March 3 is the Texas primary. In my little county, the focus isn't on the presidential contest--a foregone conclusion in this deep-red community--or even on the state races, most of which are not realistically contested at the primary level, at least on the Republican side. The focus is on a handful of county races, which in this county are decided at the primary stage given the small local Democratic party's habit of not fielding any candidates. When November comes around, we almost never have any contested races for county positions.
This makes for a brief election season, kicked off in December with the filing deadline and finishing up in early March or, at the latest, in May with the run-offs. This spring it's all two-person races, so we'll be spared a run-off.
The big political event for us this year is that we have at long last a chance to express a view about our County Attorney, who also is our only prosecutor. In August 2017 she got into a feud with the police force for the county's only town of any size, which led her to boycott prosecuting any of their cases for years. Recently she's begun to prosecute a few, but given her tendency to announce "not ready for trial" repeatedly, then to dismiss cases, it's not meaning that much to us.
For reasons known only to herself, within the last couple of months she picked a fight with the Sheriff's office. Now, it was one thing to feud with the city police department, because the city officials, for some reason, are not really tied into the county's old-guard establishment. The Sheriff is another story. I don't know the guy well, but he seems to be a fairly regular guy with considerable integrity. Certainly he's got better credibility than the County Attorney--not that you couldn't say that of most people. Anyway, it looks as though she finally picked a fight she was unlikely to win. A week and a half ago she threatened to indict him, in public, at a large gathering. She's turned coy now and said she won't answer questions about it, because it would be improper to comment publicly on a potential indictment. That's rich considering the public nature of the threat.
I'm watching the whole thing with unusual interest. My interest is piqued in part because I really think we deserve a better prosecutor, and we went to a lot of trouble to line up a good challenger and unite behind her. It's also because there are a couple of good challengers for two seats on the 5-member Commissioners Court. My life on the court will be more pleasant if I have a couple of allies who will be reliable support on issues of transparency in government.
A fourth race is a peculiar one. Our soon-to-retire Tax Assessor-Collector has endorsed her chief deputy clerk as successor. Normally this would be a no-brainer for me, as I know nothing against either the current official or her designated successor. On the other hand, the successor is a perfectly ordinary bureaucrat, whereas a good friend chose to run against her on an eccentric and rather inspiring platform. He knows, of course, that the tax office is mostly ministerial and has next to no policy leeway. Nevertheless, he wants to follow a growing trend among Texas tax offices in pushing citizen education about tax and appraisal issues, especially in deciphering the appraisal protest and exemption processes.
I've been thinking about why his candidacy appeals to me so much, wondering if it's just because he's a friend. I think it's that he's a dedicated and thoughtful libertarian who puts endless effort into going door to door in every election trying to engage people in a very interesting political debate. There's an idealism there I don't see often. He has faith in people and doesn't fear rejection, even when rejection hurts.
I'm pretty sure what I'm connecting with is an echo of the old Borderlands Scots-Irish culture. If the Nazis were coming over the hill, this certainly would be the guy you wanted to stand with. Should he be running the tax office? Well, all I can say is I'd like to see more people like him in government. Citizens of courage are the only real bulwark between us and even the petty variety of tyranny.
11 comments:
You are right that courage and sincerity are not the primary skills needed for such a job. On the other hand, lack of courage and lack of sincerity are both things that could undo even a skilled official.
We do want first pilots that can fly planes, doctors that passed anatomy courses, and teachers who can read, and their moral characteristics may not be that important in the short run. There have been miserable bastards and criminals who have done those jobs well. But in the long run, the personal characteristics are going to eventually find a situation where they are important.
What's the worst thing that can happen? He'll be less aggressive at collecting taxes, I guess, which might leave you with budget shortfalls; which might mean shrinking the size of government (or at worst putting out a bond).
I'd give him a shot. Officials of integrity are few and far between.
