Over the years I've been politically aware... and picked up my degree in government (What the rest of the world calls political science) I've had some really strange ideas about what elected officials at any level are SUPPOSED to be.
Winning an election should never mean that you now believe you've been handed the keys to the castle. It should never mean that you can just do whatever the hell you want, and screw your constituents.
It should NEVER mean this:
Those elected who hold the public trust have an obligation to represent the will of the people in every possible way they can. Madore does it. Mielke does it.
Clearly, Steve Stuart did not.
Stuart COULD have done it, but his ego superseded his responsibilities
He signed on to an agenda and he then put that agenda ahead of the will of the people he was sworn to represent, kicking them to the curb in favor of the special interests who seem to have rewarded his loyalty to them...over us... with a cushy gig in Ridgefield... one I believe he's wholly unqualified to fulfill.
But hey.... what the hell... he had to get SOMETHING in return for his vote to throw us under a TriMet bus.
And that's a shame.
Political differences can be forgiven. Violations of the public trust... arrogance... ignorance and failing in your duty to represent the people... which NEVER means ignoring the people... does not justify Stuart's decision to be the Molehill Moeller of the Board of Commissioners.... and is much more difficult to get beyond.
And that puts him beyond forgiveness.
The political tea leaves were clear: Stuart did not run for re-election this time because the fact is that he knew he would lose. And badly.
This way, he's getting out of Dodge on his terms. His wife, Heather, is apparently working to end any possibility that Ridgefield will get spit out of the legislature any time soon, since she's working to get GOP legislators defeated.... and while that may be a hoot for her, she needs to remember that such a thing has something of a ripple effect. She needs to recall that, in fact, all politics real ARE local.
That said, we are at last done with Stuart. I wish I could say he'll be missed. But if I did... I'd be lying. And for the people of Ridgefield... you have my sympathies.
Fortunately, this November, his GOP replacement will be elected, and the CTran Board can be taken over by the Commissioners block veto.
And imagine how much better off this community would be if that had happened years ago.
The muted response to his departure... the great silence, save for the democratian... goes to the heart of the matter.
He won't be missed.
And Steve, do yourself a favor: You try that "I only speak for Steve" stuff in Ridgefield for long?
You'll enjoy the fruits of your richly-deserved unemployment.
Winning an election should never mean that you now believe you've been handed the keys to the castle. It should never mean that you can just do whatever the hell you want, and screw your constituents.
It should NEVER mean this:
Those elected who hold the public trust have an obligation to represent the will of the people in every possible way they can. Madore does it. Mielke does it.
Clearly, Steve Stuart did not.
Stuart COULD have done it, but his ego superseded his responsibilities
He signed on to an agenda and he then put that agenda ahead of the will of the people he was sworn to represent, kicking them to the curb in favor of the special interests who seem to have rewarded his loyalty to them...over us... with a cushy gig in Ridgefield... one I believe he's wholly unqualified to fulfill.
But hey.... what the hell... he had to get SOMETHING in return for his vote to throw us under a TriMet bus.
And that's a shame.
Political differences can be forgiven. Violations of the public trust... arrogance... ignorance and failing in your duty to represent the people... which NEVER means ignoring the people... does not justify Stuart's decision to be the Molehill Moeller of the Board of Commissioners.... and is much more difficult to get beyond.
And that puts him beyond forgiveness.
The political tea leaves were clear: Stuart did not run for re-election this time because the fact is that he knew he would lose. And badly.
This way, he's getting out of Dodge on his terms. His wife, Heather, is apparently working to end any possibility that Ridgefield will get spit out of the legislature any time soon, since she's working to get GOP legislators defeated.... and while that may be a hoot for her, she needs to remember that such a thing has something of a ripple effect. She needs to recall that, in fact, all politics real ARE local.
That said, we are at last done with Stuart. I wish I could say he'll be missed. But if I did... I'd be lying. And for the people of Ridgefield... you have my sympathies.
Fortunately, this November, his GOP replacement will be elected, and the CTran Board can be taken over by the Commissioners block veto.
And imagine how much better off this community would be if that had happened years ago.
The muted response to his departure... the great silence, save for the democratian... goes to the heart of the matter.
He won't be missed.
And Steve, do yourself a favor: You try that "I only speak for Steve" stuff in Ridgefield for long?
You'll enjoy the fruits of your richly-deserved unemployment.
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