Good Governance – “Scout Mindset”

Good Governance – “Scout Mindset”

This short essay will be the first in a series of essays I’m planning to write on the topic of good governance. It’s an important topic to me, as I feel very strongly that we need more than ever good governance practices in our government at all levels.

Please, if you’re reading this page, I IMPLORE you to watch the video above before going any further. Or indeed, if you’re short on time, I’d rather you watch that short 12 minute video RATHER than read my diatribe below. It will give you a great insight into a different way or perspective on how to look at decision making, which most definitely applies to governmental actions. It will also provide a huge insight into how I try to approach the world.

As a programmer by trade, it’s my job to solve problems. That’s my basic job description – problem solver. Everything else, all of the code, and data etc… those are all just tools and window dressing. They are secondary to actually solving the problem itself. And you can’t solve problems by coming at them with a closed mindset that sees only what it WANTS to see, or a “soldier” mindset as Ms. Galef describes in her video. If I lived my life with a “soldier” mindset, I would be a very poor problem solver, and I would create “solutions” that were inefficient, or frankly more harmful than the problems themselves. I’ve already seen this in my career so far – code and programs that add EXTRA workload to people’s lives rather than reduce that workload, which is kind of the opposite of what programmers should be trying to do. I’m sure you’ve run across this at least a few times in your life, when you’re frustrated with a piece of technology that seems to be getting in the way of your goal, of what you’re trying to accomplish. Those moments are the result of a soldier mindset, where the programmer decided beforehand that THIS was the way that things should be, rather than working with end users to make sure that the solution solved the problem in an elegant and efficient way that makes things easier, rather than harder.

To solve problems, it’s important that we see the world as it is, rather than how we want it to be, and try to move past our biases and predilections that may warp the lens with which we view the world. This is also why partisanship is a detriment to good governance. Because while having a pre-conceived notion or point of view before you get into a discussion is human nature, it also closes you off to being wrong. And being closed off to being wrong puts you into a place where you’re not open to discussion, debate, or compromise.

Good governance *IS* discussion, debate and compromise. There is a quote often attributed to one of our greatest leaders of the past, Abraham Lincoln:

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/12/11/cannot-fool/

This quote from a well respected personage speaks of the importance of realizing that people are NOT a monolithic group. We are all unique individuals that have our own way of looking at things, and thinking about things. This is probably our greatest gift as humans – our variability. Its helped us to become the dominant species on the planet. It also points to the fact that a deception will only ever last so long – until the right person that doesn’t go along with the rest sees the deception for what it is, and exposes its falsehood to all.

Which is also why REAL conspiracies have a fairly short shelf life, and conspiracy theories should be given very little latitude. Because each person supposedly added in to a conspiracy exponentially increases the risk of that conspiracy being uncovered. So conspiracies that require dozens if not hundreds of people working in unison towards a common goal in complete secrecy? Most likely not realistic.

Why am I bringing up this quote anyways? Because I wanted to use this quote and paraphrase it to make it apply not just to deception, but to making people happy or comfortable. It could also be rephrased as follows: “You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not please all of the people all of the time”. And good governance is about realizing this, and doing what you can to “maximize happiness” as a utilitarian might say. You won’t please everyone all of the time, but with making wise choices based on the FACTS as we can know them, we can try to make the best decisions that will maximize people’s happiness with that decision. This requires moderation and compromise.

Now, if you follow the link above under the quote, you’ll see that we have no proof that Lincoln ever said that, and in fact, people quoting him as saying it without fact checking are doing the exact same thing that Ms. Galef is referring to… coming at something with a pre-conceived notion, and deciding that THAT is reality, without doing proper due diligence to ensure that what you believe to be true matches up with what’s actually true. Why do I bring this up? Because I just caught myself, during the writing of this essay, doing this exact same thing. I was just about to make use of this quote as-is, and attribute it to Lincoln to make the point that I made in the previous couple of paragraphs. I absolutely was and frankly, did. But then, I got to thinking about the thrust of the topic, and I asked myself, “what if I’m wrong”? So… I shifted myself from a soldier mentality to a scout mentality, and sought out the TRUTH of things, rather than what I’d like them to be. I discovered that I was indeed wrong, that Lincoln never said this. And I felt it important to note this, as a real life example of how a soldier mindset can cause issues like miscommunication and misunderstanding. However, the thrust of the argument is still valid, even if the source is obfuscated.

