Election Reflection

I took a whalloping this week, in the primary election for Treasurer of Scio Township. My friend Donna Palmer, the incumbent, beat me handily, almost two-to-one. The Dexter precincts, the people that know me most, delivered the largest margins to Donna.

I did not particularly want to win this race. I have other irons in the fire. I long to move either to Shamrock, Texas, or Rochester, New York, within the next year or two. I would have had to resign from the position before my term was up, anyway.

I have tired of partisan politics. I hate the games, the positioning, the personal attacks, the spin. I have served on high-performance teams in the business world, that run circles around politicians when it comes to solving problems.

I was changed by my recent experience at Camp Refuge in Oklahoma. I came away wanting to serve God in music, keeping myself open to a teaching position, working with children. I could not see myself holding down an elected position, full-time hours at part time pay, for four years. I cannot afford it. And I did not campaign for it.

I basically prayed that I would not win.

But I do want to release some pressure I have felt, to address the biggest issue of all in this election. I avoided discussing it, out of respect for my friend Donna. But I do wish to introduce it now, as the issue in the 2012 Scio race, or any race with which I am involved, from now on. And it is this . . .

Mrs. Palmer said, in an interview that I participated in with her, that "I enjoy my job," in reference to her position as Treasurer. I wanted to jump on that statement, but was too timid to do so.

No politician should ever refer to their elected position as "my job". It is not a job to be claimed by anyone. It is no one's by right. There are thousands of people in Scio Township, and any one of them can serve as Treasurer, or Supervisor, Clerk, or Trustee. The jobs themselves, belong to the people. And if anything, we would be better off if more average people served in these positions, than the self-appointed politicians we are stuck with now.

An elected office is a mission, a charge, a calling. But it is not a "job". You are there to serve the people, not to do a good job. It is more important that the elected official give their time to their constituents, and not their hours to their work. It is important that the day-to-day tasks of elected officials never devolve down into "busy work". The calling is way more lofty than that!

A good rule of thumb is: two terms and out. Those seeking elected office should run the first time, with specific goals. They may take one term to learn the ropes. If they have served honorably for one term, they will have earned the right to a second term. But that is enough. Our society is blessed with multitudes of talented people that can do the job. We do not need these elected officials for life. It is an insult to the smart people in our communities, to suggest that only one of them can represent the total for more than two terms.

I wish the new Board of Scio great success in the next four years. Of the seven board members, one will be serving at least a second consecutive term, and should step down at the conclusion of this term. Let's keep new ideas flowing in, let others have a chance to serve, and please, Mrs. Palmer, no later than the year 2012, leave as you have served, with honor and respect for the people of our Scio community.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work. It is past time for change.