First off, thanks to the many people who have picked up forms from Moose Jaw Express office, potentially running for mayor or council in this fall’s civic election.
In many conversations, many have asked what special skills one would have to run for office, or other comments include ‘I don’t know anything about civic politics.’
Generally, my response goes something like, “It’s not about knowing about politics…”
The first thing one should know is that they need to ask questions, and if something doesn’t smell right in the kitchen, then ask more questions. The worst thing one can do is to make a decision based on misinformation or very little information presented. If it’s not a life or death issue, it can wait.
Another quality I would like to see in a candidate is the use of a little common sense. To me, this is something that seems to have been missing in council meetings for some time. People need to remember, the city manager’s position is to run the city, but his appointment is to take direction from the mayor and city council, who should be informed on the items presented. If an option on how to deal with a specific issue presented does not seem right, more options should be presented; it should never be a ‘one and done’ that is presented to a council.
Also, it is imperative for a candidate to say something and be involved.
We as a publication get accused of writing only what Councillor Swanson says, but to be honest, we just write what is said in the public Monday night council meetings; Councillor Swanson generally is the only bird in the cage singing, and believe it or not, he only receives the meeting notes shortly before council but is engaged enough and armed with knowledge of the situation to participate and ask relevant intelligent questions. We don’t need people to just sit there and nod their heads in agreement with the group without maybe offering an explanation of their own as to how they came up with their deduction. We need a council that can use their heads; it’s ok to think and just fine to ask questions and make comments.
Another quality that would be very advantageous would be some business sense.
A business background or even some understanding on how to run a business would be helpful but if one doesn’t have that, asking questions to a few experienced businesspeople would help.
This is something I still do today, and I started my first business when I was 14.
There is wisdom in the council of many, and quite often if you get out of the forest, you tend to see more clearly.
Lastly, I often say, if you do get elected to serve the citizens of Moose Jaw, you must remember that the elected office does not come with a smart pill.
You need to exercise humility, honesty and integrity and know that you will make mistakes. People will forgive you if you own up to it but will absolutely not be impressed if you try to cover things up. You need a no-nonsense approach to the office and it is imperative to continually communicate with all of the citizens of the city, even if you feel there is nothing pressing to speak about.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to the next election and hoping for real change, real communication and plain and simple, people who are just real.
Rob Ritchie,
Publisher
