The benefits of being connected...Archived Message
Posted by Speaking Out on January 1, 2011, 7:07 pm
At election time I (try) to the keep candidates personal life out of my decision making. I want to focus on who I feel is best for the position and not allow it to get personal.
On the other hand, if I have knowledge of a candidates personal life that I believe makes their character questionable, no doubt that will have an impact on my decision making.
This year, unlike years past, what is impacting my decisions above and beyond anything else is how everyone seems to be connected in one way or another. I am sick to death of the networking and pat my back and I'll pat yours mentality in this town.
This one ______________fill in the blank, is employed at the board office and also wants a seat on the board.
This one ______________has a brother that is a janitor for the school district and his wife just happens to be an unemployed teacher or sub.
This one ______________is employed by the city and is a Granite City police officer and his wife is a teacher.
This one ______________ is a retired principal who has a son and other relatives that are employed at the township office.
This one ______________an ex county board member, that now works at MESD and his wife sits in a high ranking township position and other relatives or inlaws employed at MESD. Then throw a city engineer in to the mix.
This one ____________ in an elected position at City Hall with a husband who now sits on the school board.
I do understand that serving on the school board is not a paid position. But, the benefits are quite clear and I'm not talking about insurance. Most take their elected seats then reach for the door....the door of opportunity.
This school has a cafeteria position open, another school board member gets a relative a new job. All of this is strictly hypothetical of course, but I think everyone gets the picture.
Township offices, Sewer districts, Police dept, Fire Dept, school district....all connected in one way or another, way to many same last names.
Its time to let the door of opportunity open to a different set of names, I don't care what the age!