8 thoughts on “Question of the Day”

  1. My husband is a local councillor. It’s a mix of frustration and the occasional feeling of having done some good, but the frustration is winning. It sounds snobbish, but some of his fellow councillors aren’t the smartest in the world, which makes the frustration worse, some how.
    I don’t think he regrets having done it (it’s a four year term), but I don’t think he’ll run again.

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  2. I served for five years on our town school committee (small; it was responsible for only one school!), two years as Chair. During that time we built a new school (hooray!), reorganized the administrative structure of the district and hired a new superintendent. There were certainly frustrations along the way (negotiating with the teachers union) but, on balance, I have to say it was good. It sure beats bowling alone…

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  4. First time here. Here’s the short version:
    Some years ago, I was a volunteer with our provincial educational television utility, TVOntario. We lived in a small northwest Ontario town and the only way to get TVO’s commercial-free, quality broadcasts was by cable, which meant a lot of crap as well as a money outlay.
    I learned that TVO would put up broadcast antennas in small towns, so I set about finding out how that was done. It meant a lot of paper chases through the utility, presentations to the township council and to the local Native band, getting petitions going, newspaper articles, and talking and listening to people. There was plenty of support for the idea.
    But: it took 2 1/2 years and a lot of scurrying about to find things like a free, good location for the broadcast antenna (boy, did I learn a lot about UHF broadcasting…!), hydro access, etc. Believe it or not, our family had moved away to Thunder Bay before the equipment was installed, the tower up, and the switch ready to be thrown.
    The regional TVO tech drove me back to the town (about an hour’s drive), where a small group of local folks and TVO reps clustered around the broadcasting equipment in the town’s elementary school. I threw the switches, and educational tv flowed freely to anyone who wanted it in the town. On the way home, I asked to stop in at one family I knew particularly who had waited all those years for this. Their pre-school-age children were clustered around the tv, watching an excellent children’s show–the family had given up the cable subscription long since.
    That tower is still there, and still broadcasting. I look for it every time we pass through that town. And I feel a bit of pride.

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  5. I’ve thought about it as well and having friends who do it loally it looks like it can be worthwhile in helpign to benefit and mold a town.

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  6. I helped found a charter school here in Colorado and am now president of the board of directors. While I’m extremely proud of the job we’ve done, especially since we’re quickly becoming one of the best run charters in the state, the personal attacks against me and the principal on a local BBS have been horrific. That and dealing with psycho parents who start rumors about teachers and the principal. Funny how the experience has brought out the best and the worse in people.

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  7. Last year I ran for and won a seat on the Town Board. It certainly has its tedious moments, but I’m enjoying it very much and learning a tremendous amount about the ways local government affects our lives, from tax rates to road maintenance, waste water treatment and fire protection.
    Read about my recent experience with Emily’s List campaign training at Ask A Woman to Run for Office

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