Don't Be Deceived By New Jersey Democrat Ed Potosnak's Good Looks-- He's a Proud Nerd With An Agenda To Make America A Better Place

Friends of mine on the House Financial Services Committee have warned me that New Jersey Republican Leonard Lance is so startlingly corrupt that if half of his shenanigans ever came out he'd be a dead duck, especially in a swing district like New Jersey's 7th (an oddly shaped swatch of northern NJ from Hunterdon County on the Pennsylvania border clear across the state to Union County); Obama took the district in 2008, although Bush won in 2000 and 2004. Lance won the seat with 50% of the vote. So far he's used his perch at Financial Services to feather his nest with $329,206 from the very interests he's charged with protecting the public from. He's widely considered to be the most corrupt freshman on the committee.

A few days ago I called Ed Potosnak, the progressive Democrat challenging him this year. While Lance has been in lockstep opposition to solutions for New Jerseyans, Ed’s experience as a teacher and small business owner is a perfect fit for the district. From health care reform to consumer protections, Lance has opposed innovative federal responses to help NJ families. Ed’s real world background means he does not carry the political baggage and financial connections of a career politician like Lance.
 
As a high school science teacher, he prepared students for an increasingly complex and technological world by helping them become effective problem solvers and critical thinkers. "Becoming a congressman seems to be a very natural step for me," he told me. "Everything I have done has pointed me in the direction of public service."
 
I hope you will help the residents of New Jersey's 7th elect Potosnak, an openly gay man and a common sense progressive. I enjoyed my chat with Ed and in light of Republican attacks on public education and the fact that he was a teacher himself, I asked him to do a guest post explaining why he thinks his concerns with reforming education policy make a compelling case for electing him to Congress. He did-- in spades:

Innovation, Competitiveness, and National Security; Congress Needs More Nerds

-by Ed Potosnak

Our nation is at a critical juncture. As our economy struggles to recover from the tailspin that resulted from an unregulated financial binge, we are simultaneously being challenged to stay ahead-- dare I say, keep up-- with other nations in an increasingly competitive global economy. We can no longer rest on the successes of the past to ensure prosperity for the future; we must take an aggressive approach to catalyzing innovation through strategic investments in physical, technological, and human capital. It is a matter of national and economic security that we step up our efforts to maintain our leadership and unleash American ingenuity at every level. 

We must recognize:

1. Innovation is the Key to Economic Growth
2. Strategic Investments Can Promote Innovation
3. Today’s Education Will Shape the Future

Innovation is the Key to Economic Growth
 
I was born and raised in New Jersey, home to many of the nation’s most innovative institutions and companies. I live in a region known as the “Medicine Chest.” My state’s technology, pharmacology, biotechnology, and manufacturing industries are leaders in their fields. I have seen how companies can thrive in an ever-changing world, simultaneously improving our quality of life while adapting to new markets.  

As a technophile and science nerd I may be biased, but I believe America’s economic stability depends on how seriously we respond to the challenges presented by an increasingly technological global economy. I majored in Chemistry at Rutgers University, taught science in a local high school, and worked as an Einstein Fellow in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Mike Honda (D-Silicon Valley). These experiences, as well as my passion for science and technology, have enabled me to discover how targeted government policies can spur innovation, promote competition, and ensure that U.S. companies are able to remain internationally competitive.

The innovative spirit in the U.S. has never been stronger. Unfortunately too many of our recent innovations have been detrimental to many Americans and utterly devastating to the economy. Motivated by unreasonably large short-term rewards, financial companies created riskier ways to securitize debt and maximize leverage to the point that they put all of our finances at risk. We need innovation, but we also need to focus on those best positioned to bring about long-term economic growth and stability.

There is no doubt businesses today operate in an increasingly competitive environment. Relaxed import and export policies and the growth of the internet  have led companies to expand rapidly to deliver goods and services worldwide. While we might still have our favorite ice cream shop when on vacation, many businesses operate virtually or across vast distances.

Some wax nostalgic about the simplicity of America’s past; the old West, one-room schoolhouses, steam engines, and doctors that make house calls.  These thoughts fill us with a sense of security and comfort. But this is not our future. Industries and energy sources upon which we have long relied are on the decline. New technologies are completely eclipsing their predecessors. We need to look at emerging fields and emerging markets, and lead the way.

Strategic Investments Can Promote Innovation

Freedom of thought, a commitment to progress, a highly skilled workforce, and capital for research and development are the keys to success in high tech fields, and for our nation’s economic recovery.

The Wright Brothers built the first Airplanes with their own hands in a bicycle shop with minimal resources. Conversely, the first functional nuclear reactors were developed over decades with millions of dollars of public investment and a concerted national effort. We may still see inventions emerging from garages in the suburbs, but it is more likely that the solutions to energy independence, and other future technological advances will require exotic materials, complex supply chains, and sophisticated research and development.

An important role the federal government can play in stimulating innovation is increasing opportunities for businesses to partner with the government to solve challenges. Our current energy crisis provides a prime opportunity for companies to come together with government agencies such as NASA and the Department of Energy in public-private partnerships to pool resources and data, thereby accelerating the discovery process. The human genome project and the internet are prime examples of how the government can stimulate innovation and partner with industry to solve a question or problem, while bringing about a social benefit and creating brand new economic opportunities.

Today’s Education Will Shape the Future

More aggressive steps need to be taken to ensure America comes out on top; chief among them is improving our K-12 education and investing in the creation of new knowledge.

Keeping America competitive will require a significant commitment from our leaders in Washington and in our statehouses, to ensure we cultivate and support our innovators each step of the way from pre-kindergarten to post-doc and unleash their entrepreneurial spirit.

It is critical we inspire our students currently in our classrooms to become our future innovators, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Sadly, U.S. students rank twenty-first in science and twenty-fifth in math, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This is not acceptable-- we must not settle for mediocre, we need to ensure America moves to the top of the list.

Too many students are being lost in our K-12 system, either dropping out or becoming disinterested in science and mathematics. Among those who pursue further studies in STEM we see an underrepresentation of women and minorities graduating college with STEM degrees. The next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers are lost right from under our noses.

Education is the key to our future. We need to address our ailing school system to ensure each child receives a world-class education, regardless of his or her zip code. Steps we can take right now to improve education include providing qualified teachers in every classroom, supporting struggling schools, rewarding schools for improving, holding schools accountable with measures aligned with what we value as a nation such as critical thinking and problem solving, and evaluating student growth over time.

Our current economic conditions offer a unique opportunity to produce new and innovative technologies, create jobs, and create new markets. Producing clean energy, enhancing our national security, improving healthcare, and protecting our environment provide vast opportunities to strengthen America's position as the leader in technological innovation and scientific discovery.

Making innovation a top priority for our nation will ensure America’s economic stability. Strategic investments to spur innovation coupled with significant education reform are the key to making sure America can lead in the twenty-first-century global economy.

I entered teaching to help my students learn the tools they need to have a successful future. Today, I am running for Congress to deliver on that same commitment to ensure America’s economic future is stable and prosperous.