Since I'm running for the District 3 seat on the Board of County Commissioners this year, I received an invitation from the Northeast Florida Builders Association to attend a day of personal candidate interviews with the builders. I've let them know I won't be attending.

It has nothing to do with the fact that I want local government to adjust its approach to growth management and stop its continued ill-planned and rampant growth, or that I'm positive the builders will find one, maybe even both, of my opponents imminently more endorsable according to NEFBA's own interests.

It's just that I don't want NEFBA's endorsement, even if it does cost me the campaign contributions likely to go along with it. I'm not looking for any political action committee or special interest group's endorsement. I'll leave pursusing those to the politicians.

There's already far too much political consideration in government's decisions, and I'd like to do what I can to change that. I've been called naive because of that goal. Maybe it's because I have no desire to be a career poltician who has to start worrying about the next election as soon as this one's finished, but I don't think it's nearly as impossible a task as people seem to accept as today's reality.

The discussion about more effective growth management in Clay County, for example, has to include builders. They must be part of the solution.  Builders have perspectives and expertise that will be vital for me to understand if I want be the best County Commissioner I can be for everyone.

But how they, or any other special interest group, influence any decisions I may make will rest soley on the merits of their specific input, not on the power of the group to endorse and help elect - or unelect - me.  Ultimately, come the August 26 local primary, if the individual voters of District 3 decide to hire me for the job, that's who I'll owe, not a few specific groups.

Folks complain about the politics in government decisions, then turn around and say there's nothing anyone can do to change it. Well, it sure ain't gonna change unless somebody gets elected and starts making decisions based on common sense instead of playing the political games, chasing endorsements and owing debts once they're in office.

Michael S. Mann

michaelsmann@comcast.net [1]