Trending
In Fort Dodge and Webster County we are fortunate to always have people who are ready and willing to take on community leadership roles, many of which are pretty thankless tasks.
Recently, we saw another example of this when Craig Schlienz agreed to accept a position on the Iowa Central Community College Board of Trustees to replace the late Mark Crimmins.
Clearly, the college's board is not as high profile as the Fort Dodge City Council or the Webster County Board of Supervisors. But providing oversight to an institution that has nearly 1,200 students living on the main Fort Dodge campus plus hundreds of others at its other centers is a major responsibility. Keeping tabs on all of that requires the board members to do just about as much homework as the students.
Overall, community leadership is hard work. The complaints those folks receive are frequent; the compliments are few and far between.
Most of the work is volunteer. Yes, county supervisor is a fulltime position paying about $46,000. The mayor of Fort Dodge is paid $15,000 and City Council members are paid $4,800. Those city salaries are not very much, especially considering the amount of work that must be put into the job It is safe to say no one runs for those offices for the money.
And those folks sitting around the table getting an earful at what seemed like it would be a routine planning and zoning meeting? They're volunteers.
Here in Fort Dodge and Webster County we can be pretty well assured that the people who ran for those offices and accepted those appointments did so for the right reasons.They did so to help the community, not to line their pockets.
Because they took on so much responsibility for the community we all live in, there is something the rest of us must do in return: treat them with respect.
Treating them with respect is not the same as agreeing with everything they say and do.
Being able to disagree with leaders is a hallmark of a democracy. Citizens who feel the need to criticize local leaders should feel free to do so. They should feel free to do so firmly and frequently.
But there is a right way to do that.
That means no temper tantrums, no profanity, no name calling. And definitely no violence.
A cogent argument built on facts and examples has far greater potential to sway elected and appointed officials than any amount of yelling and pounding the table.
Our nation needs a fresh dose of civility in its politics and government. Let's set the example right here in Fort Dodge and Webster County.