The town I live in has the worst air in Texas. It has been rated an F by the American Lung Association. We must protect our loved ones from the poisoning of our water and air. This is no longer an abstract. The number of our neighbors suffering illness from the contamination of our resources is growing. In a state with abundant sun, wind and water, Texas can and must set a bold new standard. We can also do this while growing business. Green Jobs are Good Paying Jobs. The Green New Deal is the way of the future. I want that future in Texas.
Every voice is vital. To grow, as a people, we must ensure the rights of all are protected from discrimination, bias and systemic oppression. It’s not enough to do this in spirit and intention, we must ensure our actions and our laws provide equity for all. We must fight for what matters.
I want North Texans to have a secure financial future. I believe in growth industry jobs and transitioning our country (more importantly our state) into the future. We must prepare our citizens for better opportunities as the world changes. We need representatives that don’t measure the success of our economy by Wall Street but by how well all of our citizens are able to feed, house, educate and protect their families.
Providing the best education possible for all Americans not only protects and preserves our inalienable rights, it keeps us competitive in the global economy. Funding education is an investment in innovation.
Since 2005, expenses paid toward deductibles have grown 250%. Inflation has only increased 31%. Our healthcare system is broken and each of us is paying an unsustainable price. Medicare for All is long overdue. We need representatives who are not in the pockets of the very industries that take advantage of us when we are most vulnerable.
Strengthening voting rights, addressing disability un(der)employment, protecting access to healthcare and funding programs that work to mitigate the relationship between disability and poverty are the hallmarks of true inclusion. The principles established in the ADA are fundamentally American ideals and must always be protected.
We have an entire generation of Americans who have never known a world where they couldn’t get shot to death on any given day in their high school, middle school or elementary school. I refuse to cede the lives of our children to the thoughts and prayers of politicians on the payroll of the gun lobby. We need real reform. Let’s close loopholes, expand background checks, pass red flag laws and hold gun manufacturers accountable the same way the tobacco industry was accountable in the past.
The system, as it is right now, expects voters to believe that politicians who take millions from special interests can be trusted to vote in our best interest. That is a premise we would never believe in any other situation. The law as it is written, right now, was put together by politicians who didn’t want you to see who was paying them off. We need regulation that demands to know not only what PACs your representatives take money from but also lists out exactly who paid how much into those PACs.
Analyst, Activist, Father
Mat Pruneda was born and raised in Texas. Like many in our district, he works for a living, to pay his mortgage and provide for his family in a two income home. His children attend public schools in a district where his wife is a teacher. As a business analyst he has spent the last ten years ensuring compliance with Federal Reserve Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other entities that protect consumers. As an activist, he has lent his voice to civil rights causes and is the co-chair of the Denton County Democratic Party Diversity Committee. He is currently a commissioner on the Denton Planning and Zoning Commission.
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