Bill Shein is not your typical candidate for Congress.
As a writer and activist, he uses facts, humor, and creativity to advance ideas for an America that lives up to our democratic ideals.
From the corrosive effect of big money in politics, to an Electoral College system that ignores the voice of millions of Americans, to the revolving door that allows politicians to cash in on their public service, Bill's work and writing is focused on important, fundamental issues.
Since 2004 he’s used his Berkshire Eagle newspaper column to advocate for the political and economic change we need. His creative take on issues of the day earned the National Press Club Award for Humor in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
Bill grew up in and around New York City which provided a diversity of experiences. He attended both public schools (through 10th grade) and private school (11th-12th grade). He earned money with a massive paper route and an odd-jobs business. In high school, he worked weekends as a street vendor in Manhattan selling Italian ices. And he spent his college summers working for New England Telephone in Boston and as a journalism intern in Washington, D.C.
In 1987-88, Bill took a year off from college to work on the presidential campaign of the late Sen. Paul Simon (D-Illinois), organizing students and directing the campaign's Massachusetts headquarters in Boston. It was a life-changing experience that has inspired his work ever since. Simon remains one of Bill’s political heroes: An example of how thoughtful, principled leaders and wise government policy can make a difference in people’s lives. Simon was also worried about the Democratic Party’s drift toward corporate interests: “I’m glad there is a Republican Party,” he said during the 1988 presidential campaign. “But one Republican Party is enough.”
With the help of financial aid and work-study jobs, Bill graduated from Tufts University in 1990. He went to work in Washington for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, where he saw -- up close -- the new ways that big money was pouring into politics.
He left the DSCC to begin work as a humorist and writer, often joking that "a move from politics to comedy requires no job retraining." Among his first gigs was working on Comedy Central’s groundbreaking coverage of the national party conventions, "InDecision '92," where he wrote jokes for now-Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota).
As a columnist for America Online; organizing students for Simon for President; working to reform our presidential elections at FairVote, or traveling the country as a fake-but-funny presidential candidate to promote higher voter turnout, Bill has consistently demonstrated a passionate commitment to fixing what’s broken in our political system.
Since he moved to the Berkshires a decade ago, he’s watched with frustration as Massachusetts politicians continue to raise the same big money and play the same old games. Who will go to Washington to boldly champion economic fairness for the 99 percent? Who will refuse the corporate and lobbyist money that narrows the agenda? It often seems like no one will.
That’s why Bill is running for Congress in the Democratic primary on September 6, 2012. Because if we keep electing the same kind of people, in the same kind of way, relying on the same sources of big money, we’ll continue to get the same unacceptable results.
Right now Bill is working on “Democracil: The Prescription for America,” a little book of reform ideas that will be available to download for free. To pay the bills, he also works as a self-employed IT and Web guy, helping nonprofits, individuals and small businesses solve their technology headaches.
He lives in the Berkshire County town of Alford where he rents a small house, grows some vegetables, and raises ducks.