The phrase “All Politics is Local” is just as true now as it has ever been.
In my position as Executive Director of your Collin County Republican Party, it seems not a day goes by without my receiving a phone call or an e-mail from a Republican voter angry at what is going on in Washington. They were told that in 2010 that a majority in the House of Representatives would make a difference. They were then told in 2014 that winning the Senate would make a difference. Republicans have now had the majority in both houses of Congress for nine months, and they see no difference. Many are disillusioned, and many are thinking of not even voting in 2016 if the trend continues. In the ensuing paragraphs I will outline why this would be a major mistake, and also how you can become involved in politics and have a direct voice.
In one county in 2006 it is estimated that 25-30,000 thousand Conservative Republican voters stayed home to protest Republican leadership in Washington. The Federal office holders that they were upset with still won their seats by decent margins. However, the unintended consequence of their staying home was that their local elected officials, the County Commissioners, county officials, judges, constables, etc., also did not receive these votes, and almost every Republican lost in that county, turning a red county blue. That county is just south of Collin County, and is known as Dallas.
When most people think ‘politics’ they consider only the National level, the Presidency, Senate and Congress. However, it is the state and local elected officials who affect your lives more on a daily basis. Which streets are built, expanded, and repaired; your property tax rates; how much you get charged for water; when are your libraries open; what is taught in your schools (for the most part), how traffic flows in your city; these and other issues are determined at the local level. The discussion in Plano concerning high-density apartments and the potential sport stadium being discussed in McKinney are not Federal issues….they will be decided by your local officials.
What then, can the average citizen do to become involved? I offer some suggestions.
- Get involved with your local party and local candidates. Click here to volunteer with your local party or with candidates you support. This allows you to be part of the process, to see directly what is occurring in your own community, and to have a voice in the direction of that campaign.
- Contact your local elected officials and let them know how you feel on local issues. They do want to hear from you. Don’t copy someone else’s e-mail and just add your name; receiving hundreds of the exact same e-mail dampens their effect. Write a letter or pick up the phone…make your voice heard.
- Contribute locally instead of nationally. While some might feel I am saying this as I work for a local party, let’s look at the facts. When you give to a national political organization, how is the money used? Which candidates does it support? Which state receives the money? The answer is you don’t know. When you instead give to the local party or to candidates, you know where the money is going and can see how it is spent, particularly if you also get involved with that local party or campaign.
Many people assume that since the Republican National Committee raises hundreds of millions of dollars your local county party is a beneficiary of those funds. The Collin County Republican Party does not receive any funds from either the Republican National Committee or the Republican Party of Texas…we are all separate entities. All of our funds are raised and spent right here in Collin County for the benefit of our citizens and our officeholders.
I fully understand the frustration felt by my fellow Republicans. My aim here is to give you a way to channel these frustrations, to enable us all to work together to elect the best leaders we can at the Federal state and local level. By participating at the local level you magnify your voice, and become part of something where your voice is directly heard.
Neal J. Katz,
Executive Director of the Collin County Republican Party
Contact Neal at 972-540-5985, or by e-mail at [email protected]
