The Audacity of the Contract: Why "Good Enough" No Longer Is
By: Tony Lavale Jefferson Jr. As a combat veteran, I know that loyalty is something earned in the mud, not inherited by default. In the military, if a mission plan isn't delivering, you don't keep running the same play while the scoreboard stays empty, you adapt. Looking at our current political landscape in 2026, it is clear that many hard-working people are being treated as a "buffer." They are seen as a reliable defense for an establishment that has stopped innovating for them, assuming their support is a guarantee rather than a partnership that requires constant reinvestment. The Cost of a Broken Contract We see the results of this "autopilot" politics right here in Colorado Springs. Our city is navigating a $31 million shortfall that has already cost us the Meadows Park Community Center; a vital hub for our families. Nationally, the story is similar. While the total 2026 VA budget request has hit a record $441.2 billion, the internal shifts ...
