Here Is Your Chance To Energize Democracy
Wisconsin State Journal
12/20/2005
JAMES B. WOOD
In the 2003 spring election, only 27 percent of eligible Dane County
voters turned out to exercise their right to select the men and
women who decide how their schools are run, their roads are maintained,
their
security is assured and how much in taxes will be levied to pay
for those services.
That means that more than 250,000 eligible voters simply took
a pass on democracy, and that's a problem.
Benjamin Franklin foresaw the problem more than 200 years ago.
When asked what sort of government the founding fathers had
created for our new nation, he replied, "a republic, if you can keep it."
Franklin's point was that democracy isn't a gift, it's a responsibility.
If you want it, you have to work at it. Unfortunately, many
of us in Dane County are not doing so.
We complain about our property taxes, but how many of us
can offer an informed opinion on the complexities of
the tax system or municipal
budgets? We criticize our elected officials with some
frequency, but recent elections reveal that a growing number
of local
races are uncontested.
Clearly, too few of us are participating in civic affairs
--
either as informed citizens, voters or candidates.
That's why the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and
Wood Communications Group have joined together to encourage
greater
public participation
in civic life. This effort is called Civitas -- a Greek
word meaning "citizenship,
especially as imparting shared responsibility, a common purpose,
and sense of community."
We believe that
we can improve civic engagement by energizing and informing individuals
who have an
interest in the
issues and responsibilities facing us in Dane County.
To that end,
Civitas is accepting applications
for participation in its 2006 informational program.
In a series of 10 monthly forums, Civitas participants
will learn about
municipal and school
finance, service levels and an assortment of local
issues.
A variety of experts, including former mayors Paul
Soglin and Joel Skornicka and former county executives
Jonathan Barry and Rick Phelps, along with academic
experts like Todd
Berry
of the Wisconsin
Taxpayers
Alliance, have agreed to share their knowledge
and experiences.
Those of us who have put time and money into this
effort -- including the Greater Madison Chamber
of Commerce, CUNA Mutual Group,
Madison
Gas and Electric Co., Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer,
M&I Bank, The
Blettner Group, First Weber, American Transmission Co., American
Family
Insurance, and T. Wall Properties along with Wood Communications
Group -- believe
that Civitas can make Dane County a national leader in fostering
the informed public discourse and decision-making that play
a fundamental role in our quality of life and the vitality of our
economy.
Dane County residents
interested in becoming one of the 100 participants in Civitas may
be nominated for the
program
by its sponsors, members of the Greater Madison
Chamber of Commerce
or graduates
of
the
Leadership Greater Madison program.
Visit www.Civitaswi.org or
send a short letter
and resume to:
Civitas
4801 S. Biltmore
Lane
Madison
53718.
(
Applicants must be at least 21.)
James Wood
is president of Wood Communications
Group, a Madison public affairs
and strategic
communications firm.
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