The Learning Curve

When you learned to drive, did you tell the person trying to teach you, they needed to teach you differently? When you learned to fry an airplane, I would bet you started with book learning, followed by discussion and introduction to the air frame and then in the cock pit with an instructor, while he/she flew the plane. You continued the book learning and discussions with your instructor and spent hours learning how to safely operate and fly a plane. Then there was the first solo. You didn't rent a plane, grab the keys, start it up and fly.

When someone gets elected to public office, the good ones spend time learning what the position is all about. Most will start with volunteering on committees and talking to stakeholders, before the election. They will follow the goings on and learn the issues. In most instances, the person running for public office thinks they can do better than the person currently holding the position. There is a trigger that ignites the desire to seek that seat. This is where the agenda driven politician is born. 

The agenda. That thing that blinds. That thing that gets in the way of reason. Agendas are seldom positive. Agendas can be personal, political, ideological or hidden. Agendas come with a list of things to be considered or done; mostly personal. They are the GOAL that guides behavior and that is often, kept secret; hidden agendas. Then there is the political agenda; often an underlying ideological plan.

School Boards across the country have been battle grounds for people elected with agendas. In the early 90's the agendas focused on religion and ideological sociopolitical programs. The angry, disenfranchised, altruistic, single focused person sought validation by picking a single issue that resonated with a large number of people and set out to right a perceived or real wrong. When they win election, their agenda becomes validated and they feel empowered to charge full speed ahead to now fulfill the items on their agenda.

Because School Boards are usually small and local, they seldom garner much notice by the large majority of the citizens in a given district. This is magnified in districts with an aging populace, where fewer voters have children attending schools. But, catch their attention with an issue where money is involved, such as a property tax increase and you have the voters’ attention. Now use as your platform, you stand for every voter in the district and ask them to come together to help pursue the American Dream and to keep the dream alive for their children and grandchildren and you are on your way to getting elected. 

Take a stand for economic freedom with promises of reduced tax rates and reduced government spending. Add a promise of a debt free future so our children and grandchildren are not stuck with our bills. Their promise is grassroots activism (they won't call it that) ensuring open and transparent governance. They will tout their election as “the will of the people” and use this mantra when effecting change.

Sound familiar yet? It's the continued use of, "the election is the will of the people" as an excuse to the affect they are seeking. Seldom does the agenda driven politician care about understanding the role and responsibility of the position they were elected. They simply care about the changes they can effect, no matter the cost. They are not interested in the learning curve of governance. That is a hindrance to their agenda.

By the way; only 16% of those registered to vote who live in the boundaries of the PUSD, voted. That is a far cry from “the will of the people.”