|
Beard For House of Delegates
- by Jeff
Beard, Candidate for Delegate, Legislative District 7 -
|
|
Please allow me to take a few minutes of your valuable
time to introduce myself. I am Jeff Beard and I am running for delegate
in the 7th Legislative District. I am a lifelong resident of
Middle River. I have two children, Jeff, 28, and Krystyn, 26, and I am
the proud grandfather of Jordan, 3 ½, and Ashton, 2 ½.
I have always been passionate about improving the community. As a
teenager, I served as a junior fireman for the Middle River Volunteer
Fire Dept.; and was very active with Baltimore County Recreation and
Parks, volunteering my time to coaching youth football, baseball and
basketball. As I got older, I got more involved in politics,
campaigning for candidates dedicated to improving our community.
I also worked many hours volunteering at the voting polls.
Now, as vice-president and member of the Bargaining Committee of the
UAW Local 239, I work very hard at building the working relationship
between Union and Management at the Allison Transmission plant in White
Marsh. And I am proud that this relationship was a key consideration in
General Motors’ recent decision to award a new product to the plant,
resulting in the creation of approximately 200 new, good-paying jobs
for the community.
Besides having worked at GM since 1979, I have also been a successful
small business owner for 25 years. Every day I experience,
firsthand, the same challenges other small businesses face, such as the
dramatic increases in unemployment and health insurance.
In my “leisure time,” I enjoy giving back to the community which has
treated me so well for the past 50, or so, years. Frequently you
will find me volunteering my time and services at various community
functions and fundraisers, as well as other charitable causes. In
fact, this is how many people first meet me and get to know me.
I believe:
• we need more jobs; but we need quality jobs, the kind that pay enough
to raise a family.
• we need to make Legislative District 7 and the State of Maryland more
business-friendly in order increase the number of good-paying jobs.
• we need to provide financial incentives to attract new businesses.
• we need to provide existing businesses, especially small and startup
businesses, increased opportunities for growth.
• we need to build training partnerships between business/industry and
our community colleges, to ensure our workforce is prepared to help our
businesses meet the challenges they face.
• we need to bring back vocational programs to our high schools in
order to prepare non-college bound students for the workforce.
• increasing taxes is not the answer. With more businesses and more
people earning a decent wage, the economy will grow, and so will state
revenues without having to raise taxes - everybody benefits.
• we must get habitual, violent criminals and predators off our streets
and out of our neighborhoods and communities.
• our police, firefighters and paramedics must continue to have the
manpower, resources and technology needed to keep our neighborhoods and
communities safe.
• police, firefighters and paramedics must receive adequate funding for
capital improvements and equipment.
• we must restore paramedic capabilities back to the fire engines and
fire trucks.
• police, firefighters, paramedics and teachers’ salaries in Baltimore
and Harford counties must be competitive with those in our surrounding
counties so that we don’t lose our best, brightest and bravest
personnel.
• job security for our police, firefighters, paramedics and teachers is
vital.
• we should make sure our teachers are able to do what they do best,
teach, instead of being bogged down in bureaucratic red tape.
• habitually disruptive children need to be removed from our classrooms
and provided alternative educational opportunities.
• no senior citizen should be “left behind.” We need to ensure
that all seniors are safe and living comfortably.
• that our veterans deserve more respect and recognition than they
currently get.
• that senior citizens need more opportunities to be involved in our
communities. We can all benefit from their wisdom and experience.
• our district is home to some of the most beautiful, natural resources
in our country. Nothing compares to the beauty and bounty of the
Chesapeake Bay. Let’s make sure it’s around for future
generations to enjoy.
• we need to help our farmers manage invasive wildlife, in order to
prevent damage to crops.
• my job, as a delegate, is to promote the beliefs of the people that I
represent, not to further my own agenda.
As a lifelong resident, I feel I know District 7, what our needs are
and that I understand what it will take to realize our goals. I
will work tirelessly to represent all the people of District 7, to
improving our present conditions and securing a better future for all
us. Please feel free to contact me by phone (888-9JBEARD), fax
(877-717-6543), e-mail ( jeff@JeffBeardForDelegate.com)
or by visiting my website at http://JeffBeardForDelgate.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
|
|
|
|
