I was inspired to write tonight because some minutes ago, a ‘facebook’ feed appeared on my page. I hope you like my little story.
Last month, the one term Mayor lost a re-election bid. Insult. The Mayor is as much as $125k in debt. Injury. She ain’t alone. There are at least 3 more with 5 figure bills.
Why do they owe so much? Is the ante up required to match the special interests making the race to hard to run?
That is a blogable argument that speaks to several issues; the issue tonight is a problem of the candidate and not the process.
Many an advisor charges too much; I have seen a lot of people who were unqualified to fill my shoes make a ton of money from candidates. They don’t know the community, they don’t have a plan, they don’t know how to communicate, but people pay them because they have a brand name. Election night, I saw one guy walk away with two hundred thousand after giving his candidates no vision, and even less support. Trickery at its finest. It’s horrible to be an exhausted candidate and trust in an advisor, only to find out that person didn’t give the effort AND took your money. In a washed society, even minorities tend to think that the white man’s ice is colder….
In this atypical weather pattern that started in November, when it rains it pours. August deserts are December flood zones.
A scorpion is freezing on the banks of a disappearing hillside. The rains are closing in, and in minutes, there will be no more higher ground to climb. No where to run, the scorpion began to panic. Certain loss was eminent.
Meanwhile, a frog was basking in the new lake like it was Christmas morning and New Years’ Eve all at the same time. He swam past the scorpion several times but paid him no never mind until he heard the claws snapping towards him.
“Help me!” The scorpion yelled to the frog.
“Wha” the frog croaked back. “You’re a scorpion!”
“So, so what! I am going to drown; you have to help me, a fellow creature.”
“If I help you, you’re going to hurt me,” the frog countered. “So sorry, but helping you is a sacrifice I can’t make for free, the cost is too great, and I’m not sure if you deserve my help…”
“Hey, here’s my promise: you help me get to the other side of the water, and I promise to pay you back when you need it….please trust me.”
The frog thought about it, figured it was the right thing to do, and maybe he could establish a new relationship in the process. ‘It is good to have friends in high places’, he thought.
“Get on my back scorpion.”
The scorpion complied quickly, and as soon as he was settled, the shore was gone. Minutes later, in the middle of the stream, there was no turning back. In the pouring rain, the frog forged their way to the other side of the water, when all of a sudden “OW, hey that hurt! Why did you stab me in the back you scorpion? Now we both are going to drown!”
“Sorry frog, it’s my nature” was it’s only reply.
In some capacity, I helped several people in the last election. I was the advisor, understanding and making policy, introducing them to many of you, providing strategy, sitting in for them in meetings and forums, doing research and writing position papers. Hearing them bitch and moan about life, lack of support, and the ignorance of the electorate. Most were in various stages of the process; new and energized, older and principled, and some in between. But 3 of them were crooks, and fortunately I dropped two of them off my back in transit.
However, the third politico stabbed me in the back after making it to the other shore.
In evaluating whether or not I decide to help someone, I usually try to assume what they could do for most people, the greater good. You cannot seek to find the nun or the scout in this process; incremental change is the best that we can realistically expect, but we can always hope for that moral change agent. Fortunately for us, they do exist you just have to find them, and it gets real old turning over a lot of stones for them, and most of us give up and settle for 4th best. Fortunately for Oakland, these crooks I tried to help did not win. If we do have crooks in office this session, it’s not because of me.
In my case, crook #3 had the temerity to tell me that they couldn’t pay me our contracted agreement; not $2000..not $20. The problem is, unless you don’t give a frying fig what I think, or you’re a dolt, or you’re so self absorbed as not to care, you probably shouldn’t post pictures of a 5-star vacation at the same time crying broke.
Should I expose the fiend? Should I be saying to myself, ‘see you in court when you get back baby…?’
God, I need to put a harness on my back next time……..
holowe 