About District 4

Fourth District, Calaveras County, CA

Altaville | Angels Camp | Douglas Flat | Murphys | Vallecito

Life beyond the Campaign

American political campaigns take way too long. Most democracies conduct their elections in much less time without the hype and expense. Nevertheless, there is something uniquely American about how we test our candidates. The long campaign period reveals whether an individual has the depth of commitment, the physical stamina, and versatility to deal with the demands of public office.

For incumbents, campaigns can become a distraction to their current responsibilities as public servants. For me, I make a conscious effort to plan my activities so that the politicking does not reduce my attention to City Council business. During March, as Vice Mayor, I represented the City in a number of different meetings. I appreciate these opportunities as they expanded my understanding of county-wide issues, especially our common economic development challenges. I have heard several core questions from other participants in those meetings.

How do we maintain our quality of life while creating jobs and expanding local shopping options? How do we manage the impact of new economic development without burdening existing population?

These questions, and many more like them, need answers that go beyond "Not in my backyard" or "No Planning". Simplistic slogans only offend thoughtful people and polarize communities. Dialog takes time and good campaigns give the people time to evaluate the candidates' answers to these questions. Check out my answers on the web at ThePineTree.net or on Calaveras TV channel 7 or in person at one of the candidate forums being held by civic and media organizations (see the Event Listing for times, dates and places)

Please send feedback to "Write Lee".