What's a good platform to run on for local office?

[JaySherman]

I'm thinking more funding for schools would be a good start. What other electable liberal values could one run on? Ideas?

[NMDemDist2]

1. police and firefighters need 1st responder gear, run on the

issue to fight to get the gear

clean water is always good (or air)

protecting open space/parks

[cheezus]

2. easy: ask around and see what the biggest complaint is

about your town, then run on fixing it.

[cheezus]

3. easy: ask around and see what the biggest complaint is

about your town, then run on fixing it.

political ideology has very little place in local politics. It's more about effectiveness.

[AlCzervik]

4. It depends on the needs of your community

In my town people are fed up with developers, they run this place and it's really hurting us.

[Trillo]

5. Should one run on a platform based upon others' ideas,

or should one run on ideas close to one's own heart?

[BeFree]

8. One should run on:

What one can do to improve the whole community, using one's own ideas and those of other community members.

[BeFree]

6. Fix the potholes, always works

Just tell 'em: "I have a plan".

[DAGDA56]

7. Depends on the town and its history...

...I lived in a town in Florida where tax abatements to attract new industry was the latest brilliant idea...I also lived in a town in Indiana where they had been done to death (lots of new business, but with an eroding tax base pushing up property taxes of homeowners.) Look around and ask around...this is where your local Democratic party can often help a first timer.

[JaySherman]

10. Then I'm thinking a good idea might be...

To determine what the major issues are in the community. Then distribute a short survey asking people to rank issues in order of importance.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Attack on incumbents who further administrative waste of taxpayer dollars

is always good for a vote.

Other than that, playgrounds and parks where children have a safe place to play is non-controversial and hard to attack.

[JaySherman]

11. Antagonizing the establishment right off the bat...

Not such a good idea, I think. Shouldn't the important thing be to get your foot in the door first? Then once you're in office, you can start taking it to them

[no_hypocrisy]

13. I'm speaking from experience. Two months ago, my candidate defeated

an incumbent because the cost of renovating Towne Hall had leaped three times the amount promised to the taxpayers, and the incumbent could not even estimate when the project would conclude. The building looked like an open sore. My candidate discovered that the incumbent council person wasn't monitoring the situation wherein the town manager had hidden more than a dozen work orders that added more work than originally contracted.

So, it depends. Take a look around and see if there's a project going on that you know you could do better if you were elected.

Otherwise, if there's no "administrative scandal" per se, then yes, take it easy. Canvass the entrances to supermarkets to let people meet you and give them a chance to get to know you.

One last piece of advice. Tip O'Neill once encountered a friend that he'd known since they were in elementary school. It was right after an election where Tip won. Tip asked him who he'd voted for. His friend answered as a matter-of-fact he had voted against Tip and for his opponent. Tip was aghast. Where was the loyalty? He asked his friend why he didn't vote for him. The friend answered simply, "Because you didn't ask me for my vote, and he did."

That's how I helped my candidate get elected and I recommend you remember this anecdote.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. The best platform is what you believe.

Apply your knowledge, values, and experience to the challeges offered by the position you are running for. That's your platform.

[JaySherman]

14. Kicking

Not for any self-gratification. Let's keep this discussion going.

[AP]

15. progressive property tax -- lower it at the bottom end, raise

it at the top end (ie on corporations).

Kevin Phillips in Wealth & Democracy talks about how property tax is one of the most regressive taxes going these days since corporations generally cut deals and pay almost none.

So when you read that the property tax rate is going up, it's burdening middle class people the most, and not barely touching the richest citizens in the community: corporations.

I'd run a campaign arguing that you'll make corporations take up just a tiny bit of the slack so that you could have working and middle class property owners get some relief.

[JaySherman]

16. Curbing development and sprawl.

I think I'd make that my pet cause. Property tax goes along with that. The two tie into each other, because more development leads to a rise in property taxes. Those doing the developing pay almost nothing. It's the rest of us who foot the bill.

[AP]

17. Yeah, get people clued into how sprawl just lines the pockets of...

...developers and hurts property values, which are usually the single most valuable asset for your average American. Talk about containing development to the places where development makes sense, and protecting residential neighborhoods so they're good, desireable places to live. Make sure you make it clear that you're not against commerce. Say you're for maximizing wealth for everyone -- for consumers, residents, and businesses, which doesn't happen when you let only the developers win all the time.

[vetwife]

18. Fight for what you believe in..That will be the platform....

Fight for your values and they will benefit !

[AP]

19. But also fight a little for what the people need, even if it isn't totally

your values (yet).