Special Interest Group (SIG) can mean a lot of different things. It can be applied to any individual or group of individuals willing to put time and energy into a particular area of interest. Of course, this is my own personal definition of SIG.
Using this definition, isn’t it likely that each and every candidate for public office is a SIG? Nobody runs for elected office without an agenda of their own. Sometimes, that agenda is couched as being for the greater good when in reality it is the ego of the candidate that is the stronger motivation. That old story of “I know what is best for you” just doesn’t cut it with me. None of us need someone dictating what is best. We need people who will listen to us, discuss the issues openly, and through cooperative efforts work with citizens to determine what is best.
How can you get some degree of insight into whether a candidate is running to boost his/her own ego and when he/she wants to serve the public?
This is the reason why, when I am deciding which candidate to vote for, I look at these specific items:
- Has this person served in an elected position before and if they have how did they perform?
- Voting Records
- Bills/Code Changes they have supported
- Accessibility to the public (do they even bother to return your phone calls?)
- Do they encourage public participation in decision-making
- Who is funding/supporting the candidate?
- This is often not available in local races yet you can see some of this by where their signs are located, where they have flyers located, where they are seen walking around, talking, and shaking hands.
- Endorsements by specific individuals or groups is not always highly visible. Often, it is done in small gatherings that are not publicized. Keep your eyes and ears open to pick up hints.
- Has this individual done anything to earn my trust or distrust?
- Is what this person says backed up by actions? Or, does he/she simply say what they want someone to hear and then do whatever he/she wants?
- Has this person been honest in responding to questions?
- Does this person listen to people or simply talk without listening?
- Does this individual appear to have a good understanding of their own values and interests?
- The only way that someone can make sure that their PERSONAL values and interests do not stand in the way of the public good is to be fully aware of their own biases.
- It is only by understanding what his/her own personal values and interests are that he/she can make a conscious decision to set them aside when they are not in the best interests of the public they serve.
- In situations where this person has a clear personal interest in the outcome of a decision, do they have the courage to remove themselves from the discussion and voting so as to insure they do not let personal interest override the needs of citizens?
- Does this individual have a clear awareness that he/she is being elected to represent ALL of the people in their jurisdiction, not just the ones that supported them and voted for them?
When I hear a candidate insist that he/she is the best person and knows what is needed by the people, I usually cross that person off my list of possibles.
I look for those candidates who are willing to admit that he/she does not have all the answers. I look for those candidates who acknowledge that he/she needs to find out what the public wants and that research into the issue needs to be done BEFORE any decision is made. A lot of elected officials get so caught up in what the PROFESSIONALS say that they do not acknowledge that the true PROFESSIONALS in a community are those who live in it.
Elected officials fail to do their job when they do not strive to include the public in decision-making and are swayed by special interest groups rather than looking at the good of the majority.
Experience is not the most important thing for a candidate to have. A willingness to learn, a willingness to listen, and a willingness to support the people’s choice even when it runs counter to his/her own personal values and beliefs all carry a great deal more weight with me.
Don’t forget to vote. And, when you vote, simply ask yourself why you are voting for a particular person. You are giving this person a great deal of power over your life, do not give it casually.
