A Blueprint for Prosperity: My Vision for Our Great State

By Maria Lopez | Candidate for Governor

October 12, 2022

Friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, we stand today at a defining crossroads in our state’s history. The challenges we face are not merely political; they are personal. They are felt at the kitchen table when families calculate if they can afford both groceries and a prescription refill. They are felt in the quiet worry of a parent watching their child board a school bus, wondering if their education will truly prepare them for the modern world. They are felt by the small business owner who survived the pandemic only to be crushed by rising inflation and red tape.

I am running for Governor not because I seek a title, but because I seek a solution. I am running because I believe that our state's best days are not behind us, found in history books, but ahead of us, waiting to be built. But hope is not a strategy. To build that future, we need a concrete plan, a steady hand, and a leader who listens more than she speaks. Today, I am releasing my comprehensive "Blueprint for Prosperity," a detailed manifesto outlining how we will restore the promise of our state and build a future that works for everyone, not just the well-connected few.

1. Economic Revitalization: Main Street First

For too long, economic policy in our capital has been focused on luring massive out-of-state corporations with tax breaks that our local schools pay for. While I welcome investment, my priority will always be Main Street. Small businesses employ 60% of our workforce, yet they face the heaviest regulatory burden.

My Economic Plan includes:

• The Small Business Bill of Rights: A guarantee that no new regulation will be passed without a direct impact study on businesses with fewer than 50 employees. We will also create a "One-Stop Shop" digital portal for all permitting, reducing the wait time for opening a new business from months to weeks.
• Innovation Hubs: We will partner with our state universities to create regional innovation hubs. These incubators will provide seed funding and mentorship to tech startups, agricultural innovators, and clean energy entrepreneurs right here in our state, stopping the "brain drain" of our young talent moving to the coasts.
• Workforce Development: Not every student needs a four-year degree to succeed. I will triple the state investment in vocational and technical training. We will connect trade unions with high schools to create apprenticeships in plumbing, electrical work, coding, and advanced manufacturing. A trade skill is a ticket to the middle class, and we must respect it as such.

2. Education: Investing in Every Child

My father was a public school teacher for thirty years. I saw firsthand the dedication of our educators, but I also saw the crumbling textbooks and the leaking ceilings. It is a moral failure that a child's destiny is determined by their zip code. As Governor, I will be the "Education Governor."

We must overhaul our funding formula. Currently, relying heavily on local property taxes creates islands of affluence and seas of neglect. I propose a state-wide equalization fund to ensure that a student in a rural county has access to the same AP classes, technology, and arts programs as a student in a wealthy suburb. Furthermore, we must treat our teachers like the professionals they are. I am proposing a mandatory minimum salary for teachers that reflects the cost of living, along with a student loan forgiveness program for educators who commit to teaching in underserved districts for five years.

"Education is not an expense; it is an investment. Every dollar we spend on a classroom today saves us ten dollars in social services and corrections tomorrow."

3. Healthcare: Accessible, Affordable, Rural

The pandemic exposed the fragility of our healthcare system. Too many of our rural hospitals have closed their doors, forcing residents to drive over an hour for emergency care. This is unacceptable. Healthcare is a human right, not a luxury good.

My administration will immediately expand Medicaid. By refusing federal dollars for political reasons, the current administration has left billions on the table and hundreds of thousands of our neighbors uninsured. We will bring that money home. Additionally, we will launch a "Telehealth Initiative" to bring high-speed broadband to every corner of the state, allowing seniors and rural residents to consult with specialists without leaving their homes. We will also prioritize mental health, integrating it into primary care and increasing funding for addiction treatment centers to combat the opioid crisis that has ravaged our communities.

4. Public Safety: Trust and Justice

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and on their streets. But safety cannot exist without trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. We do not have to choose between supporting our police and demanding justice; we can and must do both.

I support funding for police departments to improve training, specifically in de-escalation techniques and mental health crisis response. We need to ensure that when a family calls 911 for a mental health emergency, the response includes trained social workers, not just armed officers. Simultaneously, we must address the root causes of crime: poverty, lack of opportunity, and systemic neglect. We will end the revolving door of our prison system by investing in genuine rehabilitation and job placement programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. A job is the best anti-recidivism program there is.

5. Infrastructure: Building for the 21st Century

Our roads are filled with potholes, our bridges are structurally deficient, and our water systems are aging. We are driving on 1950s infrastructure in a 2022 economy. Infrastructure is not a partisan issue; a pothole does not care if you are a Democrat or a Republican. It just wrecks your car.

I will champion a comprehensive "Rebuild Our State" bond measure. This will put thousands of people to work repairing our physical infrastructure. But we must also think about digital infrastructure. In the modern economy, high-speed internet is as essential as electricity and water. My plan guarantees universal broadband access by 2026. No student should have to do their homework in a fast-food parking lot because they don't have internet at home.

6. The Environment: Stewards of our Land

Our state is blessed with natural beauty, from our rolling hills to our pristine lakes. We have a duty to preserve this for our grandchildren. But environmental stewardship is also an economic engine. The transition to clean energy is the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime.

We will aggressively pursue wind and solar energy projects, positioning our state as a net energy exporter. We will protect our farmlands from over-development and work with farmers to implement sustainable practices that protect our water table. We will acknowledge the reality of climate change and prepare our infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events. Denial is not a policy; preparation is.

7. A Call to Unity

Finally, I want to talk about the tone of our politics. We have become so divided that we view our neighbors as enemies. We argue on social media while our communities crumble. This election offers a choice: we can continue the screaming matches and the gridlock, or we can choose collaboration.

I am running as a proud member of my party, but I will govern as a representative of all people. I will listen to those who disagree with me. I will sit down with anyone—regardless of their party registration—if they have a good idea to help our state. The problems we face are too big for petty partisanship.

This is my vision. It is a vision of a state where a small business can thrive, where a child can get a world-class education regardless of their zip code, where families can see a doctor when they are sick, and where we treat each other with dignity and respect. But I cannot do it alone. I need your help. I need your voice. And on November 8th, I need your vote.

Let’s get to work.

Maria Lopez