Academy of Local Politics

 

Great American Club

 

Great American - [greyt  uh-mer-i-kuhn] noun

In order to be classified as a Great American and a member of the Academy of Local Politics Great American Club, one needs to:

1) Not just vote, but cast knowledgeable votes based on your beliefs and convictions.

“Bad officials are elected by bad citizens who do not cast knowledgeable votes.”

The first step of being a Good Citizen. Vote. But, don’t just vote, cast knowledgeable votes based on your beliefs and convictions. This takes some time. You need to either read newspapers or online editions of papers. Keep up with what is happening around the world and in your own backyard.  Your political education never stops. Politicians never goes on vacation... and neither can you from knowing what they are up to.

Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr said... "Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."

Elections? Every four years for President. Six Years for Senator. Two Years for Congress. Then we have Governor, State Representatives, Mayors, Councils, School Boards, County. With Primary elections, there is never very long until the next election for something comes along. You need to be there. For as many as possible.

Cast knowledgeable votes based on your beliefs and convictions and you will be a Good Citizen. However, I don't want you to stop there. I want to prepare you to be more than just a basic Good Citizen. What do I want you to be...I want you to be a GREAT American.

Which leads us to step #2.

 

 

2) Attend one local government meeting a year to watch, listen and learn.

When you attend that meeting your assignment is to Watch...Listen and Learn. I don't even want you to say anything. I only want you to watch....listen and learn.

It is staggering. There are over 511,000 elected officials in the United States. Of those over 511,000 elected officials about 491,000 of them are local elected officials. Roughly 96% of all elected officials are local elected officials, Another 18,000 are State Officials. There are only 542 National elected officials from states and territories.

With over 96% of all elected officials being local elected officials, local government is without a doubt the “Foundation” of our government. Local Government supports the weight of the State Government and together they support the National Government. Make no mistake about it. These numbers don’t lie.

Peter Block said...“Change from the Top Down happens at the will and whim of those below.”

If you want to make change for the better, you need to start at the bottom and work up. So, since based on the numbers ...your local government is the most important level of government on a daily basis...and since your local government is well, local.. it is the most convenient to attend ... and it also the most important to attend.

Your daily protection provided by police and firefighters is in the hands of your local government. The conditions of the streets you drive on and sidewalks you walk on are in the hands of your local government. The mass transit system you ride to conserve fuel is run by your local officials. The parks which you enjoy visiting for recreation and serenity are cared for by your local officials. The quality of water you drink and the sewage you create are regulated by your local officials. The schools you attended and the schools your children and grandchildren will attend are governed by local elected officials. I could go on...but you get the idea. There is no more important level of government than your local level of government.

When you go to a local government meeting you can even sit in the front row if you want. If it was baseball, you could see them spit. That close... Great Seats!

Watch...Listen and Learn.

Watch the game. I mean really watch the game. Take in every movement. See who really has control of the meeting. Watch which elected officials are fumbling through their papers ... acting totally unprepared for the meeting. It is amazing what you can learn by just watching a meeting.

Listen... To everything. Who asks intelligent questions and has a grasp of the issue being discussed? Who intelligently explains their votes...and who just votes not having a clue what they are voting on?

Learn... Learn the process of how local government operates. The rules and procedures that are followed. Learn who your personal elected officials are. They don't just have names...they have faces.

This is an Step 2 of being a GREAT AMERICAN. Take it seriously. Being a GREAT AMERICAN requires a little work. Watching meetings goes hand in hand with casting knowledgeable votes for candidates.


3) When appropriate, offer your elected officials thoughtful, courteous and timely input on issues of concern to you.

 

When it is appropriate for you to offer input on an issue? That is totally up to you. However, a good gauge if you should provide input on a political issue is when you learn of something that makes you think, “I should send a letter ... You send it. Pretty easy.

 

But, when you send it remember the words of Former Minnesota Senator and Vice President Hubert Humphrey when he said... “The right to be heard, does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.”

 

You want to be taken seriously. So follow these tips.

 

I believe the best form of communication with any elected official is written. Letter with a stamp on it or email, but written. No attachments to emails. I prefer written over verbal so they have a written copy of my thoughts that they can refer back to, instead of wondering, “What did they say.”

 

Your input should be knowledgeable. Know what you are talking about. If you are citing statistics, have the source. Do not just oppose solutions to issues. Offer what you believe is the best solution and why.

 

Be Courteous. Don’t call names. Be professional... Sign your name. Don't make threats like “I won't vote for you if you disagree”. Never ... never say, “I pay your salary”. When an elected official makes a vote you agree with, thank them. Via letter or email, send a note of thanks.

 

Make you views on an issue known to the elected official as soon as possible after you learn of the issue. Do not pause. The longer you wait to express your views, the less influence they will have.


 

Thoughtful ...Courteous...Timely input on issues.


 

That’s it. Three easy steps to being a GREAT AMERICAN.


 

• Cast knowledgeable votes.


 

• Go to One meeting a year to watch, listen and learn.


 

• Offer thoughtful, courteous, timely input on issues.


Pledge to yourself to be a Great American!