To the editor:
“That’s a lot of signatures!”
Lee Hamilton returned my call last fall. He was right, of course. Five thousand, three hundred and sixty-eight signatures of registered voters in the Indiana 9th District are required on petition forms for an independent candidate to be on the 2020 fall ballot.
I didn’t get enough, but will be forever grateful to those who signed and those who worked so hard: Jim, Rebecca, John, Michelle, Joe, Richard and many others — not so much to coronavirus, which prevented face-to-face interactions and speaking engagements, or to an unchanged June deadline. My insistence on not accepting donations didn’t help. Please read “Too Much Money in Politics” at www.TilfordForCongress.com.
Why try? A House member with enough independence to initiate legislation and vote for what’s right over what’s expected is more critical now than perhaps ever before. Hyper-partisanship has reduced the effectiveness of Congress and corrupted the election system. Merit, experience and demonstrated dedication to the United States are eclipsed by money, sound bites and adherence to party line. Congress and elections worked — imperfectly, but well enough — in the era of debate but ultimate compromise for the sake of shared national interests between the Republican Party of Lugar, Rankin, Dole and Goldwater and the Democratic party of Hamilton, Schroeder, Mondale and Moynihan. Those parties no longer exist as bases for a functioning government. Look at the Congress we have now.
I recommend Andy Ruff to those who were backing me. He’s a good man, he asked me to assist him with veterans issues, and I’ve accepted. Andy’s helped people in the 9th District for decades. The incumbent did not respond to three veteran-related initiatives I provided him in person. His staff gave up on getting the Department of Veterans Affairs to answer my Freedom of Information Act request. Obtaining a precedent decision from the United States Court of Appeals for veterans claims benefits only one veteran since I still don’t know how many others were similarly harmed.
The Tilford for Congress website will remain up for a few months in hopes the position papers, analysis of 9th District elections, and congressional committee information may be of use to others. I’ll continue to help veterans and their survivors on a case-by-case basis. My goal of systemic change in the Department of Veterans Affairs remains out of reach.
It’s been an education! Perhaps someone else will run as an independent next time. Thank you for reading.
John W. Tilford, Monroe County
Send letters to [email protected] by noon Thursday before the date of intended publication (noon Wednesday on holiday weeks). Letters must be signed by the author and include the writer’s town of residence and a contact method in case of questions.
Letters are the opinions of the writer. They are not verified facts.
Only one letter every two weeks, per writer, to allow for diversity of voices in the opinions section. Please be considerate of sharing space with other letter-writers and keep your comments concise and to the point. Avoid name-calling, accusations of criminal activity and second- and third-hand statements of “fact.”
