Dear Friends,
Great cities and towns are made—they are not born. It takes the heroic spirit and persistent drive of local citizens—entrepreneurs and inventors, athletes and teachers, civic leaders and visionaries—to make communities great. But even greatness has to be remade over and over again.
This year’s election represents the first time in nearly 20 years that the district has an open seat. This is an excellent opportunity for us to come forth with new ideas, to do things differently, and to do them better.
I know Brockton and Easton deserve full representation at the State House—competent and spirited leadership that’s driven by bold ideas and grounded in good judgment. This is how the American dream is built.
As your State Representative, I will represent the district with high expectations, always surrounding myself with the most talented people and the best ideas.
Below is my 5-Point Plan for Brockton and Easton. I hope these ideas inspire your belief in my campaign as we work together to create a new beginning for the district.
1. Creating local jobs. I will create a Jobs Now Taskforce, dedicated to finding, attracting, and creating jobs exclusively for the district. On the team, you will find some of the smartest and most able business leaders, elected officials, and community stakeholders. You’ll also find trusted economists and policymakers. This expert panel will work on transforming our current challenges and present strong ideas about what should be done to engage the district’s next generation of industries. The taskforce will also conduct a serious analysis of the district’s workforce to make sure we are ready to compete in our nation’s economy. > Learn more
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2. Easing your tax burden. I will work with the legislature to return tax dollars to Brockton and Easton. This can be done by tightly controlling spending, identifying additional sources of revenue, and requiring politicians to justify any requests for increases in funding. One tool to achieve this goal is the use of zero-based budgeting, where state agencies do more than justify increases over the previous year’s budget, but every department is comprehensively reviewed and all expenditures are completely justified. This type of budgeting process allows for clearer links between budgets and objectives, better resource allocation, and reduced costs through the elimination of waste.
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3. Controlling the cost of healthcare. I will support single-payer healthcare in Massachusetts, which is more accessible, less expensive, and improves quality. While we lead the nation in healthcare coverage—with 94 percent of the population insured—we continue to struggle with cost. A single-payer system gives everyone access to primary care, which reduces how many people get sick in the first place. It provides everyone a regular source of care, which allows us to catch illness before it becomes serious and expensive. And, single payer reduces insurance and provider overhead by as much as 30 percent. By removing waste and bureaucracy, we can make healthcare more affordable for everyone. > Learn more
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4. Keeping our neighborhoods safe. I will work with law enforcement and community groups to strengthen regional crime-fighting partnerships, better disseminate existing crime-fighting knowledge, and identify best practices for effective law enforcement. Every town and city in the area is concerned about drugs, guns, and crime. I’ve looked at successful crime-fighting programs in the state and the nation and found that they all have one thing in common: They all have successful partnerships and do not fight crime alone. Structured and focused collaborations send a loud message to offenders that law enforcement and the community are working together.
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5. Making college affordable. I will work to champion programs that prepare high school students for college success. Examples of these high school-to-college designs already exist throughout the country, where over 200 high schools graduate students with Associate’s degrees. This translates into higher acceptance rates to four-year colleges, fewer years in college for students, and lower overall tuition costs for parents. Our state would gain additional benefits with a larger and better skilled workforce. These same principles can be used to support adult workers, where students earn college credit while doing their work on the job. > Learn more
With regards,
Jass Stewart
