Tuesday, March 17, 2009

CC Headliner to Host Candidate's Forum at the Ozark VFW

Howdy!  I have received confirmation from Donna Osborne that the CC Headliner will be hosting a candidate’s forum at the Ozark VFW on Thursday March 26th.  I think it will start at 7 pm.  I understand that the Alderman candidates will be allowed to speak for 2 mins followed by a Q&A with the four Mayoral candidates.  I am not sure a format or rules have been determined yet.  Although the event is occurring with very short notice, I would like to thank Donna Osborne and the CC Headliner for hosting the forum.  The public should be given opportunity to meet with all of the candidates.    

An uninformed vote is a dangerous vote, so come out to the forum and get to know the candidates. 

2 comments:

  1. In my mind, the purpose of a City Council, State Senators/Representatives, and on up the food chain, is to eliminate the need for everyone in town, county, or United States, to attend Council meetings, etc.
    A successful representatiive regardless of
    party affiliation, will maintain contact with as many of their constituents, as possible, within their district, ward, etc. And in so doing, have knowlege of what, specifically they want and are interested in having addressed... Bearing in mind, that while the Representative may have good ideas, on their own, and should dicuss that with the people they represent, in the end, the people they represent should have the last word concerning the vote..If they continuously vote with the majority of their constituents, they should be able to count on making the majority happy in whatever decision making taking place, within local Government.. Never will any representative be able to please all..
    Sadly, most of our elected officials forget, that they were not elected, entirely for their ideas, but their promise to represent the People... That being said, I finish.

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  2. You make some good points. I think it is VERY important that our reps make every effort to be as available as possible to the people they represent. That is one of the problems we have in Ozark right now. The Alderman don't even have their phone numbers or email addresses posted on the city's website. You have to call city hall to get a list of their phone numbers. Not very accessible. If I am elected, I will continue to post on this blog so I can get input like yours while I'm in office. I will also hold monthly get-togethers where you can come out and meet with me in an informal setting and voice your concerns and ideas.

    The only thing I disagree with is where you talk about the rep always voting with the majority of their constituents. For starters, there is no definitive way, without a formal election, to determine what a majority of your constituents want (and even that is not truly definitive). Also, I don't believe a rep should disregard their principals to appease the public. It is important for me, as a candidate, to be predictable. I have principals and you as a voter can rest assured that I will vote in a way that aligns with those principals. I will not shoot from the hip, and you will always know what to expect from me. Whether you agree with me all of the time or not, you can at least know that I will be consistent in my decisions.

    Thank you for your input. It is intelligent and well thought out, and I appreciate it.

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