Addendum:
As of 26OCT23, the incumbent, Rep. John Sarbanes, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2024. I will leave this page posted for the integrity of my overall message, but some sections of it may be no longer applicable.
Between the House and Senate,
for 90 years
two families
have "represented" us.
This is not representative democracy. This is rule by an Elite Political Class.
The Inertia of the Incumbent
Those in office tend to stay in office when no outside forces act upon them.
The 2-year term length in the US House of Representatives was designed to create turnover. The original architects of our Country's government prescribed this in the Constitution to ensure functionality over gridlock, integrity over political party and innovation over stagnation.
The congressional seat of District 3 has been the exclusive domain of two families for 40 out of the last 50 years. The idea that our district with a population of 771,084 people is being best represented by the inertia of these political dynasties is at best statistically untrue and at worst, an example of Newton's 1st Law of Physics being applied to political incumbency (see above subtitle). In fact, our current representative no longer even lives in District 3. While this is legal, doesn't it seem just a little...silly?
Pizza and Politics:
Should we cast our votes like we order our pizza?
Your Basic Pepperoni
"Nothing Compares 2 U"
A monotopping pepperoni pizza has few rivals in the Pizza Universe, if any. It guarantees gastric satisfaction with predictability. When looking at a pizza menu, ordering your basic pepperoni can be an "no-brainer" almost every time.
Maryland's Current Congressional Delegation
Current Statistics:
In Congress for a combined approximation of:
185 years
100% Men
80% White
70% Lawyers
50% Ivy League educated
There is nothing inherently problematic with belonging to any of the above demographics, but given the state of American politics, the labile economy, disastrous immigration policies, the undoing of women's rights, corruption in the Supreme Court, the abomination of mass incarceration, the resurgence of neoconservatism and overall social discourse, different minds, faces, backgrounds and ages are desperately needed. Nothing exists in a vacuum in DC (including the psychotic Beltway driving).
Should we cast our votes like we order our pizza? Get in the booth, check the box, turn in the ballot, wipe our greasy hands on a napkin, get our sticker, leave the building, go on with our lives. Could the Pepperoni Pizza Voting Protocol be partly to blame for Washington's gridlock, polarization and bureaucracy? Anyone in the mood for a new type of Pizza?
A new pizza, perhaps, you say?
Look no further.
How about a stuffed crust stuffed with
Peace in our Lifetime and for future generations skillfully crafted by a woman with real world experience?
-Professional Experience:-Clinical nurse in cardiac surgery step down unit,
research nurse in Nephrology (kidneys) clinical trials
but have also worked as/at/in: 110 degree restaurant kitchens (I see you, Casa Dominick's),
an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea,
Streets Market and Cafe (grocery store),
Cafe Fili (Baltimore),
transportation research at UMich,
front office admin in a free medical care clinic (Hope Clinic),
UMich grounds crew for many seasons (the smell of a steaming pile of mulch on a hot August morning...transcendental),
Starbucks,
(I think I worked at) Biggby's,
REI,
EMS (outdoor store),
a veterinary clinic,
environmental education and organic farming at Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills, CA,
a farmer (GardenWorks in Ann Arbor, MI),
the Hard Rock Cafe,
an angel themed coffee shop in the mall,
fast food (Wendy's-started in the "Super Bar," but worked mostly drive thru later on)
and paper carrier for The Canton (MI) Observer (my first job)
-Education: Shared high school valedictorian honors (P-CEP Class of '99),
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (BA in Philosophy and Spanish Language and Literature),
The Johns Hopkins University (BSN in Nursing)
As such, I would consider myself more of a Pesto Chicken Parm pizza* at https://undergroundpizza.co/menu-baltimore/#
*Seriously, you need to try this pizza. It is crazy good!