He would never be less than punctilious in collecting the taxes that are actually owing. He just thinks taxpayers should get a better education in how the system works. The current office's attitude is the usual: "We do a good enough job educating the public by including notices on the backs of the tax bills we send out." And they are completely within the law. But that doesn't mean the voters shouldn't have the option of electing someone who will make the tax-collection process run smoothly AND be active in educating the taxpayers.
To my way of thinking, the best argument to vote for the deputy clerk is that the nuts of bolts of this operation are complex, so why take a chance with a newcomer? But my friend the candidate will happily keep the clerk and her staff on board if they're willing to stay, and he's quite bright, a quick study. Even if they walked out en masse, which I don't believe they'll do, he'll get up to speed. He's not a flake or an idiot--just someone who thinks much more deeply than his opponent. She's a very competent bureaucrat. He's something more.
Lucky! I live in the House 13th District, and the campaign ads started in November. They have been quite successful. I will not vote for the guy, and I would think for at least a minute before pouring water on him if his hat were on fire. (The icing on the cake? Having a scruffy person driving a car with Florida plates going door-to-door for the guy. Scruffy is not so much of a problem. Florida plates were the problem.)
Now that the rant is over, that's the biggest race up here. I have not gotten the voters' guide to see who is running on the (D) ticket. I have a few guesses, because one person in particular has run for state House every single time since I moved here 20+ years ago. I suspect his ghost will run for office at least once, just out of tradition. :)
LittleRed1
You know "nothing against" the incumbent or her preferred successor. You do know, though, things positive about the other contestant (his status as friend strikes me as empty optics--and so irrelevant).
The choice seems clear: no negatives vs positives.
We do a good enough job educating the public by including notices on the backs of the tax bills we send out.
I read--twice, even--those notices on the back of our Collin County tax warnings that come out in early fall and the official assessments we get in November-ish. That's some deadly dull reading; I'd rather a 19th century Russian novelist. In the original. It'd be good if your guy were available to answer questions, too, not just about the mechanics of paying a property tax, but the logic behind some of them, also, as much as such logic can be understood by someone who's not the politician legislator who pushed the compromise that got enacted.
Oddly, in Collin County, too, the biggest race is for Tax Assessor. Must be Global Warming. Or COVID-19.
Eric Hines
Well, most of what I know about him is from his being my friend. It's not the kind of confidence it's easy to pick up about someone you just met during campaign season at formal events. In fact, I suspect his campaign may not go all that well, because the qualities I see in him aren't necessarily coming across well to the public, many of whom apparently would rather play it safe with the long-term rather pedestrian bureaucrat.
But we'll see! He's really working hard door-to-door, and last year he was instrumental in getting a good candidate elected to the city council with the same methods. What's most interesting to me about the race is the contrast in philosophy, so surprising for this boring a title: do we want a competent bureaucrat, or do we want a deep-thinking libertarian public advocate who leaves the nuts and bolts of the office alone as long as the basic functions get covered?
do we want a competent bureaucrat, or do we want a deep-thinking libertarian public advocate who leaves the nuts and bolts of the office alone as long as the basic functions get covered?
There really ought to be both, but the bureaucrat should be subordinate to the thinker. Though it's critical that the thinker also think carefully about the competent bureaucrat's advice.
Eric Hines
Yes. If I thought this guy couldn't work cooperatively with the bureaucrats on his staff, I'd never support him. The top official, an elected position, should be able to ensure that his delegated staff keep the office running smoothly, while he attends to the public's concern--in his case, especially in the educational area.
I would just point out that you are better off trusting your instincts; If you are sure this guy would work cooperatively with the existing department and extend his hand for a smooth transition, then if the department revolts that probably tells you that you wouldn't want them in charge as the 'appointed successor' in the first place.
...and I just have to say, viewing the Sample Ballots for my county, I was mightily impressed to see that Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente is running as both Republican and Democratic Presidential Candidate (he has added "Guerra" to his Republican persona's name). Gaming the system as a perennial candidate.....
Agreed, if they got their noses out of joint and bolted, good riddance.
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