POLITICS: When people post about this subject, some cringe and ignore it and others want to immediately engage and argue every point. Both groups make me tired, the second group more so. I worked in my first campaign at the age of twelve, managed a campaign at eighteen and have volunteered, worked in, managed, advised and been a hellraiser in dozens and dozens of campaigns my entire life every election year since. Im no expert but I have learned a few simple truths. First, it doesnt matter if people ignore the political process, they still feel its effects and will complain when they do. Secondly, while people focus on Presidential or Senate races, barring going to war or a giant federal income tax increase our local elected officials have much more influence over our lives than those who serve far away. It is the local government that can raise most of our taxes, pave and build new roads, increase our utility bill, provide children with a substandard education, deal with crime, and often working with the state, can sieze our property to build something new. It matters who we elect to city boards, school boards and county commissions as much or more so than who is elected Governor. Third, we are often governed by the least among us, not always of course, but way too often. Public Service has always attracted both those who had a passion to make their community better and by those who wanted power, money and notoriety. Some people just run because they want or need a job. Some people run because thats what their families do. Some people run for the very best of reasons. Most voters are just trying to feed their kids, pay their mortgage and live their lives and dont have time to investigate every candidate for every single office, who would. Over the next few weeks and months we are going to start a civil conversation about the people running for office. From the Probate Judge in Shelby County to State Representative races in Tipton and Fayette County to trying to elect a District Attorney serving the five counties in rural West Tennessee who is respected instead of laughed at. These discussions will be posted in the afternoons so my morning posts that offer my friends and myself something positive to think about wont be interrupted. I believe that I live in the best county in the best state in the best country in the world. Its my job and the good people reading this post to keep it that way. Do something great today! Happy Thursday!
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 11:42:12 +0000
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