Amanda Renteria for the 21st District, and 21st Century

Renteria is a Valley native, was an exceptional student, attended Stanford and for several years roamed the halls of Congress as a top aide to Senators Diane Feinstein and Debbie Stabenow, the latter as the Senate’s first Latina chief of staff. She holds a Master’s Degree from Harvard Business School and has a proven track record developing agricultural and economic policies.

What our District and our country need are leaders who have a forward vision of where America needs to be in the 21st Century. And that is going to require we elect leaders who can set aside the politics of indecision and extreme partisan politics and instead strive for a more perfect and balanced Union.

We believe a candidate like Renteria can easily make that transition and work with independents, Republicans, and others to rebuild our country from the ground up and reinforce the belief that all Americans deserve fair wages, the ability to afford higher learning for their kids, improve our infrastructure, have decent access to affordable health care and be secure in the belief that their future is secure.

Congress is currently held in very low opinion by most Americans, and according to Gallop, only 13 percent of us believe our Congressional leaders are doing a good job, roughly the same numbers that believe Justin Bieber is a positive role model for young people. A year ago the Congressional approval rating was a miserly 9 percent and has rarely ventured above 20 percent for the last three years.

Why is this?

Congress simply isn’t working – in a figurative and literal sense. This Congressional session has passed the fewest bills of any Congress ever, but who needs laws? Maybe they think we need more Starbucks instead. We think we’ve had enough new laws thank you very much. Of course, some of us might like to see a bit of movement on a few key issues that our country faces in the years ahead, minor inconveniences like climate change, our crumbling infrastructure, defense, global terrorism, health, the economy, and of course those “Real Housewives” reality shows.

While President Obama tries his best to get this country moving again, Congress, led by Republicans, continues to place insurmountable roadblocks that have hampered any thought of progress. The president has sent numerous initiatives to Congress in an effort to improve our crumbling infrastructure, fight climate change, and fix the economy. Congress blocks them all. Not a single Republican voted for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare for all you Tea Party types), yet it seems to be working after a near-disastrous 2013 rollout. Instead, they’ve taken over 50 ill-advised votes to repeal the president’s health care initiative.

I’m sure there are some well-meaning Congressional members who are honestly trying to get something done, but their words are continually drowned out by the booming voices of derision, most of whom are more interested in achieving re-election than providing answers for the problems of our time.

Yet, for the most part, “We the People” keep returning the same men and women to their elected seats, where they will sit around for another two or six years, and rather than solve problems, will instead continue attending fundraisers and preparing for the next election.

For the record The Leader believes Congressional Republicans are the chief contributors to legislative inaction, leading the charge against anything the President proposes in order to garner favor back home. We continue to believe that a divided house rarely accomplishes anything and a Republican House, Senate and Presidency would prove disastrous for America’s future.

We need leadership that will rebuild our country, expand health care, work to create well-paying jobs, increase the minimum wage, bring our transportation systems up to par with the rest of the world (high speed rail), maintain a reliable, powerful defense ready to respond to an ever changing world, and return this country to a place that welcomes those fleeing oppression and violence.

And for the reasons listed above, voters in the 21st District should make a change.