This Election Is Just Too Important

Originally posted on June 19, 2020.

In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, economic instability, and the chaos erupting in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, I did not believe that fundraising for my re-election campaign as Boone County’s Northern District Commissioner was at all appropriate. I would have been embarrassed to ask my friends and neighbors for money with so much uncertainty in everyone’s lives.
 
Uncertainty remains, but the cold, hard reality is that the issues affecting our nation also affect us here at home in Boone County, as we see the tragic consequences that result from poor, insufficient, and delayed leadership.

In addition to the routine and statutory duties of a County Commissioner, I have spent much of my time as Northern District Commissioner trying to protect the most vulnerable citizens of Boone County, working to: 

• lower the rates at which individuals with mental illness are detained in our County jail; 
  
  
• retain federal benefits for pre-trial detainees so that they remain connected with services and the cost for their care does not rest solely on the people of Boone County; 
  
  
• promote pre-natal to age three programming, along with agencies across Boone County, so that every child in Boone County will be afforded equality in opportunity; 
  
  
• establish a coalition involving MU Extension and the faith community to address soaring rates of depression and suicide in our rural population across Missouri; and...
  
  
• help establish a work group tasked with finding a local food processing solution in support of local farmers that would ensure reliable and safe food supplies to consumers.  

As the Commission’s liaison charged with planning Boone County’s Bicentennial, I have also worked with a large group of volunteers and officials from across the county to organize the activities and events leading up to our year-long celebration, including the completion of the Bicentennial Community Collaborative Mural, which now hangs in the Boone County History & Culture Center, and a video of an original Stephens College production, depicting 12 iconic women in Boone County’s history.   

I know that you and I share a commitment to Boone County. That is why I am asking you to place your confidence in me again. It’s imperative that we not turn our county over to those who refuse to even acknowledge that many citizens continue to face serious inequities due to their race or economic condition.

We cannot turn our county over to those who want to ignore the impact that mental illness and depression have on our rural—and urban—communities alike. We cannot afford to turn our county over to those who believe incarceration is the only means of ensuring citizen safety.

Over the past year, we have seen that electing leaders who reject science-based safety standards or who attack public officials whose only job it is to protect our citizens is a real consequence of local elections.
 
That is why I feel I must do what I’ll admit I find distasteful, and ask you now for your support. A gift in any amount will help me prepare to immediately counter one of the four Republican candidates emerging from the August Primary Election.  No election is without consequences, but this election, in these times, feels especially important if Boone County is to move forward as a fiscally responsible and solvent county in which all citizens feel their safety and their needs are addressed equally.
 
I know your financial support is a sacrifice. I take that responsibility seriously. Thank you for considering a contribution to my campaign. Contributions may be made online at

or by check to:

Janet Thompson for Boone County
PO Box 535
Columbia MO 65205
 
I have always and will continue to serve you and all of Boone County to the very best of my ability.