“Change” Without Knowledge and Purpose is Just Recklessness
Every day, we all wonder what new, and historically unimaginable, events will occur in Washington, D.C., and we ask ourselves how—how did millions of Americans choose this kind of chaos, corruption, and incompetence? The complex answers to that question will be discussed and debated by historians for generations. But one theme that has shaped public sentiment across the political spectrum—and long before the 2016 election—has been a general frustration with most governance and a reactionary yearning for any change at almost any cost.
As a challenger in the Democratic primary for Dutchess County Legislator of District 20, I want to assure voters that change for the sake of change is not my agenda—and never could be.
On the contrary, I am running because our community, like any other, faces challenges that require thinking that is innovative without being reckless. When I look at the issues my campaign has highlighted—from workforce housing to senior care—I think back to the “battle boards” we used in combat when I was a Marine. Every challenge is a puzzle with pieces you can control, pieces you can’t control, and solutions that you can only see by laying out the conditions and collaborating with the smartest people in the room. And that’s the hard work I am eager to do for this community we love.
The status quo in government at the national, state, and local levels causes many Americans to feel cynical. In part, it is incumbent upon all of us as voters to reject that cynicism and engage with public policy. But this also requires that political leaders reject both the cynicism of policy inertia and the cynicism of performative politics. Between the problems that allegedly “can’t be fixed” and the cosmetic issues that probably don’t need fixing, real solutions are both required and, in my view, attainable.
Together, we can reject reckless change and embrace thoughtful progress. I’m Troy Haley, and I’m asking for your vote in the Democratic primary for Dutchess County Legislature, District 20. Let’s lay out the pieces, roll up our sleeves, and build real solutions, so that our communities thrive, and our future is guided by purpose, not partisanship. For the primary on June 24th, let’s choose change with knowledge and heart.