And what more, it offers a perfect example that all of us do this, myself included. It is a part of human nature to have a certain way of seeing the world, a certain viewpoint, and to not question that viewpoint without good evidence to the contrary. In philosophy it’s called the “Principle of Belief Conservation“, and it’s one of the many things that help us keep sane in an often times insane world. However, when taken to extremes, it leads to a soldier mindset, echo chambers, and confirmation bias, which are all VERY bad for us, and for the governments that we create and run.

We must make an effort to fight against this natural inclination to see ourselves as being always correct, and to seriously consider information contradictory to our existing positions.

It is only through this effort that we will find the “middle ground” that we need to maximize happiness and to ensure that our decisions are based on reality – what is, rather than the fiction that we may wish to live in – what isn’t.

Final Election Results Analysis

Final Election Results Analysis

I’ve had some time to look things over, and to formulate my thoughts on the election and its results. So, here they are.

First, I am actually excited to see that from last year’s election, we almost DOUBLED the number of participating voters, from 22.2% of all eligible voters, to 38.6% of all eligible voters. This is good news for our democracy. It shows that on the local level we’re getting much more interested in the process, and want to have our voices heard. This is a great thing!

I’d like to start by looking back at last election cycle to see my personal results, and then compare those to this cycle.

Last Year

Here were my 2022 Spring results:

I did half as well for the Village Trustee position as I did for the school board, which makes sense, because really the school board is where my heart is, as I really want the best for our kids more than anything else. I also had some VERY strong competition for the Village Board, as pretty much everyone else on the ballot were well known names already in the local community, and I had just gotten started. I talked with my wife about the school board results, and while my percentage was extremely low, she told me that I should be proud of myself for accidentally running against the school board president who’d been on the board for over 15 years. I’ll have to take her at her word for that, as she has experience with this kind of thing, having grown up in another small rural Wisconsin community.

Now, looking at this year’s results…

This Year

In the School Board Primary, I did almost exactly as well as I did last year’s general election. So I have to assume it was largely the same people voting for me. The fact that it’s a primary however, and many people ignore primaries and just vote at the “regular” elections makes me feel a bit better about my results. Even though I was the lowest vote-getter and got knocked off the ballot, getting as many votes in the primary as I got in the general election last year I think I should consider some form of win. The total number of votes cast during the primary was 1,257. The total number of votes cast for the School Board during this year’s general election was 2,454, with only 14 of those being write-ins. Making the assumptions that if my name was still on the ballot, and that I would have received the same percentage of the vote… if we just increased the total number of votes cast from the primary to match the general election and increased my votes proportionately, then I would have theoretically received 253 votes, putting me at third place. Now, of course, that’s a WHOLE LOT of postulating, and most likely wouldn’t match up with reality. But it’s a slightly comforting thought to blunt the loss.

I did SUBSTANTIALLY better in the Trustee race than I did this time last year. In fact, almost three times better. So that shows some good progress. This could be partly attributed to the fact that my votes weren’t “split”, as I’m sure last year that at least a good chunk of people believed that I should only have one position or the other, but not both. This year, with me being knocked off the ballot for school board, I most likely consolidated all of the votes I would have gotten. I’m slightly miffed that with the efforts that I put in that I barely got more votes than two people who didn’t do any advertising that I had seen, and didn’t do any canvassing that I’m aware of. Que sera, sera.

