(Knock, knock)
"Hi, my name is Chris Gordon. I’m running for the District #14 senate seat
because I care about the health of our rural Wisconsin communities."
"That’s nice. What do you think you can do about that?"
Frankly, I had good intentions and a commitment to work hard, but I didn’t have a short answer. I went home and began reading. I didn’t have the forethought to keep a comprehensive bibliography and that will probably come back to bite me, but I recently read something that pulls it all together and does so in simple language we can all understand. For the sake of brevity, I organized my notes and formatted them for sharing in the graphic below.
It boils down to this. We can preserve and rebuild vital rural communities by being strategic about the way we use what we have. Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not what we have that will make us a great nation. It is how we decide to use it.” We know that we have abundant blessings here in our region of Central Wisconsin. Let’s be strategic and engaged in the process of using these blessings wisely.
According to a comprehensive review of the research completed by Etuk, Keen and Wall (2012) vital rural communities engage in a process to utilize their resources, local conditions and capacities to promote positive change. We can do that. In each of our rural communities there are people who possess vision and positive leadership. In each of our communities there are people who are willing to work to protect what we love and cultivate those things we need to grow.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is working actively to promote open, honest, and responsive government accountable to the needs and will of the people of Wisconsin. I embrace this work as the best way to advance policies and legislation that support Wisconsin people and Wisconsin places, including our rural communities. I ask every voter in the 14th Senate District to choose me as their candidate so I can participate in the effort to protect and increase the vitality of our rural communities.
Etuk, L., Keen, M., & Wall, C. (2012). The Factors Associated with Rural Community Success: A Review of Rural Community Vitality Research. Center for Rural Health. https://ruralstudies.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/community_vitality_lit_review_-_6-15-12.pdf
February 7, 2024
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