During the past month, a lot of people have asked me why they haven't seen my periodic column on these pages of the Times. The answer is simple enough - editor Jeff Rogers and I agreed that since I have declared candidacy for the 80th Assembly District it would not be appropriate to be accorded regular space as a columnist on these pages. However, I requested, and editor Rogers generously agreed, to allow a column to explain my absence from these pages and to thank readers for their wonderful response to past columns.
Many people also have asked me why I resigned from the Monroe school board upon declaring candidacy for the Assembly. After all, there is no law that requires a candidate for the Legislature to resign from a school board. However, I believe it to be a prudent decision. Here's why.
First, let's clarify that an individual board member has absolutely no power or influence over district matters except through decisions made by the entire board. Whether we are on the majority or minority side of a split vote - and I have been on both sides - once the vote is taken, individual board members support the board's decisions.
The point is that I would not want my vote on a district issue to be viewed as politically motivated. Even if in my own mind I could separate my views as a board member from those as a candidate for the Legislature, it might not be perceived as such. And as we all know, in politics and public service distinction between perception and reality is murky. Therefore, the cleanest way to separate actions as candidate and actions as a board member is to not try to play both roles simultaneously.
The same holds looking at it from the other direction. I would not want statements I make as a candidate for the Legislature to reflect back on the board. Would I be seen to be speaking as a candidate, or as a board member? Even though speaking as a candidate, I would not want to be perceived as necessarily reflecting views of other board members. So, again, the cleanest way to avoid confusion is to avoid the dual role.
Clearly, my experience on the board has affected my views on issues involving K-12 education. But speaking from past experience as a board member is very different from speaking as an existing board member. As a former board member, any statements I should make are clearly my own and do not necessarily reflect views of the board or its current members.
It is thus that I have resigned from the board and am, for now, discontinuing this periodic column. I take this opportunity to thank my readers for their encouraging responses to the 40 or so columns that I have written during the past two-plus years.
It's a great feeling to have people say that they enjoy your column and agree with you. And it's also reassuring to have people say that although they may disagree, they still look forward to, and enjoy, your column. After all, when discussing public issues no two people, however rational and reasonable, can agree on everything. But one can explain reasons for various views. I have tried to do that, and I sincerely appreciate the positive response from my readers regarding this approach.
I enjoy writing, and economists are not usually shy about expressing opinion. So it's not likely that I will go away. I'll be around in one context or another.
- John Waelti is a former member of the Monroe Board of Education and currently a candidate for the 80th Assembly District of the Wisconsin State Legislature.
Many people also have asked me why I resigned from the Monroe school board upon declaring candidacy for the Assembly. After all, there is no law that requires a candidate for the Legislature to resign from a school board. However, I believe it to be a prudent decision. Here's why.
First, let's clarify that an individual board member has absolutely no power or influence over district matters except through decisions made by the entire board. Whether we are on the majority or minority side of a split vote - and I have been on both sides - once the vote is taken, individual board members support the board's decisions.
The point is that I would not want my vote on a district issue to be viewed as politically motivated. Even if in my own mind I could separate my views as a board member from those as a candidate for the Legislature, it might not be perceived as such. And as we all know, in politics and public service distinction between perception and reality is murky. Therefore, the cleanest way to separate actions as candidate and actions as a board member is to not try to play both roles simultaneously.
The same holds looking at it from the other direction. I would not want statements I make as a candidate for the Legislature to reflect back on the board. Would I be seen to be speaking as a candidate, or as a board member? Even though speaking as a candidate, I would not want to be perceived as necessarily reflecting views of other board members. So, again, the cleanest way to avoid confusion is to avoid the dual role.
Clearly, my experience on the board has affected my views on issues involving K-12 education. But speaking from past experience as a board member is very different from speaking as an existing board member. As a former board member, any statements I should make are clearly my own and do not necessarily reflect views of the board or its current members.
It is thus that I have resigned from the board and am, for now, discontinuing this periodic column. I take this opportunity to thank my readers for their encouraging responses to the 40 or so columns that I have written during the past two-plus years.
It's a great feeling to have people say that they enjoy your column and agree with you. And it's also reassuring to have people say that although they may disagree, they still look forward to, and enjoy, your column. After all, when discussing public issues no two people, however rational and reasonable, can agree on everything. But one can explain reasons for various views. I have tried to do that, and I sincerely appreciate the positive response from my readers regarding this approach.
I enjoy writing, and economists are not usually shy about expressing opinion. So it's not likely that I will go away. I'll be around in one context or another.
- John Waelti is a former member of the Monroe Board of Education and currently a candidate for the 80th Assembly District of the Wisconsin State Legislature.