This year, I started my canvassing at the opposite side of the Village from where I started last year and worked my way backwards. Between the last two years, I’ve physically canvassed roughly 75% of the Village of Fall Creek proper. Being a family man with a full time job, my time is fairly limited in that way, and physically walking from house to house to talk to people is EXTREMELY time consuming. Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to even TOUCH the more “remote” areas outside of the main village that are still within the bounds of the school board’s jurisdiction, such as the Towns of Seymour and Lincoln. I hope to get to them next year.

Conclusion

I have determined that, with the progress that I have made, that there is a good portion of my fellow residents that hear my message and agree with it. I believe that I’m starting to build what they call a “constituency”, and I thank them all for their support. It’s been a long, hard road, and will continue to be one.

I don’t get anything for “free”, because I’m not what they call a “native son”. The “Bennett” name is not a name that’s been in the Fall Creek area for generations. I don’t get free automatic votes from people that knew me their entire lives, because nobody in Fall Creek has known me that long. I have no family, and very few friends here. I’m not a very social person, and I know that I can be very off-putting and rub people the wrong way. I’m working on that, the best that I can. I’ve had to work for every single vote that I’ve gotten so far, and I appreciate each and every person that has blessed me with their trust and faith. Thank you.

I have decided to continue my efforts. However, next year I will most likely focus on one board or the other, rather than splitting my attentions between both. Which one I choose will depend on a couple of factors, including who else may be running next year for the open positions.

I will no longer be attending the board meetings that the majority of my fellow citizens have decided that they don’t want me at. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted. Which means that I won’t be able to record those meetings and publish them. I IMPLORE both boards to do this voluntarily themselves, and show the community that they believe in full transparency, and that they aren’t afraid to let the public know how they behave and interact with each other. Meeting agendas and minutes only give the public so much information, and in my opinion, it’s not nearly enough. Non-verbal and verbal interactions between board members reveal a whole lot more about a person’s character than the way that they vote, often times.

I’m going to be reducing my Facebook footprint substantially. It’s been pointed out to me that it’s caused more detriments than benefits to my campaigns. People can misinterpret and take things the wrong way or only read/hear part of the message and ignore the rest. I’ve also been told that that constant presence there has become irritating to some, and if there’s one thing I don’t want to be, it’s an irritant. We need to be able to talk about important issues without getting personal, and apparently that’s much harder to do on Facebook. So I will be mostly restricting my own thoughts to this site from here on out. That way people can come here if they want to know and hear them, rather than have them “forced” on them. I also do much better face-to-face than I do in text format, frankly, as it gives me the chance to see people’s reactions, and respond to them in kind, explaining myself further or in a different way as needed to make sure the message gets across correctly and isn’t misunderstood.

I’ve pointed out to most people reading this the faults and the problems that I’ve seen. And I think a lot of people are starting to open their eyes to those issues. The first step to solving a problem is admitting that there is one. Now, I think it’s time to start working on creating solutions to those problems.

I will also be slowing down a bit, spending some more time with my family, less time walking around, more time thinking about what I think this community needs, and formulating potential plans for improvement. To start focusing on solutions, rather than just problems.

I would like to thank again those that voted for me. Your voices have been heard. It’s not a roar, rather a low rumble, but I suspect that it will be a constant one that will grow in time.

Finally, I would once again like to congratulate all of the sitting board members that maintained their position in this election, as well as congratulate Amy Kurtz for her big win on the School Board. I hope that she will make some positive changes to the status quo.

Tri-County Area Times – Fall Creek Village Board Trustee Questionnaire Answers

Tri-County Area Times – Fall Creek Village Board Trustee Questionnaire Answers

Below are my answers to the Tri-County Area Times Questionnaire which they sent to all Board Trustee candidates that they could get a hold of.

1). Why do wish to serve or continue to serve the Village of Fall Creek as an elected official?

