Sunday, January 22, 2012
Candidate's Statement of Qualifications
I am running for re-election to the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors. My background includes school teaching and administration. I also worked as a talk show host for a local radio station. From this work I honed skills which serve me well as a Supervisor. One such skill is active listening. Another is getting quickly to the task at hand. My experience as an elected official in Tuolumne County goes back seventeen years, ten of which were served on the Sonora City Council. From City government, I learned how to keep an open mind so as to gather the wisdom of different points of view. The last seven years on the Board of Supervisors have taught me to consider the bigger picture when I cast my vote. I believe my education, experience, and temperament qualify me to ably hold the job of District 1 Supervisor.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Job That Opens Up Every Four Years
I've been an elected official for over 16 years, and there have been times when I wished there was a job description to guide me. The fact is that no such thing exists in politics -- whether at the national or local level. Basic information about jobs like President, Senator, Governor, and Supervisor pop up in sections of our Federal and State Constitutions, but there is nothing all in one place that an elected official can refer to. Come to think of it, voters have nothing to go on either.
The main activity of a County Supervisor is decision-making. Some people call it "policy making," but that isn't accurate. Majority decisions make policy. Those voting in the minority make a decision, but not policy. In order to make decisions, a series of other skills are helpful. For example, a Supervisor should enjoy reading because that's a big part of the job. He or she has to be able to think critically, separating the essential from the non-essential sometimes in a matter of minutes. It helps to be confident enough to reason with other people without rancor. A Supervisor has to be able to make a decision -- even if it is to abstain. Probably the most important thing a Supervisor has to be able to do is vote, and not just when the coast is clear. A big part of the job is voting under pressure.
That's my take on what County Supervisors do. The voters have to decide if a candidate will meet their expectations. I hope they will look for someone who likes to read and is able to deliberate with others. I hope they think about whether their candidate can make decisions under pressure, and then, of course, follow through by voting under even more pressure.
If so, we'll all be better for it.
The main activity of a County Supervisor is decision-making. Some people call it "policy making," but that isn't accurate. Majority decisions make policy. Those voting in the minority make a decision, but not policy. In order to make decisions, a series of other skills are helpful. For example, a Supervisor should enjoy reading because that's a big part of the job. He or she has to be able to think critically, separating the essential from the non-essential sometimes in a matter of minutes. It helps to be confident enough to reason with other people without rancor. A Supervisor has to be able to make a decision -- even if it is to abstain. Probably the most important thing a Supervisor has to be able to do is vote, and not just when the coast is clear. A big part of the job is voting under pressure.
That's my take on what County Supervisors do. The voters have to decide if a candidate will meet their expectations. I hope they will look for someone who likes to read and is able to deliberate with others. I hope they think about whether their candidate can make decisions under pressure, and then, of course, follow through by voting under even more pressure.
If so, we'll all be better for it.
Friday, January 13, 2012
What the World Needs Now
When I first got to know Dario Cassina, I was a new teacher at Sonora High's Continuation program, which was called "Opportunity School." The year was 1972. I noticed immediately how well he worked with the students, many of whom were troubled. He was able to cope with whatever they said or did with equanimity. Instead of rising to their bait, he tried to get the best out of them by teaching better ways to communicate. He was not a punisher. He smiled and laughed a lot, and mostly had a good time. Many of the students had never met anyone like him. What an inspiration he was!
He insisted that there was no secret to his success. He talked to the students about the routines of their daily lives. His conversations with them were friendly and he paid strict and respectful attention to what they had to say. He made his classroom into a bright light in their lives.
When people talk about what is needed in Tuolumne County, they often say things like "better jobs," "better housing," or even "a Trader Joe's." I would like to add to that list. I say we need more teachers like Dario Cassina whose influence on community life is immeasurable. We need more people we can look up to. We need people who can do what Dario did at Opportunity School, which is to work effectively with young people who feel that life is hopeless. He talked to those young people in the same way he talked with anyone else, and they, in turn, came to experience themselves as valuable in his eyes. That feeling changed them, and those changes had a ripple effect in the wider community. Over the years, we all benefitted. Dario Cassina was one of a kind, and we owe him a great deal. His passing reminds me of how much more work there is to do in strengthening our community.
He insisted that there was no secret to his success. He talked to the students about the routines of their daily lives. His conversations with them were friendly and he paid strict and respectful attention to what they had to say. He made his classroom into a bright light in their lives.
When people talk about what is needed in Tuolumne County, they often say things like "better jobs," "better housing," or even "a Trader Joe's." I would like to add to that list. I say we need more teachers like Dario Cassina whose influence on community life is immeasurable. We need more people we can look up to. We need people who can do what Dario did at Opportunity School, which is to work effectively with young people who feel that life is hopeless. He talked to those young people in the same way he talked with anyone else, and they, in turn, came to experience themselves as valuable in his eyes. That feeling changed them, and those changes had a ripple effect in the wider community. Over the years, we all benefitted. Dario Cassina was one of a kind, and we owe him a great deal. His passing reminds me of how much more work there is to do in strengthening our community.
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