We Know Each Other
So What Happened to Decency?
There is something I have been thinking about lately. Not just as a candidate. But as someone who has lived and worked in this county for a long time. What happened to decency in local politics?
Because what we are seeing right now does not feel like Tuolumne County.
This Is Not National Politics
At the national level, politics can feel distant. Anonymous. Loud. People say things they would never say face to face. Campaigns are run through television ads, social media clips, and headlines designed to grab attention more than tell the truth.
That is not how local government is supposed to work.
Here, we are not anonymous. We see each other at the store. At school events. At the gas station. At community gatherings. Our kids grow up together. Our businesses depend on each other. When a storm hits, we are the ones helping each other dig out.
This is personal.
And that is exactly why decency matters more here than anywhere else.
When the Conversation Leaves the Issues
Something else has been happening lately that is worth talking about. Not in a dramatic way. Just honestly. I have heard of people on all sides of these campaigns having their signs taken down or stolen. It has happened in my campaign as well.
I have also heard things being said that have nothing to do with roads, fire safety, the budget, or the actual responsibilities of this job. And that is the part that should concern all of us. Because when a campaign shifts away from the issues, it usually means one thing. The issues are n’t the priority.
So the focus turns to something else. And that something else is almost always divisive, personal, it starts to get murky, and a lot less helpful to the people we are supposed to be serving.
This Is Not Who We Are
We live in Tuolumne County, where people show up for each other. We saw it during the last storm. Neighbors checked on neighbors. Generators were shared. Driveways shoveled. Roads were cleared. People stepped in without being asked. That is the real culture of this place. That is our standard.
And that is why this kind of behavior feels so out of place, childish, selfish and wrong.
This Is How It’s Supposed to Work
I have great friends here. People I have known since the day I called this place home. I have close family members that live around the corner. We can disagree when we get into the weeds of politics. And you know what we do? We talk about it. We listen to each other. We respect each other’s point of view. We remind each other who we are and why we believe the things we believe. And when the conversation ends, we move on. We talk about our kids. Our aches and pains after shoveling all day or chopping wood. We complain about our golf game. We tell stories about how big the one that got away was.
We remain friends!
Why? Because we are friends. We are family. We do not let things like “my fish was bigger than yours” get in the way of what actually matters. And what actually matters is the fabric of our community.
What Leadership Actually Looks Like
If we are confident in our ideas, we should not need to tear someone else down to be heard. That applies to everyone.
This job is not about winning arguments. It is about solving problems. It is about listening, even when the feedback is not what you expected. It is about working with people who do not always agree with you. And it is about making decisions that move the entire county forward, not just one side of it.
A Simple Truth
Stealing a sign does not change a vote. Spreading something that is not true does not solve a problem. All it does is take us further away from what this process is supposed to be. And that should matter to all of us, no matter who you support.
Where We Go From Here
We are heading into an important local election. There are real issues in front of us.
Fire safety.
Infrastructure.
Economic Development and Stability.
Tourism.
Jobs.
Housing.
These are serious challenges that deserve serious attention.
We can disagree on how to solve them. That is part of the process. But we should never lose sight of how we treat each other while we are doing it. Because at the end of the day, this is not about politics. It is about community. It is about what is best for OUR community.
And in a place like Tuolumne County, that should always come first.
