy – there are many activities and events that we each commit ourselves to daily.  As your representative in Jefferson City I pledge to remember how busy you are, and as your elected representative, I won’t lose track of that fact. I commit to each one of you that I will be available to listen to what is important to you and your family and I will work hard to represent your feelings and opinions in the legislature.

The time has just flown by, but the memories Jane and I have of the 2010 election are still fresh in our minds.  It was a truly interesting, challenging and amazing time in our lives.  We made a commitment then to go in a different direction – that we were ready to serve Springfield, Missouri, in a different way, and neither one of us has regretted one moment of that decision.  Today, we have not changed – we have not wavered from that commitment.

Even though we may be seeking election to the House from a district with a different number and many new constituents, our message is still the same: Real Issues, Real Solutions. The election of 2012 finds us facing many of the same problems we faced two years ago with no solutions in sight. We must work to find the right solutions to position us for the future here in Missouri. We must come to the conclusion that true progress can only come when we work together and develop a vision of the future for our state that provides opportunity for everyone willing to work to build it together. I want to be a part of that process. Not a process that divides us because of envy or a lack of trust but one that pulls us together with a common goal of a better life for ourselves and a better future for our children and grandchildren.

As a life-long Springfieldian spending the majority of my business career in the beverage and grocery businesses, I believe I have the tools and the knowledge needed to get all Missourians back to work. Not only have I been responsible for budgets and managing others, but I have also been very active in the community on a number of different levels.  I have served on a number of not-for-profits including The Victim’s Center, Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Town of Missouri and Ronald McDonald House.  I have been active for years with Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce here in town as well as in Lebanon, Missouri. I just completed a six-year term with the Landmark’s Board which oversees a number of residential and historic districts throughout the city.  Giving back to my community and those around me is an important part of my make-up.

With your support and help, I want to continue that committed lifestyle by representing you and your family as the 134th District’s Representative in the House.    I have no ulterior motive, no plan to go on to other elected positions.  I want what every father and grandfather wants for their family: to leave behind a legacy that will help make each of our children and their children prosperous and be able to attain whatever their dreams may be in the greatest country in the world.

I would honored and humbled to be your next representative in Jefferson City.

Even with all of this I still want to take another step. I feel that I can be an influence on the legislative process in Jefferson City as a representative in the 134^th District. With each passing day it becomes clearer the importance of having people in the legislature who will work to make things work to benefit all of the citizens of our great state. I have no long term goals for higher office. I have no interest in becoming a career politician. I want to make a difference. I grew up in downtown Springfield and I have watched it grow beyond my wildest imagination. I know what can be done with the right type of leadership and commitment.

I will be calling on the people of the 134^th District in the coming months to get to know them and find out what they want from their elected representatives. I want to represent all of the people of this district and give them and their children and grandchildren the opportunities I had to become a very lucky man.

            We must work together to grow and capitalize on the great opportunity we have to use our fiscal strength, hard-working people and our state’s resources to get everyone back to work. For this to happen, I need your help. Contact me so that we can begin a dialog that will let me represent you in the best possible manner. Get your friends together so that I can meet with all of you at once and get to know all of you.

            I spent yesterday with my family decorating our home for the holidays, and at the Christmas parade watching my grandchildren delight in a years’ old Springfield tradition. Today, I drove around the 134th District getting to know the territory and beginning to make plans for covering each and every street to talk with you in person.

            I will keep you informed on this web site, and on Facebook and Twitter, about what we are doing. I hope to see each one of you over the next few months. Have a great week.

Tuesday night over 100 people joined my family and me at Phelps Grove Park for a cook out, announcing my campaign for State Representative in the 134^th District. It was a perfect evening, and everyone enjoyed being together and the burgers and brats grilled by my stepson Chris and my son-in-law Courtney. The tables and decorations were handled by the rest of our family and friends who came early to help.

This spirit of family and community is something I treasure from the last campaign and look forward to in the coming one. We are one family really, with shared hopes and dreams for a better future for all of us.

Being a part of the solution to the problems that are keeping us from that future is a primary reason for my campaign. Representing all the citizens of the 134^th District in Jefferson City is my goal, and I pledge to do my part to make things better.

