The Politics of NO!!

A few years ago I went on a trip with someone who is competitive with me - the kind of person who constantly needs to "prove" that they are In Control. Examining the map as we approached a major junction, I noticed that our fuel gauge was almost on Empty, and the map revealed this was the last town for hundreds of miles.

I said, "This is the last town for a while; we should get gas here."
They shrieked, "NOOOO!!!!!!" in a belligerent bellow. I assumed they had misheard what I just said, so I calmly pointed out, "The fuel gauge is almost on Empty, and this is our last chance..."
"I HEARD YOU AND WE'RE NOT STOPPING!!!!" they screamed, face twisted with rage.

I was surprised how far that car went on Empty, and I noticed how little traffic there was on that road. About 40 miles out of town, the car finally ran out of gas. Luckily, a Highway Patrol car came by about 10 minutes later, and they radioed AAA for us, who brought us a couple gallons of gas.

I vowed never to associate with this self-destructive idiot again.

I am often reminded of this when I listen to politics. I hear Right-Wing pundits gloating about how something "drives Libs crazy" - as if that alone was enough reason for it. I also hear those on the Loony Left saying almost the same thing.

It is one thing to do what you believe in, but it is another thing entirely to push an agenda just because it will annoy your "enemies". Opposing something beneficial, just because the "other side" thought of it is childish, and in politics this hurts the American People.

I am running for Congress to represent the people of Utah, and to serve their best interests. I am not a pawn for a political party, and I will not vote based on National Political Party strategy. I am not going to Washington just to vote the Party Line 94% of the time - you could train a monkey to do that and save a lot of money.

The American People deserve better than to be stranded on a desolate road, just because it was the "other guy's" idea to get fuel.

If you are tired of partisan "politics as usual", vote None of The Above - Vote for Erik.

all content Copyright 2010 by Erik Jorgensen

Ending DUI's - The ScooterMan Plan

My friend Mikey at Russian River once told me about London's ScooterMan: If you found yourself unable to drive your car home from a restaurant or bar, you could call the ScooterMan, who would show up with a dufflebag, drive your car home for you, and then pull a scooter out of the dufflebag and ride off into the night.

This Designated Driver idea could save dozens of lives on a local level, and thousands - even millions - of lives if implemented on a National level. With enough volunteers on a local level, this project could operate without using Tax money. Perhaps additional funding could come from fines from DUI's.

While I am traveling around Utah's 1st District during my campaign, I will be talking to people about helping organize a Designated Driver in their local area. I am not waiting to be elected to make this happen.

Coordinating this locally would make a good Eagle Scout Project.
Contact me if you want to help a local Designated Driver.

all content Copyright 2010 by Erik Jorgensen

Why am I running for Office?

Over the years, I have had several friends encourage me to run for office. In the past, I have always been too busy with other projects to campaign, but the encouragement I had received got me to think about Politics in a practical "what would I do" sort of way.

The dawning of the 21st Century has brought problems and opportunities never before seen in the history of mankind. Our children's childrens's children deserve - and depend on - something better than partisan politics-as-usual. Too many politicians today seem more concerned with their Party's interests than the needs of their voters - or the voters of the future. They bicker over Left and Right at a time when we need to concentrate on moving Forward.

We need to think outside of the box in order to solve these new problems facing our country and our planet. The Future is Now.

Petroleum is a 19th Century technology, and while a small handful of companies have enjoyed record quarterly profits again and again and again, a lot of this money is funneled away to foreign countries - some of whom use our own dollars to wage war against us. We need a home-grown solution that benefits American farmers, based on technology that benefits American scientists. Other countries are already researching this technology, and we cannot afford to lose this race. If we can send a man to the moon, then we can figure out a better way to fuel our cars.

Education is an investment in our future, especially because other countries are beginning to pass us in science and technology. While the K-12 years are important, many politicians overlook the importance of an affordable University education. College degrees lead to higher-paying jobs, which results in more money to spend on goods and services provided by other Americans. Our country cannot afford a system where only children from the wealthiest families can receive a higher education, and the rest of us are owned by the Banks.

It will take an outsider - a real Maverick - to tackle these problems; somebody not owned by lobbyists, corporations, or political parties.