Ask Billie

Are we all a little tired reading and hearing about elections? Presidential candidates are traveling the country, Wharton County is covered with political signs and now we are reminded city and school elections are just ahead.

We were reminded in last Saturday's Wharton Journal-Spectator that candidates are beginning to file in our local elections. This is a crucial year for Wharton because the mayor and three city council positions will be open, along with school trustees.

Will this be a time when new leadership will step forward? Are new ideas needed to take us forward? Are term limits helpful? If the same people do the same thing long enough are the results the same?

Houston Mayor Bill White has been one of the most effective elected officials in the history of that city. His leadership has brought about needed changes and his vision and hard work has placed Houston back in the forefront of large successful cities.

This is Mayor White's last term and because he has been very effective some leading citizens questioned term limits. Some felt he is capable of serving well for decades, but that is not the point, even he has been an advocate of term limits. He says he supports term limits because of the lack of accessibility of entrenched incumbents when he first moved to town. Prior to the advent of term limits, many council members were in office over 20 years. Now an office holder for the City of Houston can be elected for only three two-year terms.

Andrew Jackson said, "The more secure an officeholder, the more his interests would diverge from those of his constituents." This was from the 7th President of the United States (1829- 1837) and it is probably just as true today.

New leadership healthy

New leadership for any organization is healthy. It brings new ideas, new vision and renewed energy to the whole. The late Mayor Dr. Dennis Voulgaris would say to our Leadership Wharton County classes that city governments were like the medical field, they needed to learn new ways of doing things.

One of the marks of a leader is that they need to always be training new leadership. I do not see that happening at the present time.

I believe we have fine citizens who are capable of giving excellent leadership and renewed energy. We have business people who need to be encouraged. City government is big business, both in the number of employees and the annual budget. Is there a bigger business than Wharton Independent School District? Both these businesses are also supported by us, the citizen taxpayer.

Encouraging new leadership does not mean we do not appreciate those who have served long. It does mean we need to be concerned with the future of this community. Things are changing whether we are ready or not. Change can be fearful or it can be exciting. The choice is up to each one of us.

Are some of you ready to make a difference? The large sign says "Uncle Sam needs a few good men." We might say the same for women.