In my experience, most "netroots" progressives are the kind of people who follow the national news. They’re likely to already know who’s running for President on both the Democratic and Republican sides. They’re likely to know who’s running for Congress, Senate, or Governor in not only their own state, but also states half way across the country. They’re likely to have contributed money to a candidate, or to have spent time working for one (or more) themselves.
If you’re reading this, I assume that this description fits you, at least somewhat. But, is it enough to be up to date in the presidential race? Are you serving democracy – and the Democratic Party – adequately enough by supporting congressional and senatorial candidates? Or, is there more you should be doing?
As former House Speaker Tip O’Neill was known to say, "All politics is local." But, how many of you know who represents you at the county and municipal levels? How many of you know who’s running in your area in local races this year? And, how many of you plan to actively campaign for local level, Democratic candidates?
More below.
To start off, I’m a believer in the idea that most people find themselves naturally interested in politics at one level of government more than others. There are people, for example, who know, in depth, every issue that faces candidates at the municipal level in their area, but whom would be lost discussing the presidential candidates, or Iraq and the Supplemental Spending Bill. In the same vein, there are people who can recite every obscure detail about the most recent federal budget, but are lost when it comes to discussing their local mayoral race.
I think that’s perfectly natural. Different people will have different interests. I myself am more inclined towards national politics, meaning that, on average, I’ll spend much more time keeping up with the national news and national issues than I will with state or local news (if I spend any time on that at all).
However, even if you’re less interested in local issues and elections, that doesn’t mean that they’re not important.
Our county and municipal governments are the governments that are closest to us, and, therefore, touch our lives more than governments at the state and federal levels. Therefore, the efficient – or non-efficient – functioning of your local government can have a huge impact on your life, and your standard of living.
At the same time, local politicking is drastically important for the Democratic Party. Local races and local elections serve as a type of "training ground" for candidates who might someday run for higher office. A candidate who runs for – and serves on – your local school board, or city council, or county commission, will make a much more polished candidate if they someday decide to run for Congress. Successfully serving in local government – especially county wide – will also give them much better name recognition than a congressional candidate who is running for office the very first time.
In short, if you have good Democrats serving you at the local level, that means you have a much better chance of having one of those good Democrats take their years of experience, and their name recognition, and use them to unseat the Republican rubber stamp who’s been (mis)representing your district in Congress for longer than you’d prefer to think about.
First, however, you’ve got to make sure that Democrats can actually get elected to local office in your area. And, that means actually campaigning as hard for local candidates as you do for our Democratic Congressional, Presidential, and Gubernatorial nominees.
That was why, on Monday evening, I attended a candidate’s forum for the Democrats running for county commissioner in York County, Pennsylvania.
The forum was a part of the Grassroots Speaker Series that’s sponsored by the Democratic Party of York County. All three candidates for county commissioner were there: Doug Kilgore, a former dairy farmer, and the lone Democrat currently on the York County Commission; Doug Hoke, a fiscal administrator for the York Public School Authority; and Ned Grove, a retired electrical engineer, and former mayor of Dallastown, PA.
There are three seats on the York County Commission. Each party nominates two people, and the top three candidates in the general election go on to become commissioners. This guarantees that the commission always has at least one "minority party" member, no matter how "one party" the area might be. As it seems likely that Doug Kilgore will be re-nominated for another term on the York County Commission, the "real" fight will likely be between Doug Hoke and Ned Grove for the second Democratic slot on the ballot.
The forum itself was very informative, and helped me gain a clearer picture of the candidates, and why they were running. Each person was asked pre-prepared questions that were picked at random. The candidate who was being questioned had 3 minutes to respond. However, in the interest of fitting in as many questions as possible, only that candidate would respond to the question. Anyone interested in getting the views of a candidate on a question that he was not asked would get a chance to talk to them personally at the "social time" set up at the end of the forum.
The forum began with each candidate being given five minutes to discuss themselves, their background, and why they feel they should be elected to the York County Commission. Questions that were asked during the forum ranged from those dealing with York County’s environmental quality, to the proper use of eminent domain, to how to best promote Democratic viewpoints in York. The entire thing lasted no more than an hour and half, but was incredibly useful in helping me "get up to date" on the county commissioner race.
Every candidate was impressive, in his own way. Doug Kilgore brought up his experience from four years as a county commissioner. His performance in 2007 seems much improved from 2003, when he initially ran for the seat, and was still somewhat "unpolished." He seems to have learned quickly, and seemed to have an in depth grasp and impressive knowledge of the issues facing York County.
I especially think that Commissioner Kilgore brought up valid points on the environment. He discussed why he backs Smart Growth, to ensure that we plan our communities better, and place houses and new developments where the infrastructure already exists to support them. He also advocated making planning laws stronger, so that the county has a stronger role than the merely advisory position that it plays today. In one area of controversy, the recent use of eminent domain by York County to protect environmentally sensitive areas, Commissioner Kilgore defended the county’s actions, admitting that using eminent domain is always a tough decision, but that we "need to think about what we want our county to be like 10 years from now."
