Sass

Sass was born in Salem, Michigan. His professional experience includes working in the restaurant industry, including serving, hosting, cooking, delivering, and managing. Sass has been affiliated with the Equal Vote Coalition, the Center for Election Science, and Income Movement.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

After being laid off from both of my restaurant jobs in March 2020, I had time to reflect and realized as the nation was unraveling that I had an opportunity to create real, positive change. That’s when I decided to run for US House of Representatives in an incumbent-less district in Austin, TX to show the country that there truly is a way we can move forward together.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Regular people should be represented by regular people, and that's exactly who I am: a regular person. The most important attribute I hold is that I relentlessly care about the well-being of people.Regardless of whether I win this race, I will continue my mission to empower every individual to become the best version of themself.My focus is on solutions that include all people. I'm genuinely unconcerned with your political affiliation — your voice will be included in my decisions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The four pillars of my platform are Universal Basic Income, Voting Method Reform, Government Accountability, and Directly Addressing Division. That's not to say that healthcare, education, and clean air and water aren't important; this is to say that there are fundamental changes needed to align the actions of our government with the needs and desires of the people. Until we start addressing these pillars (which all work together), I have little expectation that we'll see serious movement on any of the other important issues people care about.

You can learn more about these pillars on my site:

https://VoteForSass.com/platform

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I try not to idolize anyone. We all bring something positive to this world and we all have flaws. I find it best to learn from all of those around us and who we interact with. Patience and forgiveness have been powerful tools in allowing me to bring out and discover the best in people, which has been crucial in my own growth.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Eventually, I'll have a page dedicated to my political philosophy on my website. Maybe it's ready now when you're reading this!

https://VoteForSass.com/philosophy

If not, check out my YouTube channel. There's plenty of content there that should help to put my philosophy in perspective.

https://VoteForSass.com/connect

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Authenticity, a drive to deeply understand as many issues as possible, and genuine care for the well-being of the people and the planet.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To serve *all* of the people. Yes, that's a bit vague, but representatives are responsible for a vast array of important issues and each representative has a slightly different role to play. A statement of intent is vital to determining which practical responsibilities are the most crucial for each representative. My mission is to empower every individual to become the best version of themself, so I see my core responsibility as advocating for the empowerment of people.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope, if nothing else, I can fuel a spread of relentless kindness.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I think 9/11 is the appropriate answer. Ironically, I think I stayed home sick from school that day in first grade. I recall hearing about the lockdowns from other students the next day. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal to me at 6 years old — not much different from a natural disaster. Of course, it wasn't too long until I learned more about the details and that the context I put it in was completely wrong. Today, I still think about how the world was different those first few years before 9/11. The shift feels not unlike what we're experiencing with COVID-19.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first real job was at Pizza Hut as a part-time delivery driver. Within 6 months, I was the youngest manager in the region. After nearly 3 years with the company and working at over half a dozen different locations, I decided to move onto a higher-paying position elsewhere in the restaurant industry.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Maybe Tony Stark? With that kind of money and influence, I could create an immeasurable about of positive change in the world.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

That Kingdom Hearts track that plays in the background of the Hollow Bastion stage on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The US House of Representatives is the only (semi-)proportional legislative body at the federal level. It's the closest link most Americans have to the writing of laws that affect the whole country (despite the near-zero connection between public opinion and passing legislation). On the flip side, the US House represents one of the peaks of power for political elites. The Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, and the US President together form the leadership that controls major factions of our country. As one of the oldest elected bodies in the world that is still in operation today, the US House shows us a unique perspective of how outdated democratic mechanics can create immense concentrations of power and extreme division. While fixing some of these mechanics is part of my platform, I also hope to bring some modern perspective to a body that often finds itself stuck in the twentieth century.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

There are pros and cons. There's a social aspect to being an elected representative: people look up to you for leadership. Competence in that area can be crucial for gaining the trust of the people when it's needed most.

However, as we've seen, "experience" in government or politics can quickly turn into entrenchment. As we continue with our representative democracy, the balance between competence and corruption will need to be weighed. I have a plan to start moving us toward a more modern vision of democracy, called liquid democracy, that brings the best of representative democracy and direct democracy together while leaving the ugly parts behind. This can be mixed with citizens assemblies that write legislation instead of representatives. However, all of those fancy ideas will take time to come to fruition, so we'll have to work with what we've got for now. And what we have right now is a lack of fresh perspective. Better people for the job exist, many of whom don't have any experience (in some ways that may be better in this moment). The challenge is getting them into office.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Division, scarcity mentality, and unresponsive government. If we can solve these problems, we should be on track to address any and all additional challenges like dysfunctional education and environmental destruction. The way we get there is through my platform: Universal Basic Income, Voting Method Reform, Government Accountability, and Directly Addressing Division.

Check out more of my thoughts on my site:

https://VoteForSass.com/platform

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Not particularly. I don't suspect I'll be treated favorably by party elites once I'm on the Hill because my focus will be on the people, not doing favors to get a seat at my favorite table. While I recognize committees as an important part of how bills actually work their way to the floor for a vote, I have a plan to get over those humps with a modern approach we've yet to see in Congress. It will be tough — progress always is — but that won't deter me. To learn more about my plan, check out my site:

https://VoteForSass.com/government-accountability

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

It really should be four. Everyone, candidates and voters alike, is sick of the now perpetual campaign season. Four-year terms could help to quell that and give House members a better opportunity to actually get something done in Congress, but that change would require a constitutional amendment, which is unlikely to happen anytime soon. There are higher priority issues to focus on first.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I’m in favor of term limits across all elected government offices as well as for appointed positions of leadership. The argument that 30 years of experience is needed to get the real work done only holds any truth because it’s how we’ve chosen to operate. The work of the government should be understandable by the people. Laws should be simple and our systems should be navigable. Eliminating entrenchment will help us to move forward.

Check out more of my thoughts on my site:

https://www.voteforsass.com/political-limits

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I believe we should focus on building consensus rather than finding a simple majority, which are fundamentally different concepts fueled by different democratic mechanics. Unfortunately, I won't get to write the House rules, so I'll have to do my best to work around the two-factionalism inherent in the simple majority system. I have a concrete plan on how to perform that workaround, which you can read more about on my site:

https://VoteForSass.com/government-accountability

To answer the question directly, yes, I believe that compromise is necessary and desirable for policymaking. However, the nature of that will look different for different policies in different legislatures. As an example, for my Freedom Dividend proposal, I expect both the level of and funding for the basic income to be negotiated down, so I will enter those negotiations prepared for that reality.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Considering my platform includes an unconditional basic income that is paid for in part by implementing a value-added tax, this power plays a vital role in actually getting it passed. Winning over House members should be less difficult than winning over Senate members, so it will be good practice for me to start in the House.

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