Bill Evans’ 5th District Announcement Speech Text

Good afternoon everyone and welcome; welcome to the start of a new era in Connecticut politics; an era of integrity, responsibility and most of all, common sense. An era that will not be dominated by powerful party bosses or special interests, but by the interests of the people whose voices have been ignored for far too long;…….. by the people who have become disenfranchised with the political process ………and for the people who understand that this Country can no longer afford politics as usual.

In recent years, our government has become inaccessible, burdensome and arrogant. Many members of both parties, in all branches and levels of government, have turned a deaf ear to the needs of the average citizen, choosing instead to allow themselves and their votes to be sold to the highest bidder. While many people will tell you that this is “just the way it is” or “this is the way business gets done” our State and our Country have now reached the point of critical mass where we as citizens cannot afford to sit idly by and watch as the principals upon which our Country was founded, continue to be degraded and crumble to dust.

For several months, I have traveled around the State and spoken with many people who are not only hurting financially, but also feel a deep sense of abandonment. They feel betrayed by their Representatives in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, who have forgotten them, and have turned their backs on the promises that they made on election day. Many of our elected officials have refused to take into account the will of the people that they represent. How many more bailouts and mismanaged government programs can we, as taxpayers afford?

While some of the people that I have spoken with have decided that there is nothing that can be done, there are many more who feel that, with new leadership, we can still change the reckless course that we are on and salvage the future for our children and grandchildren. But where do we start?

Though many things have changed in this Country, and not necessarily for the better, fortunately Americans still have the right to vote. Exercising our right to elect responsible leaders is what it will take to get us back on the right track. While the average citizen cannot be held responsible for the bad decisions made by our Representatives, and the problems that these bad decisions have wrought, the time is now for all of us to stand up and be a part of the solution. It is time to tell our political leaders that enough is enough! We cannot afford to pay for the results of any more of their poor judgment. We cannot afford the out of control spending; and we certainly cannot afford anymore bloated, mismanaged government programs that just don’t work!

A year ago, I could not have imagined that I would be standing before you today, poised to take on such a challenge as we are about to embark on. However, I can not, in good conscience, stand idly by and watch the destruction of the Country I love and the erosion of the principals which it was founded upon, wearing apart – piece by piece. History is filled with average men and women who, during tough times; times where the cause seemed lost and hope in short supply, have stepped up and heeded the call to action.

Today, as I stand before all of you, I too have decided that, I can no longer stand silently by, but must heed the call to action. Therefore, today, I am announcing my candidacy for United States Congress in the 5^th District of Connecticut.

I know this will be an uphill battle but, as I look around me today, I know I am not alone. This is a fight we can win together. While other candidates focus all of their attention on raising millions of dollars, we have something that is more important than money, and that is people like yourselves; people who are energized and determined to change the things that do not work in government. I am confident that with your support, we will be able to communicate our message effectively. Our message of “Common Sense for Connecticut” is one that will resonate with people who are tired of “business as usual”. This will truly be a grass-roots effort made up of volunteers not only from the 5^th District, but from across the State. This campaign will rely on our supporter’s time and talents.

I can guarantee that this will be a ground breaking campaign in many ways. For example, I am promising today that I will serve no more than three terms as your Congressman. Our Country was never meant to have career politicians and I believe that turnover and fresh ideas are the best way to serve the people.

Also, the issue of earmarks and special interest money has long been a problem in politics. Our campaign is proposing a simple, “common sense” way to address this problem. I pledge to you today that I will only accept campaign donations, as long as my opponents agree to the same, from people who live or work in the 5^th District. Why should citizens and lobbyists who do not live in this State or District be giving millions of dollars to candidates in Connecticut? It makes you wonder what these donors are receiving in return for all that money…….

I also pledge to you today that, I will refuse the generous pension which goes along with being elected to Congress, just one time, if the national budget has not been balanced by the time I leave office. Our Representatives in Congress have often made a big show of being outraged by the large bonuses given to executives of failing companies who received taxpayer money. Yet these very same representatives, who are the Executives of our Country, receive large salaries and many special perks despite the fact they have made a mess of Our Country. Once elected, I will work to make other members of Congress abide by these same principles. Imagine if there was a personal, financial stake in balancing the budget……. Don’t you think that we would see some different votes in Washington, DC?

Finally, I pledge to you that this campaign will be run with transparency and honesty.  If someone should ask me a question that I do not know the answer to, I am going to admit that I don’t know.  More importantly, I will research the issue and get back to that person with an educated answer, rather than pretending that I am an expert on an issue that I really do not know much about. This way, we will all learn more together and I will become more engaged with matters that mean the most to you.

These are just some of the highlights of my campaign which is going to be run over the coming months with integrity. Our campaign website contains more information on our platform and I encourage you all to go to the website, BillEvansForCongress.com and register with us so that you may receive important campaign updates. Please submit any questions or comments you might have.  I sincerely look forward to hearing your ideas and welcome any feedback you may have.

We have a challenge over the next year, but it is not insurmountable. With your support, volunteer efforts, and ultimately your vote,  I know that we can be successful next November.

The time to restore common sense to Connecticut and to our Country is now, and I hope that all of you will join me in this historic journey.

Thank you for coming today and showing me your support.  I look forward to being your next Congressman!