As you may know the Minnesota legislature is made up of 201 people. And you may be asking yourself, “Why would any want to run for public office”? That is a good question, and one that I have thought much about. I have concluded that for me it is indeed something I want to do. Not as something new in my life, but because serving in the State Legislature is a means of working toward the common good, which is what I do in the rest of my personal and work life.
This site will serve as a place where I not only articulate what I mean by “the common good”, but also a place were I hope to enlist you as creators of that good.
Over the next few months this site will grow in content and depth. It will be a portal for you to join with me as we create the reality we desire in the ways that are possible through public policy, public service and State government.
If you would like to join me in this effort I welcome your participation. Contributing financially is an important role you can play in my campaign. If you are a Minnesota resident your $50 contribution will be refunded to you. Click here for Contribution information.
On March 14 there will be a strategy and volunteer meeting for the campaign. More details on this will come soon.
This is the beginning draft of my “stump speech”. A stump speech is the core of a message for a campaign. I will be expanding and adding details to this speech, but for now it is the building block of desire to serve in the State Legislature.
My name is Doug Pagitt and I am running for the state legislature to enlist you. To enlist you in our democracy, not just as a voter, but as a creator of the common good.
I am thrilled to be running for the Minnesota State Legislature, because for me the government is not another thing, the government isn’t them – the government is us. We are invited not just to vote for our dreams, but to create the world we desire.
I believe there are four streams to our civic life: our families, our businesses, our social organizations and our government.
And, we need them all.
There is certainly a conversation to have between these streams, what is the best stream to bring about particular solutions. But, the conversation is not “should we have bigger government or smaller government, more or less?”
The question is “do we have SMART government?” If we can have a smart car, a smart phone, or for crying out loud, a smart bomb, then I am sure we can have SMART government. I think SMART government can be described as:
Straight forward,is
Minnesota concerned, includes
All people, is
Relevant to our lives today and is
Tomorrow facing
When I hear people saying that we need to pit government against common people, or to see government as the enemy of business I say, “Oh, no we don’t.”
We can, we must, create a world where all the streams are flowing.
I have seen us, the state of Minnesota, do remarkable things. Like when my wife and I adopted our two sons through foster care it became clear that there was no way we could have made it without the help of you, our state.
Or when a family loads up in a car, purchased from a private company, and drives on public roads to a scout or church meeting we are reminded that our families, our businesses, our social organizations and our government is us, all of us.
Would you join me? Would you join me in making the future we desire? Would you join me in making the kind of government where no one is left out? Would you join me so no one is left behind? Would you join me so that when someone is let down they are not left alone? Would you join me in creating the world we want? Would you join me not just as a voter but be a co-creator of the common good?
