Q&A of the Day – Activism targeting South Florida’s local officials – Part 2
Bottom Line: There’s no better form of constructive activism aimed at local officials than accountability at the ballot box. The reason many local officials aren’t as responsive as many residents would prefer is the knowledge that most won’t vote. Creating groups to “hound” those officials isn’t likely to net a different result unless they know they’ll be held to account on Election Day. Frankly, it could lead to the opposite of the desired effect occurring - especially based on the way it may be spun in local news media. But even more to the point – I think it has the potential to have a chilling impact on the big picture.
When it comes to local elections far more often than not, I find myself voting for candidates whom I disagree with the least and/or perceive to be the “lessor of evils” so to speak. It’s rare that there are candidates I’m genuinely excited about voting for who are running for local offices. I’d prefer activism aimed at identifying, recruiting and creating a better pool of candidates for local offices. I think it’s far more effective to have better candidates who are more inclined to act in the best interests of their communities, than it is to attempt to influence mediocre (or worse) local officials to do a better job. That being said... I’d referenced the potential for a chilling impact on the big picture. Here’s where that comes into play.
With certain exceptions, a la a large city’s mayor, most locally elected positions include low compensation and a meaningful time commitment. If we’re looking for increased involvement from would-be high quality political candidates, are we more or less likely to see progress if there’s an effort to create groups of people who follow them around attempting to exact their desired outcomes? There’s a clear answer to that question at any time, but especially against the backdrop of recent events. I can’t speak to the motivation or potential appropriateness of those you cited but my opinion is that they’re well intended but potentially a bit misguided on where activism can be best applied to produce better outcomes.
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