(4/2016) I’m Dave Anderson and I'm running to be the Congressman from Maryland’s 8th district. I’m running because Congress is broken and I think I can help fix it.

I am not part of the elite Montgomery County establishment of career politicians and multi-millionaires. I know that the voters in North Frederick County have been both ignored and disenfranchised. Your concerns have not been heard by those who only care about what happens to their rich friends in Montgomery County.

What the other candidates in this race don’t understand is that this district includes voters in North Frederick County who are working hard and playing by the rules and still struggling to make ends meet. I know that because I’ve actually spent my time knocking on doors and talking with voters across North Frederick to hear their concerns. I’ve spent 32 days campaigning in 10 towns across the county.

One of the issues that I hear all the time in Frederick County is the challenge of being able to afford to raise kids. I understand that challenge and I’ve developed a national family policy to address the needs of overleveraged young families.

Under my plan, hard-working young middle class families will receive an option once a baby is born: Six months of paid parental leave and $10,000 of child care support OR six months of paid parental leave and a $10,000 tax credit for a stay at home mom or dad.

Another issue I hear talking to voters across North Frederick is the traffic nightmare that is I-270. Again, if you are a rich candidate who lives in Bethesda or Chevy Chase, you have a simple commute and don’t understand the needs and frustrations of the voters up here. I understand how difficult the commute is and I’m advocating a solution. We need to widen I-270 and we need to do it right away. We’ve studied the issue for years and it’s time to act. We need to make sure that those in North Frederick who commute have their gridlock on I-270 addressed.

Yet another issue I’ve heard quite a bit is the need to protect our natural resources. I know how important Catoctin National Park is to my friends up here in North Frederick. I know that many parks in Maryland are struggling because they have not been properly maintained. I support appropriate funding for the National Park Service to ensure that there is no deferred maintenance at the Catoctin National Park.

Finally, and unlike my opponents, I am a fiscally responsible. I want to make sure that every dollar you pay in taxes is put to proper use. For example, I am appalled at the state of our social security system. As the Baby Boom generation retires, we are at risk of the whole program collapsing. That’s why I propose a reform measure that will ensure long-term viability of the program.

Nearly 40% of Social Security beneficiaries rely on the program for virtually of their retirement income. For these individuals, I want to increase their monthly payments by $70 a month ($840 a year). In order to pay for that and also ensure the long-term viability of the program, I support extending the eligibility age by two years, from 62 to 64 for early retirement and from 67 to 69 for the normal retirement age, over a ten-year period. This is the most logical and responsible thing to do in order to keep this vital system economically viable for future generations.

I’m not a party-line liberal activist. Rather, I have spent my career advocating for real world solutions to complex and very difficult problems. I’ve worked with Democrats and Republicans in 20 state legislatures over the last 11 years to get millions of dollars in college scholarships for young people. Learning to work with people on both sides of the aisle to achieve workable solutions is the first step towards an effective Congress.

We are at a crossroads in our country politically. If we keep electing the same people, over and over, we will continue down the road that leads to ruin.

I offer you a different choice. I’m a bridge builder who has worked across the aisle with Republicans and Democrats to solve real problems. From my family policy to my plan on social security, I am taking the best from progressive and conservative thinking without allegiance to entrenched interests. I’m focusing on helping solve the problems right here in Frederick County. With your help, we can do it.

There is so much that we can do to improve the lives of those in Maryland’s 8th District. That starts by electing a bridge-builder and problem solver. I am asking for your vote so we can get Congress working again.