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Political scene getting crowded

How many people are running for public office these days? When it comes to the 2016 Presidential race, there are no less than 20 individuals either declared or in a stage of “consideration” to declare. And then we have the local races, the village of Fredonia and city of Dunkirk, among others. (For the record, I have not declared nor am I in the consideration stage of declaring for any mayoral, council or legislative seat.) But running for public office does seem to hold some glitz and glamour for many others.

For instance, does Rand Paul really have a chance now that he has not only declared the Democrats as irresponsible, but has alienated himself from some of the more powerful individuals of his own party? Is he running to prove that he can do what his father could not? Is it ego that is driving him forward on this journey? Does Huckabee have it right when it comes to the Supreme Court? What is going on with Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, and why would Lindsey Graham leave his position in the Senate? And are we really going to go through another “will he won’t he” game with Donald Trump?

What is the platform that too many of the declared candidates are proposing? Hillary Clinton continues to hold her meetings with selected individuals while not answering the questions from the press. (Good for her, they will only want to ask about Benghazi.) Having said that, however, what exactly is her plan? She has disagreed with some of what Obama has done and says he wants to do, but she has yet to articulate her position on many of the issues of today.

The Republican front-runners, which according to Quinnipiac, Bush, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, and Carson, all seem to have pretty much the same message, e.g., Hillary is not trustworthy so we have to win. None have actually come out with a solid platform, nor have they stated what they plan to do should they be elected. As a matter of fact, Bush has still not officially declared. If beating Hillary is their platform, why are any of these individuals running in the first place?

It seems to me that people run for office for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is ego. How many actually run because they truly believe they can make a positive difference? Those who run for altruistic reasons are usually the ones who are not elected and that is sad.

Here in the Fredonia and Dunkirk areas, there are some really good people who have served and who want to serve, I wish them all the best. But a word of caution, it won’t be pretty.

Speaking as a prior city employee and manager, people can be nasty. There will be no rock unturned, no scandal uncovered, no good deed will go unpunished! Anyone with thin skin needs to think twice, because that mud can get pretty gritty and it will stick.

Science fiction writer Douglas Adams wrote, “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made president should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

His opinion could also be true for those wanting to become mayor – the job sometimes requires a manager and not a politician. I believe President George W. Bush may have had this same idea in mind when he said, “It’s clearly a budget. It’s got lots of numbers in it.” Which confirms my philosophy that governing and managing is not the same thing.

With the current political infighting in the village of Fredonia, and the discord in Dunkirk’s City Hall, maybe both of these entities should look at a professional to manage the day-to-day operations rather than continuing to elect good-intentioned individuals who may or may not have the necessary administrative qualifications. Knowledge and vision are important when it comes to running a village, city or the federal government, and without those two things it becomes rather chaotic. President Lyndon Johnson was right when he said, “It’s not doing what is right that’s hard for a President. It’s knowing what is right.”

This is true whether a mayor, trustee or councilperson, the desire to lead is not the same as having the ability to do so.

The Dunkirk Democratic Committee has come out with their slate of endorsed candidates and it looks like a well-balanced group; we will see what the Republican Committee presents. The candidate list for the various positions in the village of Fredonia seems to continue to grow and that is a good thing. In any event, this will be a very interesting year – locally there are choices that we all need to be concerned with, nationally, we have another year to go while the jackals in both parties do their best to destroy one another.

Before going to the polls, however, it is incumbent upon each of us to learn about the candidates’ qualifications. We must ask ourselves about their motives, experiences, philosophies and values before casting our vote. Regardless of party, we must consider the individual and what they can bring to the table.

We need to look at where we are today and ask ourselves if we want things to continue along the same path, or is it time for a change? If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain, and if you do vote please make it an informed one. Voting is an obligation to those who have fought and died for your freedom and right to do so; that’s what makes America the greatest country in the world.

The political season is just beginning, it’s your village, city, country – get involved.

Have a great day.

Vicki Westling is a Dunkirk resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com

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