I was raised a Navy brat, knowing no real “home” for my entire childhood, which I’d always longed for. This happily changed when I moved here and settled down in this fantastic community. The Village of Fall Creek is a great place to have a family and raise children. Having my wonderful wife and two children of my own, I’d like to be able to represent myself and other “middle aged” parents on the board. I would like to see the village continue to prosper, renew, and to continue to be a place where my children would want to settle and raise their own families in the future.

2). What is your opinion on the relationship between the Village of Fall Creek and the Town of Lincoln and Eau Claire County and it’s importance for the future growth of the village?

I think that it’s important that the village continue to work together with the Town of Lincoln on local issues that affect both municipalities, and yet still maintain their separate spirits. The Town of Lincoln serves a community of individuals that live further apart from each other, while the Village of Fall Creek serves those that live generally in closer proximity. As such, they each have different wants and needs, and I think it’s important for us to recognize that, and for both groups to work together to achieve common goals, while not stepping on each other’s toes. Meanwhile, Eau Claire County continues to provide extended support for both municipalities, and it’s important for that dialogue to continue, for us to express to the county our needs, as well as representing ourselves sufficiently at that level of government. We must work together and try to tamp down on any divisive rhetoric. We’re all in this together, we should support and help each other. It’s the Midwest way.

3). Is there a project or program or initiative you would like to see the village take on or accomplish during your term in office that would help improve the quality of life in the village and what would it be?

Well at the forefront always, we should be mindful of “rural decay”, which is a very real issue facing villages such as ours. I don’t like seeing buildings that appear abandoned right in the heart of the village, and I think we can work together to resolve that. But that’s a long-term goal. In the short term, if I can just accomplish the task of opening government to fuller transparency and engaging the electorate in a more consistent and regular way, then I would consider my tenure to be one well spent. This would involve recording and publicizing all public meetings on the Village website (as I’ve been attempting to do as a private citizen), as well as providing all public documentation to the community online for free, without requiring an open records request. I’d like to make it policy that our local government pushes to give the community all the information they need to make informed decisions BEFORE the issues affecting them have been voted on, so that they have a chance to let their voices be heard.

Board Candidate Questionnaire – Jessica Mattson’s Responses (School Board)

Board Candidate Questionnaire – Jessica Mattson’s Responses (School Board)

Why are you running for the board?

The reason I decided to run for school board is simple… the TEACHERS!! Our teachers have been asked to go above and beyond in the onset of COVID and in the aftermath of COVID the high expectations haven’t gone away- in fact higher expectations have been placed on our teachers. Teachers who feel supported, heard, and their educational needs are being met create positive learning environments for their students.

What areas for improvement do you see in any areas under the board’s purview?

There is a significant need to address the educational gaps in our current curriculum, assessments, and how students are overall evaluated.

Presumably if someone is on a board, or wants to be on one, it’s because they want to make a positive impact on the community. What’s the biggest positive impact that you would like to see?

I would like to see our space needs met and be able to give ourselves room to grow. Currently classrooms are either nearing capacity or are over capacity. I believe the Fall Creek School Board and Fall Creek Village Board need to work together to plan for the future of the community.

What plans do you have to affect change, and why are these changes needed?

I plan to observe all classrooms in the Fall Creek School District and have open, honest communication with all teachers and support staff. I want to see the great things that are being done and get a greater insight on each classrooms needs. I can’t make affective change unless I truly know and understand the barriers teachers and support staff are facing.

To run for this position, you must believe that a change needs to be made and are working to replace at least one sitting board member. What makes you a better candidate for the position than the current sitting board members that are running to maintain their seats?

My reason to run for school board has nothing to do with the members up for re-election and everything to do with it being the right time in my personal life to run for school board. In the last year, I have seen how my children have been affected by decisions that have been made and I decided what better time than now. I want to be able to make a positive impact when my children are young and then be able to move on and enjoy my children’s school years.

How many board meetings have you attended in the last year? If none, why not? If you have attended meetings, what questions have you asked and/or what input have you provided to the sitting board?

