My Platforms
01
Vision
Tweed for Junction City Council?
Why I’d Be Good at Local Government (and Terrible at Politics)
"No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it."
-Andrew Carnegie
Let’s just start with the obvious: I would be terrible at politics. Gloriously bad. I’d be the political equivalent of a cat in a bathtub – there in body, but clawing at the sides, soaking wet, and wondering how on earth I got into this mess.
For one, I’m autistic, which means I am fundamentally unsuited for the bread and circuses of political life. The glad-handing, the photo-ops, the “impromptu” coffee shop chats with strategically selected “regular citizens” (a.k.a. someone city employee’s cousin). I’m not a megalomaniac. I have no interest in seeing my name plastered across lawn signs in the same font as discount fast food specials. I’m not into gossip. Or lying. And if you offered me a bribe, I’d spend more time wondering why you thought I was the type to take it than I would actually considering the money.
But governing – the actual hard, often boring, work of figuring out how to make a town run better – that I can do. I’m wired for problem-solving, not power-hoarding. I believe in equality, transparency, and not making rules for the sake of hearing myself talk. Honestly, in a world where people weren’t constantly trying to outwit, outmaneuver, or outright fleece each other, we could probably get by with ten well-chosen laws. Not that list from the Bible, thank you very much, and certainly nothing requiring stoning.
So, if I do toss my hat into the ring, here’s what I’d focus on in Junction City:
Making the City More Walkable
We are a small town. There is no reason we should be living like it takes a full tank of gas to get from one end of Sixth Street to the other. Picture this: a Downtown where you can walk from a bakery to a bookstore without dodging traffic like a contestant on Frogger. Where you can actually run into people you know (or avoid them). Not because you planned it, but because everyone is out and about, enjoying a pedestrian-friendly space. Right now, our sidewalks feel like afterthoughts, slapped down like someone was half-finished frosting a cake and gave up. We could have weekend markets, block parties, music nights. Things that make you want to linger instead of sprinting back to your car before your burger gets cold.
Living in Harmony with Nature
We live in one of the most beautiful corners of the country. Towering trees, fields that glow gold in the evening light, and air that hasn’t yet been entirely replaced with car exhaust. And yet, somehow, there’s always someone looking at a meadow and thinking, “You know what this needs? A discount mattress warehouse.” Development doesn’t have to mean destruction. We can protect our rivers, keep our green spaces, and still build what we need. As long as “what we need” doesn’t translate to “a six-lane road leading to a strip mall that looks like every other strip mall in America.” Wildlife are not our enemies, they are just quieter neighbors who don’t blast music at 2 a.m.
Community Gardens and Park Improvement
Parks are the lungs of a town. Ours should not feel like a wheezing smoker on their last cigarette. A well-kept park says, “We care about our quality of life.” A neglected one says, “Good luck, and watch out for broken glass.” Community gardens are more than just places to grow food, they’re places to grow friendships, swap recipes, and have the occasional heated debate about whose zucchini really is the biggest. 😉 They’re where people who have nothing in common can stand side by side, covered in dirt, and realize they have more in common than they thought.
Education and Enrichment – Beyond the Usual Suspects
Not every kid dreams of joining the football team or memorizing the state capitals in song form. Some kids want to build robots, paint murals, grow hydroponic tomatoes, or learn how to make their own short films. Right now, our community treats youth activities like an afterthought unless they involve a ball, a whistle, and a scoreboard. Let’s make enrichment programs part of the actual budget, not just a sad little fundraising footnote. I mean, where are the two giant eyesore warehouses at the high school for arts and academic teams? And while we’re at it, let’s make sure those programs are accessible to all. Because nothing kills inspiration faster than telling a kid they can’t join because they can’t afford the “materials fee.”
Third Spaces
Not everyone wants to spend their free time in a store, a bar, or a church – and they shouldn’t have to. People need “third spaces” where the only requirement for entry is being a human being (or possibly a very friendly dog). Libraries, plazas, shaded benches, co-ops, coffee shops that don’t mind if you nurse one cup of tea for an hour while reading a novel. And about that community center – is it a real building or just a mirage? Every time I go by, it’s closed. Maybe we should crack it open before nature reclaims it.
Supporting Local Business
We have a baffling number of empty storefronts and an equally baffling number of chain auto parts stores. Unless this town is secretly running a muffler cartel, I can’t imagine why. Small businesses are what make a town feel like this town, not a carbon copy of the next one over. We need lower rents, startup support, and maybe a gentle reminder that “local flavor” is not code for “another vape shop.” And if we’re going to be lining our streets with drive-thrus and big-box chains, we should be seeing some of the benefit of that increased tax revenue.
Community Policing
Right now, I couldn’t pick a single local officer out of a lineup – which is ironic, because isn’t that their whole thing? Police officers should be visible members of the community, not just mysterious silhouettes in passing patrol cars. In a walkable city, you run into officers naturally. At the farmers’ market, in the park, buying terrible coffee from the same diner as you. That’s how trust is built: not through press releases, but through small, human moments that turn a badge into a neighbor. I spent five years as a volunteer with the Sheriff’s department where I grew up. It was a small town, with probably only slightly more calls for service than JC. So what did we do with all the downtime? Hung out at local businesses, walked main street, talked to people. Sure, this was twenty years ago, but surely we can incorporate a return to our roots into the paramilitary schtick.
