BiggerPockets

Good post, Heathen.

If those among us with good conscience do not stand up, accept responsibility and make ourselves heard -- whether as civic leaders or their supporters --then we will surely get the politicians we 'deserve'.

As a local elected official myself, I empathized and agreed that I hoped America would wake up and take charge.

If you don't mind me asking, what office do you hold?

Great thought, by the way.

In PA, the smallest level of government is a municipality (township or borough), of which there are many in each county. I realize in many states, the county is the smallest level of local government.

I served for a few years as a Township Auditor. In 2007, I successfully ran for School Board. Because of a very strong showing in the primaries, the then-sitting Board appointed me to take my seat on the Board 6 months early, when there was a resignation. When I accepted the position of School Director and was sworn in, I was forced to resign my Auditor position as per PA School Code (law).

Although our School Board in the 13th largest of the 501 in PA, it is still a local government position. I am able to be very responsive to the people. I generally return all phone calls or emails within 2 days and sometimes spend an hour or more on the phone with, whom politically-speaking are my constituents, but I prefer to think of them as my neighbors.

BTW, in PA, School Board is an unpaid and voluntary position. 90% of our activity is during the evening (after work).

Originally posted by Tim Wieneke

This is a fascinating idea.

How does one even begin in something like this?

Usually, the truly hardest part is DECIDING you want to do it and COMMITTING yourself to winning.

States can differ on these things, but I assume they are fairly similar: In PA, to get on the ballot for both Auditor and School Board required 10 signatures on a petition of eligible voters of the same party. School Board and Judge are two offices in PA which are considered "non-partisan" so candidates can cross-file, meaning: they can have a 10 person petition completed to run as a Republican, signed by Republicans and they can have a 10 person petition completed to run as a Democrat, signed by Democrats. Almost all candidates do this (as did I). By the way, I won as both an R and a D in the primaries, so it was the Republican me vs. the Democrat me in the general election. The Republican me won.

You have approximately a month to get the above noted signatures and other registered voters can "circulate" petitions on your behalf. BTW, you can sign your own petition, as can your wife, mom, dad, neighbor, voting age child, etc. By the time my fellow Malesics (family) got done signing, I was almost done.

Go make a difference in your own community.

This is a great post Christian. I wish our entire country thought like you. I'd also like to add there are other ways to make a difference if political issues aren't your "thing". Volunteering is a great way to contribute to your local community, especially with so many budget cuts. Schools, hospitals, and non-profit organizations are a good place to start. Thanks for the inspiration!

Giving back to your community in good faith will come back to you many times over. Just don't get caught up in the Political process. Try to educate, make your point by sharing a few new fresh ideas. It can be quite rewarding if you give a shot.
Mathews Associates
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Real Estate Investment Services

Your absolutely right,

The smaller more local organizations seem to have a Bigger effect on the community. The smaller organizations are a little bit more hands on.