I have attended one school board meeting in the last year. I attended this meeting to address the board on behalf of the kindergarten parents regarding the kindergarten class room sizes and requesting another kindergarten teacher be added for the school year. I drafted a letter to the board and gathered signatures from other kindergarten families who were in support of adding a kindergarten teacher due to significant safety issues and students’ educational needs not being met.

What have you done as a private citizen thus far to attempt to improve this community?

I have been and will continue to be a positive voice for the children in our community. I will continue to stand up for any injustice for our students, teachers, and community members.

Board Candidate Questionnaire – Jill Geske’s Responses (School Board)

Board Candidate Questionnaire – Jill Geske’s Responses (School Board)

Why are you running for the board?

I care about the students of Fall Creek School District and want to make sure we can educate our children but stay in budget.

What areas for improvement do you see in any areas under the board’s purview?

I feel that the board is doing a great job of putting the children’s education as top priority.

Presumably if someone is on a board, or wants to be on one, it’s because they want to make a positive impact on the community. What’s the biggest positive impact that you would like to see?

I would like to see better communication between the Village Board and the School Board.  I will only make Fall Creek a better place to reside and to send their children.

What specific positive changes have you individually made so far, and what others do you have planned going forward?

As a board member we don’t do “individual positive changes”.  We work together to make sure that the students are getting the best education possible, that the school stays on budget and all of the employees are being paid fairly according to other schools the same size as Fall Creek.

What distinguishes you from other sitting board members? What makes you a different kind of representative to the board that’s not already covered by any sitting board member? What do you offer that other board members do not?

I don’t feel that I stand out any more than any other board member.  I have been on the board for 9 years and have enjoyed being part of a board that truly cares about the children and the employees of the district. We all have other jobs and we can utilize our experiences with other occupations to help run the school district proficiently.

What specific questions have you raised that have created more thoughtfulness in board decisions? What were the outcomes of those questions?

Any questions that I have raised that have created more thoughtfulness have been in closed session so they will not published.

Why do you think others have decided to run for your position? What have you done, or do you have planned to address their concerns and reasons for them to be running?

I have not heard from any other candidates as to why they are running for school board so I can’t answer that.

Village Board Meeting 03.13.2023

Village Board Meeting 03.13.2023

Due to recovery from surgery, I will be unable to attend the Village Board meeting tomorrow evening. Which means, I will not be able to record it. This may be the case for next week’s School Board meeting as well, we’ll have to see. If anyone is interested in attending either meeting and recording them for the public, please contact me, and I would gladly lend my recording equipment as well as provide instructions on their usage.

Board Candidate Questionnaire – My Responses

Board Candidate Questionnaire – My Responses

For all candidates:

  • Why are you running for the board?

Because I love the Village of Fall Creek, its people, the whole environment, and I think I can make a good difference here if given the chance. While I lost the primary for the school board, I can still be a write-in candidate, and I’m still on the ballot for the village. I think there’s a chance to really make a difference!

  • What areas for improvement do you see in any areas under the board’s purview?

Both Boards: Video recording and publishing of the meetings and their related info packets and implementing my “Take a Break Act”.

Village Board: I’d like to scour the ordinances with a fine-toothed comb and take out all the stuff that doesn’t make sense, and the stuff that’s getting in the way of the Village being more prosperous. Also, while debt is considered normal for most municipalities, I’ve never been a fan of it. It’s essentially giving money away to your borrowers. While sometimes necessary when we’re in dire need of fixes/upgrades, I’d like to see the Village put a ten-year plan in place to get out of debt, and to plan and budget for future expansion, rather than let us dip into the hole again.

School Board: I’d like academic curriculum to be an open discussion at regular board meetings, rather than shunted behind closed doors to committees. I’d like the budget reworked to handle facility maintenance and other required operating expenses first, and then move right to direct teacher needs before even considering the expansion of new purchases or equipment. Our teachers and students shouldn’t have to beg for money from the community to educate and be educated.

