Dick Spotswood: 2024 election a great time to make a difference, run for office

Those with the inclination and experience might consider stepping up to participate as candidates or apply for spots on city or county commissions.   

The foundation of the American government is at the local level, whether county, city or town.

In his 1885 book “Democracy in America,” Alexis De Tocqueville wrote, “Local assemblies of citizens constitute the strength of free nations. … A nation may establish a system of free government, but without the spirit of municipal institutions it cannot have the spirit of liberty.”

Marin residents are fortunate to have local governments that range from very good to occasionally excellent. That’ll remain true only if we make it our duty to participate as well-informed citizens. Those with the inclination and experience might consider stepping up to participate as candidates or apply for spots on city or county commissions.

This is the ground level of democracy. As America teeters on the edge, it’s essential that local government remains rock solid. Our national and state institutions have become decrepit as they were designed for different times.

Filing for Marin offices has already opened. The final day for candidates to file is Aug. 7. If no incumbent runs for reelection, the filing deadline is extended to Aug. 14. Council seats will be on the ballot in Belvedere, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Fairfax, Mill Valley, Novato, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito and Tiburon.

There’s also a flock of board of education and special-purpose board posts up for grabs. There is a plethora of opportunities for willing Marin residents to participate in governing their town or neighborhood. The pay is negligible. Despite the view of amateur cynics, the awards of public service stem from a sense of accomplishment and doing one’s part to be part of the solution toward improving our collective quality of life.

In recent years, Marin has seen some elections for city councils and school boards short of sufficient candidates to fill all the openings. This is a sign that their community’s civic life is in trouble. The role of seeking qualified candidates is shared by civic, business, labor and parent groups.

So far, well-educated and prosperous Marin has avoided the worst of the abuses that too many Americans blithely shower on even local officeholders. Those who complain and contend they could do a better job now have a golden opportunity to step forward as candidates for their local school board or town council.

Almost as bad as unfilled spots on the ballot are jurisdictions where only the incumbents bother to file. It’s no insult to any incumbent to face multiple challengers. Everyone, including incumbents and the citizenry, benefit from the give-and-take of vigorously contested elections.

To some incumbents, the lack of an opponent is a sign they are doing a good job. Not so. It’s a compliment to them when there are contested elections. It’s a sign that the incumbents have facilitated a vibrant civic culture.

As past South Bend, Indiana mayor and current U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says, “In local government it’s very clear to your customers – your citizens – whether or not you’re delivering. Either that pothole gets filled in, or it doesn’t. The results are very much on display, and that creates a very healthy pressure to innovate.”

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Kudos to the Novato Unified School District for taking action to curb the use of cellphones in schools that teach students from first through eighth grads. The use of social media with algorithms designed to reinforce biases is a prime reason that hatred, violence, bullying and division is swamping America.

Other Marin school districts should follow Novato’s example.

NUSD’s idea is to ask parents to “pledge” not to give their children cellphones until they reach high school. Let’s take it further. The use of cellphones on campus should lead to their confiscation with the device’s return made directly to the child’s parent.

Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net.