Few know the relationship between an elected official and the constituent. That relationship starts when the elected official is the candidate and the constituent is the voter. The connection goes much deeper than marking the box and, with enough marked boxes, a term of office gets to be served. People tend not to trust government whether local, state or federal. Federal I can understand. State I can even understand. However, you should at least be able to trust your local officials. You should know them - you voted for them. This article will examine this God-ordained relationship between the people and those whom they've elected to make decisions that affect the entire community.
Do you know how many questions I was asked about politics or local issues during my first term campaign for Councilman at Large? Absolutely none! I will grant you that this may be, in part, due to the small population in comparison to the larger metro areas like Omaha or Des Moines. Issues are everything there and seldom are the fond small town feelings that people may have one with another. I will also grant you another truth. I was uncontested in my first election. This had saved me the humiliation at the time of being smeared and mocked. Still, not one question asked.
Not many people know me in person but know me in name. I highly advocate a non-public life for myself, but when I am public it is due to a compelling of the heart and conscience to make a difference. This outreach of mine into the community and world over the past 15 years has earned a moderate degree of trust in my judgement. This trust of the people is something I treasure and I draw upon that strength to foster informed decisions in this elected post.
In truth I prefer to be a recluse. Anxiety plagues me to great extents. When I do reach out into the community I do so because I am compelled to do it. I've tried to live by the edict that if your conscience tells you to do something then you better do it.
I bring all this up because there are deep issues affecting the city of Shenandoah. There are issues in every community but obviously my concern is with this one. Distrust will always be on the rise with controversial issues and that's to be expected. We have a new multi-million dollar water plant being constructed, and there are serious issues that have slowed progress. This has led many to question the judgement of the City Council and even the contractors. Again, to be expected, yet how to heal is my direction.
I would ask taxpayers all across the fruited plains of the United States of America just one favor to consider. You always have the right and responsibility to question with boldness. That doesn't mean to be contentious but rather question - in clear and resolute language. It is your hard-earned tax dollars and you have the right to know how it is being spent. Yet, I would ask for a degree of reservation in judging how your elected officials vote on any issue in your community. Right now you are looking at this with your head kinked and thinking, "huh." Grant me this opportunity to explain what I mean. This will expand on the relationship between the elected and the constituents.
Why do we elect people? To what are we electing them? Is it to just fill a post that the government says needs to be filled? These are serious questions we should all ask ourselves. We should be electing the willing to office that they may discern information and make good decisions for the greater good. Content to be discerned includes information that is not readily available or known by the public. The media can only report so much, but how an official makes a decision in the end depends highly on information gathered outside Council chambers. Its not hidden information but rather bits here and there that help form judgement.
Serving on the City Council involves much more than showing up at the public Council meetings. I'm not sure about other communities but here each Council member is assigned as a liaison to multiple boards and commissions. This provides continuity to the fabric of the community. This is where the meat of issues is brought up and tendered. This is where old subjects are discussed and new ideas are born. It is also here that the magic of the official/voter relationship lies. This is where you, as a taxpaying voter, place your faith and trust in your official that discernment will be used to form a good decision.
It is never fun to see decisions made for your community that you view as incorrect. Harsh feelings tend to be fostered and the disconnect widens. Likewise, it is also not fun as an elected official to make decisions that you know many will not like. The one eternal fact of life as an elected official is that it is impossible to please everyone and it is irresponsible and unproductive to try. The votes sustain that the people trust you to use your good conscience to form decisions that affect the whole.
I would remind elected officials everywhere to discipline themselves and govern worthy of that trust. Govern with a true conscience devoted to the people in whom you provide selfless service. On the balance side of the spectrum I would hope to remind the people to question their representatives with boldness. Yet, anticipate an answer agreeable with the fact that you may not have information that you've placed in the trust of your elected official.
There is a huge responsibility on both sides of the balance that all may be edified in their prosperity. Your vote is an outward expression of faith and trust in the candidate's conscience and ability to discern information.
For three years I've been adamant of not running for reelection. However, in counsel with scripture my conscience compels me to run again. My campaign is a "Campaign of Conscience." With difficult decisions made and yet to be made in Shenandoah, right now is an opportunity to remind and instruct all of us of what our Founding Fathers intended for our Republic.
I would ask all voters to revive your faith in your conscience at the time you marked the box. I would ask all elected officials to draw from that faith that you may be sustained with a sound conscience commensurate with your discernment of important information.
