My Story — Why I Built This
“There’s got to be a better way to run the country…”
I didn’t set out to build a movement. I was just tired — tired of scrolling through headlines that felt like theater, tired of politicians talking past the people they were supposed to serve, tired of watching communities fracture while “solutions” got drafted in back rooms far from the problems.
Then I found it — a Lincoln quote that stopped me cold:
“Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”
— Abraham Lincoln, 1858
It wasn’t just a line from history — it was a blueprint. Not for leaders, but for us. The people who live with the broken systems. The ones who don’t have lobbyists, but have lived experience. The ones who don’t need permission — just a path.
I’m in the category of older people who want to give back to society — and I’m creating America’s Plan with this reason in mind. Not because I have all the answers — I don’t. But because I feel the problem, and I believe ordinary people can fix it — if they have the tools.
What America’s Plan Is
America’s Plan: A Citizen-Led Framework for Policy Innovation
The idea is to build a platform that helps stakeholders (affected parties) in any issue provide input and help develop solutions — and also helps them identify and work with subject matter experts who can provide critical input to create and evaluate their proposed solutions. Then, a way to build public sentiment for implementation, funding, and accountability.
The Term “America’s Plan”
Refers to the website AmericasPlan.org — and to the platform, movement, and communities that grow as a result.
The Problem We’re Solving
Rather than having politicians and special interest groups create solutions — which has resulted in the existing form of government dysfunction — it’s best if the affected parties create the solutions themselves, rather than waiting for the government or accepting what the government offers, which is usually far suboptimal because they tend to represent government, special interests, or big money — not the interests of the affected parties.
Right now, there is no simple, organized, pre-existing way for interested parties to get together. That is one of — or perhaps the primary — purposes of America’s Plan: to provide a way for people to get together and have the tools and resources necessary to jump-start their activity to solve their particular issue or problem.
What Works — Real-World Proof
There are a number of successful examples of people working together — namely Black Lives Matter, the current No Kings movement, rent control movements in the past — even large institutions like the Heritage Foundation shaping government long-term, and the Christian nationalism movement successfully influencing government in their direction.
These are excellent examples of what can happen when people work together — and that’s what America’s Plan wants to do: provide the tools and resources for more people to work together to create their own solutions, rather than accept inaction or whatever politicians and government offer.
Who Gets Involved — And Why
I see two main groups of people getting involved:
- Affected Parties — those directly impacted by poor or nonexistent policies. These people are the ultimate aim, beneficiaries, and purpose.
- Helpers — those who want to support affected parties:
- Young people — concerned about their future, wanting to shape the country and government they’ll live in (they are also affected parties in the long run)
- Retired people — with experience, time, and energy to give back to the community
These are the primary and secondary groups this platform should aims for — but of course, this does not exclude anyone else who wants to get involved, like concerned citizens and/or subject matter experts.
I anticipate participants will be volunteers, motivated by purpose. Subject matter experts may volunteer — but if volunteers can’t be found, hiring them as paid consultants in the future is an option. Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit would support this model.
But subject matter experts should not take the lead as decision-makers — because their motivations might be questioned. The motivations of affected parties, however, are obvious: self-improvement for their entire class of people — a noble aim, as opposed to the possible selfish or vested interests of experts.
How It Actually Works
America’s Plan turns Lincoln’s vision into action — organizing affected parties, creating policy solutions, building public sentiment, and getting them implemented by politicians with the necessary funding and follow-up accountability.
It does this through:
- Issue-specific pods (Media Reform, Education, Housing, etc.)
- Reusable templates for problem-mapping, solution-drafting, and decision-logging
- Expert Q&A threads — experts advise, but affected parties decide
- Politician scorecards — track who responds, who ignores, who funds
- Public pressure campaigns — media, town halls, petitions, ballot initiatives if needed
This isn’t theory — it’s a system designed to replicate. One pod’s success becomes a playbook for 100.
My Motivation — Still the Same
“There’s got to be a better way to run the country…”
I’m not asking you to believe in a system — I’m inviting you to build one with me. I’m retired. I have time. I have skin in the game. And I’m tired of waiting.
America’s Plan is my answer — not because I’m an expert, but because I’m affected. And I believe you are too.
Ready to Start?
This isn’t just a plan — it’s the blueprint for a new kind of democracy.
Start with media reform. Document everything. Let others replicate it.
The world needs this.
Visit: americasplan.org
Start a Pod: americasplan.org/start-a-pod
Join the Media Reform Pod: americasplan.org/media-reform
You’re not waiting for permission.
You’re not waiting for a leader.
You’re not waiting for the government.
You’re building the future — one pod at a time.
And you’re not alone.