Candidate for
Council Member; City of Piedmont

Public Service In Piedmont

Serving in public office in Piedmont doesn't have quite the same perks as it does elsewhere. You don't get a salary, you're not famous, and the opportunities for graft and corruption are pretty minimal. You get to enjoy endless committee meetings, late night Council sessions, and always have the on-going opportunity to piss people off when you try to do what's right, instead of what's popular.

But there's also true psychic compensation. You know that most of your friends and neighbors don't pay attention to what you do, because what you're doing, works. Piedmont has beautiful parks, great police and fire, and smooth streets. We have a darned good place to live, in part because you've done your job well.

The real satisfaction comes when you're in a contested election. Of course, you'd always rather kick back, but it's only when you have to campaign that you learn that at least some of those neighbors who you think haven't paid attention, actually do appreciate your accomplishments.

Piedmont candidates don't get suitcases filled with cash from sinister special interest groups. Campaigns are homespun, grassroots affairs. People who know the candidate, frequently from having worked alongside them as a fellow volunteer, will chip in a few bucks. Most candidates never see a $100 contribution.

Yet relatively speaking, even a low-key Piedmont campaign is expensive. Just one mailing costs thousands of dollars, and that's only the beginning. Unless you're a local version of Ross Perot or Mitt Romney and prepared to use your personal fortune, you need lots of community support. And that's not just checks from people who have seen you in action, but endorsements as well.

In many respects, endorsements mean more, much more, than checks. Most Piedmonters value their names and reputations a whole lot more than 25 or 50 bucks. When you see a campaign piece that lists hundreds of names, you're being told something very important. The people on there are often folks who have volunteered for committees, served on commissions, and given their time to the community. They know what it takes to serve. They're usually from the minority of residents who follow local politics closely and make informed decisions about who has earned their support. When they endorse a candidate, it's a personal endorsement.

This is how politics was meant to be, and this is the greatest reward possible for a Piedmont public servant. When you're not in it for money, fame, or power, your only possible reward is knowing that people who you respect, respect you for what you've done and what you'll do. Candidates who run unopposed never get the thrill of opening an envelope and finding $20 from somebody they've never met, or a short note of support and praise for your hard work and sound decisions.

And now I'm speaking from personal experience + those contributions and endorsements and volunteers put a tremendous, lasting obligation upon how you act in office. Each of those people gave you their support because they thought you'd do a good job. When it's 12:30 AM and the Council meeting is only just getting to some arcane issue, remembering people's expectations gives you an extra incentive to stay awake and pay attention.

Election campaigns are tough. Public service is tougher. And that's why this time of year should be party time in Piedmont. We should all be celebrating the hard-working, public spirited people who spend countless hours over many years volunteering on committees. We should party hearty because there are people who are willing to run for office, and we should raise a toast to their volunteers, endorsers, and contributors. All these folks, working together, help make Piedmont a wonderful place to live.

Piedmontage Column 1/23/08