The health and wellbeing of the people in Washington County will ensure that the opportunities presented in life can be accepted by each and every person with open arms. Lack of health insurance—a situation affecting 8,000 working Tennesseans in Washington County alone—means being riddled with debt, the threat of foreclosure, an inability to afford medication, and a downward spiral of worsening medical conditions. Access to health insurance and health care is number one on my priority list. Expanding Medicaid, through passage of Insure Tennessee, would boost the State’s economy by $1.4 billion per year, create 20,000 jobs, and not cost Tennesseans a penny. Insure Tennessee would give 280,000 Tennesseans access to the care they so desperately need, including 24,000 veterans—men and women who have paid into the system with their blood, sweat, and tears, and who are only asking for what their country and their state owes them. Access to health insurance would enable more healthy Tennesseans to enter the workforce, give them the opportunity to increase their earnings and step off of government assistance, and share their innovative and creative ideas to not only better our region, but make our nation more competitive in a global market.

Public Education is America’s greatest achievement, leveling the playing field for all students and ensuring every child gets a good education, no matter what their socio-economic status may be. Public education creates opportunities for every student to learn and create, innovate and grow. I pledge my vote in Nashville to ensure your current tax dollars are not spent on vouchers or a private virtual school, but instead on Tennessee’s public schools. Just imagine if every student had the textbooks she needed for every class. Imagine if every teacher was paid a competitive salary so he didn’t feel the need to look for better paying positions outside of our region. Just imagine if schools trained our students for whatever careers they dreamed of—whether technical, academic, or professional in nature. Just imagine if the Tennessee State Legislature invested their current budget in public schools, which would in turn attract new industry, competitive jobs, and higher wages. Just imagine the opportunities.

When you present someone with an opportunity—like giving a student the opportunity to excel with a class project, or by hiring a member of our community to a well-paying job—you create second and third opportunities for them, in regards to learning and advancement. Additionally, that person is then able to show another person the way forward and provide a leg up for someone else in need. When we help one person, we help a community, we help ourselves. Opportunity is a loaded word and one I don’t take lightly. I believe when someone is healthy because he has access to preventive medical care, he will have the opportunity to be productive in the workforce. After a student has worked hard to earn her degree, she will have the opportunity to seek out employment in a competitive job market using her skills and talents. These opportunities are not rare, but are created through investment in our citizens and in our community. Investing the State’s money in opportunities that would create jobs with competitive salaries in Washington County, as well as across the state, would make Tennessee shine across the nation.

At our core, we are all human beings trying to exist in this world, people who desire nothing more than to ensure we can provide for our children, create opportunities for our future, and know we can retire without worrying about tomorrow. It’s time we celebrate our differences and recognize our sameness so we can all live harmoniously together. Nashville has forgotten the Golden Rule: To do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. This includes equal treatment for women, minorities, and the LGBT community. Together, we can do wonderful things. Together, we can show that Tennessee is a model other states can follow.