Doug Hoke used his position as a financial administrator to his advantage, especially in discussing how to keep county spending fiscally responsible. When asked about cost overruns in county building projects (as with the newly constructed York County judicial center) he discussed the need for more oversight, and the need to hold both venders and the county government accountable. Mr. Hoke feels that he is qualified to do this, because, in his current position, he helps to oversee $2 billion a year in tax exempt construction bonds for public schools. All in all, I felt that Mr. Hoke seemed very thoughtful as a candidate, if not somewhat vague with some of his answers.
Ned Grove spent a great deal of time talking about his past service as an elected official, as a former treasurer of Windsor Borough, and as a former Mayor of Dallastown, PA. He seemed to be the most anti-eminent domain of the three candidates, speaking out against what he referred to as "recent abuse" of the power. He was also the candidate who most frequently called for cuts in county spending, though, just what he was planning on cutting was mostly unclear. On the other hand, he was willing to embrace an active role for the county government in some areas, such as maintaining the fiscal solvency of York City, which he says deserves county help because of "all of the tax exempt property" located there.
Very notable was the fact that, throughout the forum, the need for commissioners who can "get more money back from the state and federal governments," came up repeatedly in regard to local issues, from all three candidates. Among other things, it came up when the candidates were asked about county funding for fire fighting, mass transit, county children’s services, and local services for the elderly. The general view among the candidates seems best summed up in a statement by Ned Grove: Pennsylvania was formed as a "Commonwealth," so that county and municipal governments could have some level of independence, while also being tied together for the common good. Yet, it seems as though the "common good" aspect of that arrangement is increasingly forgotten.
Also notable was the fact that all three candidates for county commissioner repeatedly complained about Pennsylvania State inaction in regard to long promised property tax relief. Each candidate felt that, in addition to needing a county commission that will lobby state and federal government for more funding, we also need county commissioners who will make clear to our state legislators that they need to end the delay on property tax relief, and soon.
In short, by listening to the county commissioner’s forum, the impact of the Bush administration’s fiscal policies – which have put a tight squeeze on popular and necessary state and local programs – became a lot less abstract, and a lot more personal, as I got to hear first hand about which vital services (and which members of my community) have been getting screwed. In addition, attending the commissioner’s forum allowed me to hear a local level perspective on leadership failures at the state level of government, as local candidates worried about the state’s inability to deliver on its property tax promises.
Just as informative as the forum itself were discussions I had prior to the event starting, when Doug Kilgore came up to talk to me a bit. I first met Kilgore in 2003, when I interned for the county commissioner campaign of Jack Sommer, the other Democratic nominee. In 03, Doug obviously won, while Jack did not. But, because Jack and Doug ran a unified campaign, I spent quite a bit of time helping both of them out.
Commissioner Kilgore’s discussion with me was very enlightening as to the status of the York County Democratic Party. Our candidate recruitment has, it seems, been very poor in countywide races beyond the commission. While this is not unusual for York, which is a highly Republican area, it is a bit discouraging. There was recently a change in leadership in the local Democratic party. This change was supposed to make us better. Yet, we have much fewer candidates in the 2007 county elections than we did four years ago.
Every countywide elected position in York, beyond Commissioner Kilgore’s sole seat on the county commission, is currently held by a Republican. Our single non-commissioner candidate this year is in the race for County Clerk of Courts. That, at least, is positive, as the County Clerk of Courts position had been consistently held by a Democrat from 1975 until 2003, when he was unseated by a self described "Reagan" Republican. Supposedly, the Clerk of Courts position is "vulnerable" this year.
On the other hand, other local positions, such as York County Prothonatary and York County Sheriff are going without a Democratic candidate, which is not good. It’s not good from a party building standpoint, as having races without Democrats makes people question why they should bother voting Democratic at all. And, it’s not good for the fact that the Republican County Sheriff was involved in a scandal recently, and could potentially be vulnerable if only we had someone running against him. Instead, the voters of York County will simply not have a choice in that race, and the Sheriff will be handed another term unopposed.
After Kilgore finished talking to me, I was approached by an older woman, who looked to be active with the party. She asked me about my experience with campaigns, and then asked me to consider volunteering locally again. I ended up giving her my name and phone number, so she could contact me at a later date.
The York County Democratic Party, it seems, is as much in need of volunteers as it is candidates. And, that, I imagine, is likely the case with many local Democratic Parties, in many areas throughout the nation.
Our congressional victories last year were important. Winning the 2008 presidential election is also important. However, we must not let high profile, high volume races drown out what goes on with the party – and Democratic candidates – at the local level.
2007 is not a year for rest. Rather, it is a year to figure out which Democrats in your county, or your school district, or your neighborhood, are running for office, and to find out how you can help them in their efforts. Just because we are currently focused on the Democratic presidential primary does not mean that there are no other elections, at all, to place our time and effort into this year.
So, share with me, in the comments... What local elections are being held in your area this year? Who are your local and county candidates? What party events can you attend to hear them speak, and to get the "low down" on the status of your local party? What, if anything, will you do to help your local Democratic candidates get elected? What have you done at the local level in the past? If you were active locally in the past, but not today, why did you stop? If you have never been active in local elections, why not?
Regardless of whether or not Tip O’Neill’s adage remains true in this day of the "netroots" and "national issues," political development and party building still starts at the local level. For that reason, I encourage everyone to spend time this year helping your local Democratic candidates.