  • Presumably if someone is on a board, or wants to be on one, it’s because they want to make a positive impact on the community. What’s the biggest positive impact that you would like to see?

I’d like the community to be able to both have pride in itself AND be able to take constructive criticism that’s conducive towards improvement and growth, without that pride getting hurt, or turning defensive. I don’t see these two things as mutually exclusive. I don’t think that pointing out areas for improvement should hurt our pride or make people enemies. We should be able to have civil discussions and disagreements about important topics without taking personal offense. I hope to be able to show that by putting my ideas as well up on the chopping block.

For those not currently on the board, but seeking to get on it:

  • What plans do you have to affect change, and why are these changes needed?

Increase governmental transparency, communication, and accountability. They are necessary because our local boards so far have adopted largely a “pull” mentality that expects their citizens to come to them if they want to know anything. I believe in a “push” mentality that advertises out loud everything that the local government is doing. Government should attempt to be always completely transparent and communicative wherever possible.

  • To run for this position, you must believe that a change needs to be made and are working to replace at least one sitting board member. What makes you a better candidate for the position than the current sitting board members that are running to maintain their seats?

I have a unique and different way of looking at the world from most other people. Late into my adult life, I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, and it made a lot of sense to all the problems I was having with connecting with people on an individual level. I just think differently. I think this is a HUGE benefit, as it lets me look at situations and issues from a variety of different angles that might not occur to others or might seem outlandish and ridiculous to others. However, sometimes those “unusual” ideas and out of the box thinking are just what’s needed to affect positive change.

  • How many board meetings have you attended in the last year? If none, why not? If you have attended meetings, what questions have you asked and/or what input have you provided to the sitting board?

I’ve attempted to attend every school and village board meeting that I could, and I’ve recorded them and posted them on my website for everyone to see. I’ve asked multiple questions at village board meetings to offer different perspectives or to support citizens that had concerns. The school board, I have not spoken in front of, as I needed to learn a bit more about how it works, since it appeared to be much more “un-debated”. If you look at the village board meetings, you’ll see many more civil disagreements and discussions, which I see as a good sign of a thriving collection of leaders that have differing viewpoints. If you look at the school board meetings, you’ll see a lot of “business as usual”, with the board going through the motions and just voting “yes” to everything with VERY little, if any, discussion or debate. That to me seems like five followers and one leader, rather than six leaders.

  • What have you done as a private citizen thus far to attempt to improve this community?

I’ve provided the video recording service I mentioned earlier. Beyond that, I’ve tried to collect as much information and data that I could and publicize it, such as information packets for the board meetings, so that everyone can see what’s going on. I’ve also personally donated a little over $3500 to help fund 19 projects from 12 different educators for the Fall Creek School District over the past three years because I want our great teachers to have all the resources they feel they need to excel at teaching our kids! However, our teachers still need even more funding, as there’s still constant continuing requests coming in, as well as a very full Amazon Wish List that has yet to be tackled.

Board Candidate Questionnaire

Board Candidate Questionnaire

I’ve constructed the below questionnaire for all candidates for all governmental boards. Questions that I would like my candidates to answer, and questions that I would expect to answer to the public if I was running (which of course I am). So that the people know that you’re not just voting for a name and a smile, but rather for someone that has shown some substantive leanings. I’ve tried to formulate the questions in a “generic” way so that they can apply to a broad range of elections and a broad range of candidates.

I will provide my own answers to the appropriate questions on my own separate page a little while later. I invite all of my fellow candidates to post any and all answers to these questions in any way they choose, in any format that they choose, on any platform that they choose. I will also gladly and willingly answer any other questionnaires that anyone else requests that I answer. This is just mine.

If a candidate chooses to provide these answers directly to me at my e-mail address (west@bennettforoffice.org), I will gladly post their answers here to provide them a platform as well.

