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Let the Campaigns Begin
By Damon Circosta
Published: Feb. 8, 2010
RALEIGH - On Sunday, the NFL concluded its season. While the hoopla and pageantry of the Super Bowl are impressive, there are even more dramatic contests emerging throughout North Carolina. In these competitions the winners won’t get showered with Gatorade or mobbed by adoring fans. But a victory gets you so much more than a trophy. A win gives you the opportunity to govern.
Candidate filing time is underway for this year’s elections. From now until the end of the month prospective politicians will decide if this is the year they want to throw their hat into the ring of electoral politics.
Typically, only political insiders pay attention to the filing period. The public spotlight won’t be focused on these contests for months. But in many ways, filing time is when the promise of self-government is most evident.
Filing time is when almost anyone can take a look at how things are being run and declare, “I can do better.” It’s democracy at its purest. Before the campaigns, debates and endless 30-second TV spots comes the simple act of heading to the local board of elections and signing up for public service.
Sadly, many officeholders won’t even bother with a campaign this year as the filing period will come and go without a challenger. Some incumbents will face only token opposition because funding a campaign is expensive and resources to compete are hard to come by. While running for office isn’t for just anyone, our system is currently designed in a way that makes it impossible for almost everyone.
There are some changes we could make that would embolden more of us to serve. Though these changes aren’t radical, they would go a long way to ensuring that the line at filing day has more than one person in it.
First, we need to make the job pay a living wage. State lawmakers are currently paid about $14,000 a year for their work -- not nearly enough for a typical North Carolinian to support his or her family.
Giving politicians a raise might not be the most popular idea, but right now the only people who file for such offices as the Legislature are those who have other means of support. Politics is no different than anything else; you get what you pay for.
Next, we need to rethink our campaign process. Right now campaigns are lengthy, expensive and waged almost entirely through paid media. This keeps many prospective officeholders sidelined.
The qualities that make a good public servant are the ability to listen to constituents and think deeply about policy. Right now, the qualities that get you elected are the ability to raise funds and speak in sound bites. From public financing of campaigns to free airtime on the public airwaves, we need to make running for office a more thoughtful, less frenetic ordeal.
Lastly, we need to applaud those who offer to serve. North Carolina has seen its fair share of public corruption lately. Despite some of these high-profile scandals, the vast majority of office seekers are driven by a desire to improve our government. Wrongdoers need to be punished, but “right-doers” need to be praised.
Making public service accessible is important. Competitive elections have a way of refocusing our public officials on the concerns of the people they represent. Issues get discussed, platforms get considered and voters have the opportunity to choose.
It’s an old adage in politics that if you want something changed, it’s best to catch a politician while he’s running. Let’s hope by next filing day, fewer candidates are running alone.