I am a trustee on my local township board. I decided to run as I had the interest and the time.

What I have found is that in my opinion the reason our form of government has lasted is because it is so inefficient. Nobody has the power to change much at all, even the President. This as kept would be dictators out at the price of having a huge and very bloated bureaucracy.

The biggest problem with our local board is the road commission. The state of Michigan sends their road tax money directly to them. This is just like giving a contractor a pile of money and saying what can you build for this amount? It should go to the customer which is the local boards and then out after a job has been done, not the other way around.

Iowafun is right, more diversity is needed at the local levels. The board I am on has several teachers and a nurse. I am a Tool & Die Maker and business owner. Where are all the farmers and shop people? They make up the vast majority of our population here in Central Michigan.

Our board tends to be too tight with the money at the price of efficiency. An example was it took one YEAR to get the board to approve to replace a hot water heater in the township hall! Drove me nuts! They kept saying "well, maybe we can get one cheaper here or do we need one that big or whatever". All the while the old inefficient heater was using up any perceived savings.

Nothing against public school teachers, I know I don't want the job, but school is not the real world. Business decisions are not structured and in the rule book. 1210 people live in this township and only about 20 are teachers, but they are way over represented on the board.

I think everybody on TractorPoint should run for their local township or county board. It would greatly help with having good hard working practical knowledge in government.

Just thought of one more issue - the media. I think in a few years the Internet may be our biggest hope for truth at the Federal level. The three major networks typical viewer is now over sixty. Most younger people use the Internet. Myself I check CNN, ABC, Fox, Drudge, Rush Limbaugh and Mike Moore daily to get VERY diverse viewpoints. And from there I can do google research very easily if I want to here more. Case in point is the Dan Rather scam from last year.

ksmmoto

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