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Time To Fight For The People
By MARK BENCHENER, For The Bulletin
Over the past few months I’ve had the opportunity to do something incredible: Run for office. I have always been passionate about politics and spent my undergraduate years at Johns Hopkins studying the intricacies of political science and government philosophy. I’m comfortable debating nearly every form of political theory, from taxes and judicial review to economic policy.
That type of intellectual rigor is important and forms the underpinning for effective governance. However, running for Newtown Township Supervisor has taught me that it’s only part of the equation. To truly understand those you seek to serve, you need to meet them face to face.
An essential part of any local campaign is door knocking. It sounds miserable — knock on 3,500 doors in a matter of two months. If you’re doing the math, that’s close to 15 hours a week pounding the pavement. I lost 10 pounds in the first two weeks of the campaign. My new fad diet — “running for office” — would rival the South Beach or Atkins diets.
Though the process has been physically taxing, I’ve been able to meet thousands of passionate voters in a short period of time. What has happened is a profound grounding of theory into reality.
Early on, I knocked on the door of a senior citizen. I introduced myself, assuring him I was not a salesman, and said, “I want to fight for fiscal responsibility to ensure we are using every dollar wisely. With so much government waste and overspending, a tax increase is simply unacceptable.” The man grabbed my arm, pulled me inside (it happens more than you’d think), looked me in the eyes and said with deep sincerity, “Thank goodness. I’m on a fixed income and I can’t afford higher taxes. I’m barely making it as is. Keep up the hard work.”
Suddenly, theoretical debates about tax policy, small government, and fiscal prudence became one man’s reality. A tax increase would literally threaten his quality of life. I heard countless stories like his — lost jobs, pay cuts, rising bills.
When speaking with citizens about my vision to limit overdevelopment and maintain our distinct township character, I heard stories about overcrowding in schools, gridlock downtown and the loss of our precious natural land to developers. They desperately wanted someone to fight back against the development that had begun to erode our township.
When I told people about my desire to remake the culture of government, eliminating waste and demanding accountability, I heard things like, “That’s my money you’re fighting for — keep it up,” and “We need fresh blood to shake things up; government shouldn’t act like it has a blank check to our money.”
And that is when political theory becomes reality. Fiscal responsibility matters because government debt becomes our debt. Overspending leads to tax increases, and tax increases mean government is taking more of our hard earned money. Elected officials should demand efficiency and accountability, spending only what they must and always seeking to maximize returns. “Oversight” should be removed from our vocabulary — a frivolous use of taxpayer money should be unacceptable. Taxpayers deserve nothing less.
Zoning decisions and bouts with developers affect the roads we drive on, the homes we live in and the schools our children attend. They should be made with prudence and with long-term perspective, with full realization of the impact on our communities. The rights of property owners should be respected, and we must aggressively pursue open space to ease the burden on our communities. Citizens deserve nothing less.
Politics matters. Local government matters. The people we elect have a responsibility to lead with integrity, foresight and passion. Voters deserve nothing less.
Running for office is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But in the midst of campaign strategy, partisan attacks, and endless debates, I’ve been re-energized by one thing: The thousands of people I looked in the eyes are starving for committed, principled and focused leadership. Our political theory is played out in their day-to-day reality.
Let your voice be heard on Nov. 3. Demand excellence from your representatives. This year, it can start locally. It’s time to make principled leadership a reality.
Matt Benchener is the Republican Candidate for Newtown Township Supervisor. Learn more at www.Benchener09.com.
That type of intellectual rigor is important and forms the underpinning for effective governance. However, running for Newtown Township Supervisor has taught me that it’s only part of the equation. To truly understand those you seek to serve, you need to meet them face to face.
An essential part of any local campaign is door knocking. It sounds miserable — knock on 3,500 doors in a matter of two months. If you’re doing the math, that’s close to 15 hours a week pounding the pavement. I lost 10 pounds in the first two weeks of the campaign. My new fad diet — “running for office” — would rival the South Beach or Atkins diets.
Though the process has been physically taxing, I’ve been able to meet thousands of passionate voters in a short period of time. What has happened is a profound grounding of theory into reality.
Early on, I knocked on the door of a senior citizen. I introduced myself, assuring him I was not a salesman, and said, “I want to fight for fiscal responsibility to ensure we are using every dollar wisely. With so much government waste and overspending, a tax increase is simply unacceptable.” The man grabbed my arm, pulled me inside (it happens more than you’d think), looked me in the eyes and said with deep sincerity, “Thank goodness. I’m on a fixed income and I can’t afford higher taxes. I’m barely making it as is. Keep up the hard work.”
Suddenly, theoretical debates about tax policy, small government, and fiscal prudence became one man’s reality. A tax increase would literally threaten his quality of life. I heard countless stories like his — lost jobs, pay cuts, rising bills.
When speaking with citizens about my vision to limit overdevelopment and maintain our distinct township character, I heard stories about overcrowding in schools, gridlock downtown and the loss of our precious natural land to developers. They desperately wanted someone to fight back against the development that had begun to erode our township.
When I told people about my desire to remake the culture of government, eliminating waste and demanding accountability, I heard things like, “That’s my money you’re fighting for — keep it up,” and “We need fresh blood to shake things up; government shouldn’t act like it has a blank check to our money.”
And that is when political theory becomes reality. Fiscal responsibility matters because government debt becomes our debt. Overspending leads to tax increases, and tax increases mean government is taking more of our hard earned money. Elected officials should demand efficiency and accountability, spending only what they must and always seeking to maximize returns. “Oversight” should be removed from our vocabulary — a frivolous use of taxpayer money should be unacceptable. Taxpayers deserve nothing less.
Zoning decisions and bouts with developers affect the roads we drive on, the homes we live in and the schools our children attend. They should be made with prudence and with long-term perspective, with full realization of the impact on our communities. The rights of property owners should be respected, and we must aggressively pursue open space to ease the burden on our communities. Citizens deserve nothing less.
Politics matters. Local government matters. The people we elect have a responsibility to lead with integrity, foresight and passion. Voters deserve nothing less.
Running for office is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But in the midst of campaign strategy, partisan attacks, and endless debates, I’ve been re-energized by one thing: The thousands of people I looked in the eyes are starving for committed, principled and focused leadership. Our political theory is played out in their day-to-day reality.
Let your voice be heard on Nov. 3. Demand excellence from your representatives. This year, it can start locally. It’s time to make principled leadership a reality.
Matt Benchener is the Republican Candidate for Newtown Township Supervisor. Learn more at www.Benchener09.com.
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