In this last election, while progress was made it was clear in my heart that people I thought had what it took to represent our community and had the right intention to do so. Because we had received a grant, the work that we were doing had to remain non partisan. This meant that we could not endorse a candidate or party, we were strictly out there to get out the vote and increase voter participation. When people asked who to vote for I had to recommend to they look up the candidates and their platforms online, even though I knew who had their best interest.
I found myself torn and confused because I worked so hard and I felt like simply getting out the vote was not enough. Fortunately, the people I thought should win, won and it was fine. I also realized now that the more one is involved in government the less vocal one could be in local politics, especially if you work in the city. There's the Hatchet Act and other rules and regulation that prohibit employees from being involved in local politics. That is understandable, the fact is you're serving and helping people everyday. I just had to learn to keep quiet a bit which is something I struggled with but learned to handle.
Very insightful points. I agree that it can be challenging at times, but you are right it is important to do the job at hand as well.
ReplyDeleteVania, you make great points about political participation. In fact, we discussed something similar in our HR class recently and the challenges that civil servants face in the political arena. Even if you can't put forth more information to give people about candidates, you're doing a good job by not favoring one party or candidate over another.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to your struggle of remaining non partisan. I too work in an environment were we must be 100% non partisan, I always make it a point to remind myself that even though i believe one particular individual has the best intention, many might not agree with me. It's important to remain open to the opinions of others, as everyone has different standards of what they consider a great candidate.
ReplyDeleteits very true- Im happy that it worked out in your favor, its definitely a much tougher game when it doesnt
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely difficult to not insert your own beliefs, or what you know is most beneficial to the public, in your responses. That's part of the political game though, I deal with this kind of thing regularly.
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