The Audacity of the Contract: Why "Good Enough" No Longer Is
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 tell the real story.
We are seeing a massive 50% increase in funding for "Community Care" (private doctors) while direct discretionary funding for VA medical services is actually projected to decrease by roughly 17%. This shift, combined with a projected reduction of nearly 30,000 VA staff positions, suggests a move toward hollowing out the very institutions we rely on for specialized veteran care.
A truly robust social contract isn't built on record-breaking numbers; it's built on accessible results. When community spaces close and VA facilities face staffing shortages, it is a sign that the leadership has lost its "King" energy; the ability to build and maintain order—and its "Father" energy; the duty to protect and provide for the community.
From "Buffer" to Shareholder
My work with Soulful isn't a replacement for the government’s duty; it is a response to a safety net that has too many holes. However, building our own systems doesn't mean we let the state off the hook.
The "Audacity of Thought" is realizing that we are shareholders in this democracy. We aren't here to be a defensive wall for a political establishment. We are here to be the architects of a system that actually delivers. It’s time to move past transactional slogans and demand a transformational reinvestment in the infrastructure that keeps our families safe and our veterans whole.
The contract is up for renewal, and this time, we are the ones setting the terms.
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