Economic and Social JusticePatriots with Heart...
Defending Democracy & Building Community |
April informatonal meeting |
May informatonal meetingDate: May 16, 2024 at 7 PM
Place: Democratic Head Quarters Program: Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and Author Mark Yonkman |
Democracy Demands Choices on the Ballot
If your email inbox is anything like mine, you are receiving 5-10 emails per day from a politician or political action committee asking you for money they need to get a candidate elected or to support a cause. Your snail mailbox may even contain similar pleas for your hard-earned cash. It seems like these incessant demands for donations start appearing earlier and earlier in the campaign cycle. The absurd amount of money that is required to run for just about any office these days is becoming a true barrier to entry for quality candidates who want to enter public service for the right reasons. You may be getting requests for donations from politicians who, if elected, will not represent you because they are running for office in another state or are running for an office in another part of Michigan. While I would like to see representatives from my preferred political party in the majority of all three branches of our state and federal government, I have decided to keep my contributions local this year to support candidates for the US Senate from Michigan, candidates for the US House from Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District, and any candidate in Manistee County. I recommend that you do the same. Our investments in support of local candidates will have the most significant return because their decisions have the potential to impact us all in real time. Our County Commissioners, Township Trustees, City and Village Council Representatives, and School Boards are responsible for setting the operating budgets for our local communities and being good stewards of the federal, state, and local tax dollars that they are allocated. We want to have qualified people in these important positions who have the wisdom and foresight to produce balanced budgets that address and support the social justice, economic justice, and environmental justice challenges we face while staying focused on doing the greatest good for the community. This can be a truly daunting task in this era of rapid change in all aspects of our lives. Incumbents hold distinct advantages in any political contest. They have name recognition in the public sphere. They have experience in the campaigning process and have a well-established team of supporters willing to get out and persuade voters to support their candidate. Incumbents know who and how to ask for money to support their re-election campaign. Incumbents in Lansing or Washington have mailing stipends to send their donation requests thinly disguised as “updates” without paying for postage. They also have access to the deep pockets of lobbyists who try to convince them to vote for their clients’ interests rather than for the benefit of their constituents. All incumbents have ready access to print and broadcast media sources that are willing to publicize their actions while holding office. |
Challengers to long-time incumbents on the ballot must overcome the basic human response of resistance to change. The general acceptance that their performance is good enough instead of seeking continuous improvement often leads to complacency. You may often hear an incumbent candidate trumpet a version of the safe but complacent phrase – “We have always done it this way around here!” – while taking their constituents’ support for granted. Choice in candidates also threatens the perceived power an incumbent may believe they hold through their elected position. All too often, the concept of power for personal benefit overrides the concept of public service. These are just a few of the reasons that make it much more difficult for candidates to challenge and win a seat held by an incumbent.
Having choices on the ballot is essential. Candidates who are challenging incumbents have the potential to bring innovative ideas and leadership styles that may be better suited to managing our current era of evolutionary change. Their fresh eyes and open minds have the potential to take advantage of resources that can improve performance and productivity at all levels of our democratic form of governance. The Manistee County Democratic Party is actively recruiting candidates for every position on the November 5th ballot, and we believe Manistee County residents deserve the opportunity to hear from new candidates who have made the challenging decision to run for elected office. We are committed to providing any candidate running as a Democrat with training, volunteers, and financial support to enable them to get out in the community and run a viable campaign in this election cycle. We expect that all candidates, incumbents as well as challengers for any office in Manistee County, will participate in public town hall meetings and potentially even civil debates. This exposure will help Manistee County voters make informed decisions in the voting booth. We hope that this very public request for candidates to step up will result in an increased amount of voter engagement in 2024. You will have until Tuesday, April 23, 2024, to file your application to get on the ballot for the November election. If you or a friend, family member, or neighbor would like more information on running for local office, please contact me using my email address printed below. The sooner the better! johnmhelge <johnmhelge@gmail.com |
We Believe
2024
It’s going to be a great year!! |