It is hard not to be discouraged by what is happening at the national level: that grid lock and partisan politics cannot be allowed to slow our progress at the state level. Electing people who are more interested in creating solutions than in win or lose should be a priority for all voters. As your representative, I will constantly strive for what is best for my constituents.  I look forward with great eagerness to meeting with citizens of the 134^th District and discussing the path our great state needs to take in bringing jobs, security and prosperity back.  As we move towards Election Day 2012, I hope you will join me in making that a reality.

Only two days remain until our first campaign event of the 2012 election. We will meet at Phelps Grove Park Pavilion Tuesday afternoon and begin to work toward November. This will be the second cook out of the week for me. Jane and I enjoyed a great evening with many of our neighbors in the Phelps Park area at the neighborhood annual picnic. The food was exceptional and the conversation was just the kind we need at every level of our government. How can we work together as a community to make things better?  That is the question we must continue to ask, how can we make it better?

I look forward to many conversations with all the residents of the 138^th in the coming months striving to find the best possible solutions to that question. Solutions to a lack of jobs, too many taxes and regulations, and the many other issues facing us today can only be found by improving the transparency and spirit of cooperation at all levels of our government.

I hope you are able to join us for burgers and brats and conversation about the future of our state and how we can work together to make it the very best it can be. See you Tuesday, September 27^th at the Phelps Grove Park Pavilion from 6 until 7:30 p.m.

In my estimation, little has changed in the 10 months since the last election. Unemployment still haunts all parts of the state and the country. Businesses are hesitant to extend themselves to create new jobs and far too many Missourians are still out of work because of the mixed signals they are getting from Washington. Our Governor, for all his posturing and feigned interest, has chosen not to lead the state in a quest for reinvigorated growth and prosperity. His failure to lead has forced the legislature to lead from behind and because of that less has been accomplished than there should have been. We need citizens who will lead by example and strive to make our state a better and more prosperous place for all of us.

One of my new jobs is as a morning radio host on KWTO AM. This news talk format allows me to reach out and get to know many of the people in Southwest Missouri and find out what they are thinking and let them hear my opinions on the events affecting us all. I have attached an audio file to this article from my radio show which can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings on KWTO 560 am and on-line at “newstalk560.com”. Listen in from 6:45 till 9:00 as I talk with the citizens of Missouri about the things that interest them most. Please follow our progress on this web-site and help in any way that you can. I will be in need of many volunteers for all types of tasks as we work towards the 2012 election to be your representative in Jefferson City.               Listen to a  discussion about The Jobs Bus

This past year has been eventful and enjoyable in many ways. We have welcomed a new grandson into the family and the five grandchildren make every day a joy and a delight. My son was married and we now have a new member of our family to love and get to know better. Our house has been filled with love and happiness and we have been blessed in so many ways. We have taken away from our own daily lives to care for family and friends who are ill and in need. We have seen first hand the same ups and downs that every other family in our city and country has experienced, and because of our experience we can understand and feel both the good and the bad.

During the election I found many new friends, and marveled at the commitment and dedication to our effort I saw in so many. I watched the support for our campaign grow as people got to know me and my family and all that we stood for. I took great pride in the fact that we talked about issues and solutions rather than personalities and partisan politics. And after the election results were in, I found great comfort in two things: the pride I felt in the way we worked every day to make a positive tone in the way we campaigned, and the number of people who responded to our efforts.

As I begin a new year of my life and the first of two years until the next election, I make this commitment to all of you: I will work even harder than last time and we will succeed in our efforts to represent all the citizens of the 138^th District.

We feel great; we had the support of so many dedicated friends, neighbors, new acquaintances and family who worked diligently alongside Jane and me all the way through tonight.  We cannot thank each one of you enough.  We are so proud to have had each one of you by our side as we worked for what we know is right.

We sincerely hope that the incumbent sees her victory as a call from all her constituents for what it really is: to work in a truly bi-partisan manner, to stay focused on the issues that are truly important to all the people of the 138^th, and to go to Jefferson City with the determination to bring jobs and businesses to Springfield and all of Missouri.