When I have people ask me advice about running for municipal government I give them one important piece of advice before even announcing, EDUCATE YOURSELF. In other words watch old meetings, attend current meetings, talk to present and past elected officials and city employees and get to know the issues and before announcing build a strong platform with solutions that encourage transparency and common sense government.
You don’t need to be a part of a party or group, in fact in city politics that is probably the last thing you want to be a part of.
I also advise to stick to the issues that affect all citizens. That means fringe or special interest social issues, faith and personal interests should be avoided. It’s okay to talk about these things, but when running for city government it is important to look at the big picture.
Also, be specific.
After looking at Mr. TenHaken’s website, I’m a little lost on specifics. He touches on some good issues but gives us NO solutions;
Crime Reduction, Fiscal responsibility, Affordable Housing, Workforce and Economic development, Moving Downtown forward and building consensus.
And if you look at his FB page you will see he doesn’t take many stands and asks readers to give him advice.
I hate to say it, but these discussions with the public should have taken place BEFORE you announced. If you want the city’s top job, you should know what you want to do in the terms of policy before announcing.
I’m not saying you can’t change some these policy ideas during your campaign, but you should have them written down to keep your message solid while campaigning. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
I don’t think Paul knows what he wants to do for us, it seems like he is just looking to win the race than figure it out later. I am NOT comfortable with that approach. You are building and managing a city NOT selling a website.
Having Faith, Being a People Person and wearing jeans isn’t a solid platform, it’s a starting point, and not a good place to be when you announce you are running for mayor.