Ego and Elections

I dreaded Tuesday evening. Candidates’ Night at City Hall sponsored by the Kiwanis. Great group of people helping voters meet and greet neighbors who have thrown their hats into the ring to be elected to local public office.

Ask anyone and they will say – ‘Aw, just a bunch of politicians wanting…’

Well that’s one way to see the big picture in a very narrow minded way!

No. Local elections attract people who see needs within the public sphere and want to get things done. The right way. The way that people can live with easily and affordably. Government of, by and for the people, paid for locally for local benefit.  Need a new bridge? How about an expanded school building? Or maybe you want to add planters to the community to hold beautiful flowers in season? Or perhaps new roads with gutters and curbs? How about some economic development work focused just on our own town?

Living in a community helps problems come into view. We can see what’s wrong – and right. We can determine what needs to be saved and what can be discarded. We can manage our own town’s process of change and adaptation without making a big deal out of it. Yes, the community is an important part of our life and it is fun to participate in the process.

Trouble is if you get involved you become suspect: are you or are you not a politician?  I should say politician? Let’s face it. People don’t like politicians very much. It’s not just a recent thing. This blighted view of people in public positions often assumes ‘such’ people are up to no good.

So a candidate’s night comes up and we have a chance to see and hear the candidates themselves. How do we react? How do the candidates place themselves in the public’s view? Naturally they tell the audience a little about themselves. Their educational background, their career achievements and why that may be a good thing for the public office they are seeking.  And their volunteer activities that may proclaim their leadership qualities. Is this sharing a resume? Their work history? Or is this EGO?

Hmmmm! Not sure. As an audience member you may not see it as ego. As a candidate you can’t help but feel odd sharing these personal bits about yourself. So do you? Share bits about yourself? Which bits do you share? Which ones do you avoid? Do you steer clear of these things because you don’t like to crow about yourself?

Well, I felt that way Tuesday night. Painfully so. I take it for granted that the audience knew that I and a few others in town felt the need for a newspaper and formed one. Been working that community asset for four years now. I’m the managing editor, columnist and beat reporter. Oh, and I also organize and often write the obituaries.

A few years ago while serving on the city council I was tapped to help form a better process for funding arts and tourism projects in town. We formed the Tourism and Arts Commission and an ordinance had to be outlined, policy documents were needed and political pitfalls needed to be avoided. We did that. Successfully. I was appointed to serve on the commission for the first two years. In that time we learned that the community didn’t have an organization that did much event production so I thought up the need for an arts council. After leaving the city council I worked up the arts council idea. A few years later I co-founded the organization. Am still on its board and we are in our fourth season of concerts and art programming.

Sixteen years ago or so I got involved with the local chamber of commerce to help produce a summer festival then in its 20^th year. Without planning it I became a member of the board of directors of the chamber. Still am. Grew the chamber, helped it adapt to a fluctuating local economy, helped design and manage a combination of three local chambers into one dynamic organization and still remain on the board. We needed a hospitality committee to join the hotels and restaurants into a team that would boost their businesses and assist development of the local economy. Saw other needs of the business community and spent time working on them.

Seeing needs and filling them. Working with others as individuals and groups to solve problems and fill needs. Noticing the Park District had lost two board members. Offered to lend them a hand if they needed it. They accept and appointed me to fill a vacancy. After the short term had expired, I ran for my own four year term and won. Now after five years of problem solving and participation it is time to run for re-election.

Thus the candidates night. But what could I say about myself that wouldn’t look like a huge ego bursting forth? How much of my background does the public know? Enough of them to win an election? Or is the public uninvolved and uninformed? Have my past efforts been a waste? Do people notice or don’t they, that you have been a reliable local resource to tend to needs and problems?

Guess we won’t know until election night. That’s when we will learn if people pay attention or don’t. After all local elections are not about politics. Or politicians. It is about finding people who can and do work for the benefit of the public. For free. Well, they do need your vote to make it happen. But otherwise free in the fullest sense.

Will low profile and low ego succeed? Or will self promotion do the trick?

We shall see.

March 22, 2013