Transparency and Open Communication
No more sudden votes at council meetings that only three people knew about. No more policy changes hidden in fine print like a bad cell phone contract. Hold open forums. Publish clear explanations. Make it easy for people to understand what’s going on without needing a law degree and a Ouija board. I’ll be accessible and answer questions. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll tell you.
You can email me your questions here and I’ll answer them on my website and social media (if it’s genuine. I don’t play Devil’s Advocate, we have enough devils in politics already).
Civic Engagement for All Ages
Local government shouldn’t look like the world’s most boring reunion of the same twelve people. We need young voices, older voices, working parents, recent grads. Basically, anyone who has a stake in the community, which is everyone. Create youth councils, senior advisory boards, and volunteer committees where showing up doesn’t feel like walking into a private club. I've personally reached out to several places in town to volunteer, including the community center, the library, the Scandinavian Festival, and even the local martial arts McDojo. No response. It's like they don't want involvement from the community.
Affordable Housing and Smart Growth
If people can’t afford to live here, it doesn’t matter how nice the parks are or how charming downtown becomes, they’ll just be visiting from wherever they moved to. Affordable housing isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the difference between a community and a theme park for outsiders. And “smart growth” means not bulldozing every bit of character we have to slap up “luxury developments” no one here can actually afford.
And, no, I’m not going to talk about the water/sewer; they’re already dealing with that.
Accessible City Services
A truly accessible city works for people who can’t drive, people with mobility challenges, seniors, and families hauling strollers. That means ramps you can actually use, sidewalks that don’t feel like obstacle courses, and buses that arrive more often than comets.
Public Art and Culture
A town without art is like a dinner without seasoning – technically edible, but why would you? Murals, sculptures, music events, maker spaces. Anything that makes us feel like us and not the sad beige waiting room of the universe.
Conflict Resolution
We don’t need Hatfield-and-McCoy-level grudges over whose fence is an inch too far left. Mediation programs can resolve disputes before they turn into lawsuits, or worse, awkward standoffs at the grocery store. There seem to be two modes of operation: ignore your neighbors or call the cops.
And speaking of overuse of the police department: Need a dog license? Police. Code violation in your neighborhood? Police. Look at a city council member the wrong way? Police. Does Junction City not realize that more people everyday either fear or hate the police? Maybe if we had some of that community-oriented policing I talked about, things would be different. Read the room, Junction City. If you want people to engage civically, give them somewhere safe to do it.
Emergency Preparedness
We shouldn’t be one windstorm away from chaos. Fires, floods, snowstorms. They’re not “maybe someday” events; they’re inevitable. A community-led plan ensures we can handle ourselves instead of sitting around waiting for help that might not get here in time.
Local Food Economy
Farmers’ markets aren’t just cute Instagram backdrops, they’re a way to keep money here, support local growers, and eat produce that doesn’t taste like packing peanuts. We should be building connections between farmers, restaurants, and residents because everyone wins when the tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes.
Where Do I Stand on the 'Big' Issues?
Let’s be real, most of the “big issues” people want to fight about aren’t actually decided by city councils. We don’t get a vote on abortion, guns, or who can and can’t get married here in Junction City. I mean, we can (and infamously have) but do we really need more legislation? At a community level, our goals should be more oriented toward enrichment, safety, and whether the new plaza should have a planter in the middle or a piece of “art” everyone hates for twenty years before deciding it’s charming.
Do I have opinions on the big topics? Absolutely. Some are passionate and deeply researched (the kind of research that involves actual university databases, not grainy YouTube videos with dramatic music). Some are lukewarm. Others are probably based on overhearing half a conversation in line at Dari Mart. If you want to hear my take, I’ll tell you over coffee or awkward small talk at the park with my dogs. We’ll agree on some, disagree on others, and that’s fine. That’s how grown-ups function. Political opinions reflect somebody’s values more than their understanding of the issues, anyway, as the majority of people prefer not to invest their time in understanding how government actually works or to research candidates beyond election propaganda. Let he who buys the most ad space win?
What are some “big issues” I care about here? Safety. Both in the “don’t trip on that broken sidewalk” way and the “this is a town where people look out for each other” way. Focus on growth that’s smart and sustainable, not the kind that leaves us with more parking lots than trees. Encourage community connections so this feels like a place people live on purpose, not just somewhere they stop to buy gas and a questionable cheeseburger on the way to Eugene.
We can care about the big national stuff – and we should. But here, in Junction City, I’m more interested in fixing things we can actually fix. Because yelling about Congress is about as productive as trying to order a cappuccino at a tire shop.
In Summary
I’m not in this for the powertrips, the ceremonial scissors, or trying to parlay this into something I can profit from. I want a community that works – for people, for nature, for the future. If that makes me bad at politics, then I’ll take the loss. I’d rather be terrible at politics than terrible at governing. I'm not looking to be a career politician, just a problem solver. Tweed for Junction City Council in 2026? You decide...