My name is Thomas Bartole, and I am asking for your support for Arkansas House District 68 – Cabot.
I believe we have been witnessing a decay in our Democracy and a straying from the ideal of the rule of the people. Through my involvement with the CAPES movement, the Saline County Library board takeover, and the recent attempt to gut the FOIA laws I realized I couldn’t sit idly any longer. Working with CAPES this past summer, seeing and hearing the number of Arkansans that are frustrated with the actions of our legislature, and the rapid and loud public response to the attempts to change the FOIA l realized I needed to do something. The will of the people of Arkansas has been overlooked for too long.
I would like to be your voice at the Capitol. The rights of the people of Arkansas should come before party loyalties.
I have lived in Arkansas for 28 years. My wife and I originally chose to live in Cabot because we loved the schools for our two daughters, and now that they are grown, we have stayed because of the people we have met.
I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Pre-Med, from The Catholic University of America in 1992, and a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy, from The University of Miami School of Medicine- Division of Physical Therapy in 1994. I have been a Physical Therapist in Arkansas since 1996 and in Private Practice in Central Arkansas since 2006. I have been active as a community member with the Little Rock Air Force Base through the Community Council and as an Honorary Commander. My family and I have worked to be active in our communities through volunteerism and support of local Charities and organizations; including the Arkansas Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Youth Home, AMFA, and the Arkansas Rolling Razorbacks to name a few.
State-wide, there is a need to protect public education, government transparency, and ensure the constitutional rights of all Arkansanss. Additionally,I see the need to address issues such as access to affordable healthcare, access to mental health services, access to reliable public services such as emergency services and broadband across the state, and food insecurity. Food Insecurity is an issue close to my heart. I have been involved with food banks and pantries most of my life, from seeing my grandmother get food from her local pantry to volunteering at food banks from my college days until the present. Organizations like the Arkansas Food Bank do an amazing job of fighting food insecurity, but they clearly need more help. Food insecurity hits everywhere in this state, no city or community is spared, which is why we rank 50th in the nation.”
I have been serving the people of Central Arkansas as a therapist and as a volunteer, and now I ask you, my neighbors, to allow me to extend my service as your voice in the House of Representatives, where I hope to bring Democracy back to the people.
What do I stand for?
I stand for public education.
We must protect OUR public schools. Public Funds are for Public Education. We must support Public Education, not dismantle it as part of a partisan agenda.
I Stand with our teachers and libraries.
We must support those that support and teach our kids, and we must protect our libraries. Early and affordable access to Pre-K must be provided to promote early literacy. I want to ensure that every child in this state has access to quality education, and that means supporting the Public Schools, not siphoning funds and resources from them. Arkansans spoke up during the CAPES movement. We may have come up short in our campaign, but we did not fail.
I stand for modernizing Arkansas’ broadband infrastructure
Every Arkansan deserves access to reliable/affordable internet service. Too many in our state lack this basic service necessary for school and work.
I stand for expanding Health Care availability and eliminating Food Insecurity
Too many Arkansans worry about how they will put food on the table or cover their healthcare expenses. Every citizen deserves access to basic health care. As a health care professional I have seen the difficulties that my patients have had with high insurance co-pays and deductibles and deciding on whether they can afford to seek care.
No one, especially not a child should go hungry, or worry about where their next meal is coming from. I want to work to ensure this need is met in Cabot and across our state through programs to support access to food and nutrition and the bolstering of school lunch programs. Arkansas ranks 50th in the nation in food insecurity with more than 15% of Arkansans and 1 in 5 children facing hunger daily (data from the Arkansas Food Bank). This does not have to be. Communities need the resources to partner with Food Banks/corporations to meet these needs.
I stand for basic Constitutional and Human Rights
The Arkansas Constitution outlines an ideal intended for all Arkansans. It is not meant to be changed or ignored for the benefit of a few or to suit an agenda. I will work to protect and restore the sanctity of our Constitution for all the citizens of this state.
I stand for individual Freedoms and Autonomy
I believe in every person’s right to live/love as they wish, and to parent a child as they see fit.
Every Arkansan deserves to be treated with the same basic human rights and I will work to ensure that these inalienable rights are not diminished or taken away for the sake of political agendas. I will oppose any efforts to restrict, limit, or censor an individuals’ rights when they have no effect on the general welfare.
I stand for a strong middle/working class
I will support legislation to create jobs. I will back sensible tax legislation and policies to support the middle class and small business, not corporations and the rich. I will resist tax cuts that benefit the wealthy over the middle class. I will oppose tax cuts that leave basic/essential services at risk.
I stand for protecting firearm ownership while improving firearm safety
Americans need sensible gun laws/regulations to improve safety without infringing on our rights to defend our families and communities. There are many common-sense measures we need to take to protect Arkansans from firearm violence.
I stand for ensuring Government Transparency
I will resist efforts to manipulate the constitution for a political agenda. Restore the rights of the Arkansans, ensure Government transparency, Resist future attacks on FOIA and restore our FOIA laws.
I believe I can accomplish this when elected to the House of Representatives for District 68, but to achieve this I need your help. Please reach out to my campaign, and together we can do this, for our Community and Arkansas as a whole.