For all candidates:

  1. Why are you running for the board?
  2. What areas for improvement do you see in any areas under the board’s purview?
  3. Presumably if someone is on a board, or wants to be on one, it’s because they want to make a positive impact on the community. What’s the biggest positive impact that you would like to see?

For sitting board members:

  1. What specific positive changes have you individually made so far, and what others do you have planned going forward?
  2. What distinguishes you from other sitting board members? What makes you a different kind of representative to the board that’s not already covered by any sitting board member? What do you offer that other board members do not?
  3. What specific questions have you raised that have created more thoughtfulness in board decisions? What were the outcomes of those questions?
  4. Why do you think others have decided to run for your position? What have you done, or do you have planned to address their concerns and reasons for them to be running?

For those not currently on the board, but seeking to get on it:

  1. What plans do you have to affect change, and why are these changes needed?
  2. To run for this position, you must believe that a change needs to be made and are working to replace at least one sitting board member. What makes you a better candidate for the position than the current sitting board members that are running to maintain their seats?
  3. How many board meetings have you attended in the last year? If none, why not? If you have attended meetings, what questions have you asked and/or what input have you provided to the sitting board?
  4. What have you done as a private citizen thus far to attempt to improve this community?
Spring 2023 Primary Results

Spring 2023 Primary Results

Below are the results of the Spring 2023 Primary, as per Eau Claire County Clerk’s office:

I would like to congratulate Mmes. Kurtz, Geske, Anderson, and Mattson, who are continuing on to the general election. Obviously, I will not be joining them. As the lowest vote recipient, I’m out.

My percentage of the vote dropped a substantial 60.93%, from 16.97% of the vote last cycle to a mere 10.34% of the vote this cycle, while at the same time the total number of voters actually increased by 162.82%. In fact, I received one less vote than I did last cycle, when I was running alone against Mr. Wright, which saddens and surprises me, as I spent roughly eight times more time out there, pounding pavement, knocking on doors, and listening to and talking with my fellow community members, all at the expense of my own family’s time with me.

I will still be waiting and watching for the Village Board election results when that time comes after April 4th, but as I received half as many votes for that board last time as I did for the school board, I won’t be holding my breath.

This is, frankly, disheartening to me, to fare so poorly. I understand that my presentation can be abrasive, and that I’m often times saying things that people don’t want to hear. It’s only because I care so much that I say these things, because I feel that they need to be said when nobody else seems to be speaking these truths. Everything that I do comes from a place of trying to improve things, to make them better, for our children.

However, the electorate, my fellow citizens, don’t believe that I am the one to fill that role this year, and I must accept that.

I will continue to try to reach out to you all one-on-one, time permitting, and to have the conversations that are necessary to learn just what it is that my fellow Fall Creek residents are seeking, so that I can be a better representative to you, and try to understand what it is exactly that you all are looking for. I’ve been told during my campaign that the people want to hear only positive things, fluff and smiles, and that they turn on ANY serious discussion or criticism, even constructive criticism, and that I was foolish to try to bring up such things. I didn’t want to believe that, as I was more optimistic about my fellow citizen’s desire to have serious civil discussions about important topics regarding the District’s well-being. I never was one to hold a “Pollyanna” viewpoint about things, I’ve always tried to be a realist. But, perhaps these results are proof that I was wrong, and that that viewpoint is what is actually desired by the people.

Regardless, with this utter failure, I can no longer justify spending so much time away from my family to attend and record meetings that the electorate does not appear to want me at. It is my hopes that the boards will voluntarily pick up this practice, and push to increase transparency in our local governments. I still believe that there is a deep-rooted desire in our hearts for us to know what’s going on around us, and not just what decisions are made, but HOW they are made.

I am not going away, I never will. I care too much to do that. However, I will be substantially quieter for the near future, and perhaps that’s for the best for everyone. My only regret is that I won’t be in any position to serve the community for the next year in a way that I’m confident that I could have done well in, if given the chance.