Hey everyone! I’m new here and thought I’d open with a quick introductory post.

First, thx to Mister Mix and Kay W. for letting me set up here from time to time. As a long-time dedicated Balloon Juice lurker, I contacted MM when I wanted to figure out how to write my own stuff, and he didn’t even hesitate to let me know I was welcome here.

So, here’s the need to know:

While I hail from New York State originally, I’m a long-time resident of a certain mountain town in the intermountain west, situated inside the reddest state in the country (by party registration differential and Presidential vote differential).

My professional “career”, such as it was, was certainly not linear. I’ve been a serial entrepreneur, COO of a regional medical center, Chair of my county School Board, elected Chair of a Water/Sewer District and most recently, CEO of a non-profit values-based incubator for entrepreneurs.

However, for those of you who were/are Ballon Juice readers, you may figure out who I am because I’ve run three times for federal office in my state (nearly pulling off the biggest upset in years in my first statewide race for U.S. House, and also getting destroyed in my last run for U.S Senate as MAGA took hold), and the B-J gang supported me in my races. My calling card was going door-to-door, literally knocking on thousands of doors during those races, which I hope gave me some insight into the challenges we face moving forward and ideas on how to deal with them.

I’m a confirmed progressive who has spent most of my career running organizations in the private sector. I’ve got… opinions, thoughts and ideas, many of which you may find half-baked. I’ll chalk that up to the lack of oxygen in the thin air where I live. After three races in the deep red, I welcome the feedback and alternate views.

Oh, and a coda to mister mixes earlier post on tariffs. The spouse and I recently bought a patio umbrella from a Canadian company – free shipping included. The order included the umbrella, a base, and a light. I’ve now received three customs invoices from FedEx billing us for the “supposedly paid for by foreign countries” tariffs.

What. A. Crock.