Letter to the Editor: A PAC that makes voters partners

Elmira Star-Gazette, Jan. 26, 2020

How can we restore trust in our government and the political process?

It might begin next month when local candidates come knocking on your door to ask for your signature on a petition or later when they ask for your vote.

It begins with you asking the candidate - from any party - a question:

“Are you a Trailblazer?”

The Trailblazers PAC is not your typical political action committee. Trailblazers work against big money, back room politics. Honesty, accountability and transparency are their currency. They use a simple wisdom. That if you cannot trust someone on small matters, you cannot trust them on larger, more important matters.

They measure each candidate’s credibility one dollar at a time.

To earn the endorsement of the Trailblazers PAC, candidates must collect donations of at least $1 from at least 1 percent of registered voters in their district. To do this, they must earn the trust of the voters and persuade them to make an investment in their campaign. To earn that trust, the candidate has to demonstrate their commitment to the voter. This brings the average voter into the political process and makes them more than constituents. It makes them partners.

Not only do Trailblazer candidates have to report the source of every dollar donated — beyond the requirements of the law — they also have to commit to open government and transparency. The Trailblazers also run a mentorship program for candidates in which staff, volunteers, former and current candidates network and share information all with the goal of creating public servants, not politicians. With this help, people begin careers in public affairs based on honesty, accountability and transparency.

The organization is non-partisan and may even endorse opposing candidates in an election. Ultimately, the Trailblazers would like to see their candidates win 51 percent of elections, which is what would happen if all candidates were Trailblazers.

The organization launched in Horseheads in 2017, endorsing candidates in New York state, and is now working nationwide. I encourage everyone to go find their website [https://trailblazerspac.com] and read the accolades they have received from across the political spectrum. This organization needs your support and - if possible - your donations.

Ed Bond had been endorsed by the Trailblazers PAC in his run for Chemung County Legislature in 2018.