This, I believe, is the magic of America - learning to live in order, while expanding and magnifying our liberty to pursue happiness.
Mine is a Campaign of Conscience - Let the Water Flow!
Do you know how many questions I was asked about politics or local issues during my first term campaign for Councilman at Large? Absolutely none! I will grant you that this may be, in part, due to the small population in comparison to the larger metro areas like Omaha or Des Moines. Issues are everything there and seldom are the fond small town feelings that people may have one with another. I will also grant you another truth. I was uncontested in my first election. This had saved me the humiliation at the time of being smeared and mocked. Still, not one question asked.
Not many people know me in person but know me in name. I highly advocate a non-public life for myself, but when I am public it is due to a compelling of the heart and conscience to make a difference. This outreach of mine into the community and world over the past 15 years has earned a moderate degree of trust in my judgement. This trust of the people is something I treasure and I draw upon that strength to foster informed decisions in this elected post.
In truth I prefer to be a recluse. Anxiety plagues me to great extents. When I do reach out into the community I do so because I am compelled to do it. I've tried to live by the edict that if your conscience tells you to do something then you better do it.
I bring all this up because there are deep issues affecting the city of Shenandoah. There are issues in every community but obviously my concern is with this one. Distrust will always be on the rise with controversial issues and that's to be expected. We have a new multi-million dollar water plant being constructed, and there are serious issues that have slowed progress. This has led many to question the judgement of the City Council and even the contractors. Again, to be expected, yet how to heal is my direction.
I would ask taxpayers all across the fruited plains of the United States of America just one favor to consider. You always have the right and responsibility to question with boldness. That doesn't mean to be contentious but rather question - in clear and resolute language. It is your hard-earned tax dollars and you have the right to know how it is being spent. Yet, I would ask for a degree of reservation in judging how your elected officials vote on any issue in your community. Right now you are looking at this with your head kinked and thinking, "huh." Grant me this opportunity to explain what I mean. This will expand on the relationship between the elected and the constituents.
Why do we elect people? To what are we electing them? Is it to just fill a post that the government says needs to be filled? These are serious questions we should all ask ourselves. We should be electing the willing to office that they may discern information and make good decisions for the greater good. Content to be discerned includes information that is not readily available or known by the public. The media can only report so much, but how an official makes a decision in the end depends highly on information gathered outside Council chambers. Its not hidden information but rather bits here and there that help form judgement.
Serving on the City Council involves much more than showing up at the public Council meetings. I'm not sure about other communities but here each Council member is assigned as a liaison to multiple boards and commissions. This provides continuity to the fabric of the community. This is where the meat of issues is brought up and tendered. This is where old subjects are discussed and new ideas are born. It is also here that the magic of the official/voter relationship lies. This is where you, as a taxpaying voter, place your faith and trust in your official that discernment will be used to form a good decision.
It is never fun to see decisions made for your community that you view as incorrect. Harsh feelings tend to be fostered and the disconnect widens. Likewise, it is also not fun as an elected official to make decisions that you know many will not like. The one eternal fact of life as an elected official is that it is impossible to please everyone and it is irresponsible and unproductive to try. The votes sustain that the people trust you to use your good conscience to form decisions that affect the whole.
I would remind elected officials everywhere to discipline themselves and govern worthy of that trust. Govern with a true conscience devoted to the people in whom you provide selfless service. On the balance side of the spectrum I would hope to remind the people to question their representatives with boldness. Yet, anticipate an answer agreeable with the fact that you may not have information that you've placed in the trust of your elected official.
There is a huge responsibility on both sides of the balance that all may be edified in their prosperity. Your vote is an outward expression of faith and trust in the candidate's conscience and ability to discern information.
For three years I've been adamant of not running for reelection. However, in counsel with scripture my conscience compels me to run again. My campaign is a "Campaign of Conscience." With difficult decisions made and yet to be made in Shenandoah, right now is an opportunity to remind and instruct all of us of what our Founding Fathers intended for our Republic.
I would ask all voters to revive your faith in your conscience at the time you marked the box. I would ask all elected officials to draw from that faith that you may be sustained with a sound conscience commensurate with your discernment of important information.
This, I believe, is the magic of America - learning to live in order, while expanding and magnifying our liberty to pursue happiness.
Mine is a Campaign of Conscience - Let the Water Flow!
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