Potter: Principles before politics

It’s not easy to see something you have put your energy into, not come to fruition. Yes, I am talking the override vote, and I know many people are frustrated, while there are those that are satisfied with the results.

As a candidate for City Council, I am aware that, politically speaking, associating me to this effort could be damaging, but playing politics is the least of my concerns. I will always put the kids of this community before the politics and I stand by my decision to be involved. If you ask me “would I do it again?” I would answer “yes” every time.

However, as much I would like to spend my time looking back on the “could’ve” and “would’ve”— I think it’s better to pivot to the realities that will be approaching us. I intend to continue volunteering my time and I also intend to write our state representatives for their assistance. I would implore those who care about this city and the school district look to see how they can contribute.

I would also hope the process in which we go forward is immediately put on the table for discussion with all the stakeholders involved. Both the Maricopa Unified School District and the city of Maricopa need to come together, as the success or failure of one will ultimately affect the other. A serious commitment to each other needs to be established. The financial predicament we find ourselves in, with both MUSD and the city’s capital improvement projects, should be reviewed together.

In terms of financial projections and economic marketing, I do not see how the two entities can continue to operate on separate paths. I understand revenue is from different sources, but the relationship is intertwined. I do not see how the city can go forward with its proposals without having a clear idea what the growth of this city will be. Our school system appears to lack support. Our housing market is still not where it should be. We can’t seem to fill all those dirt lots and no one expects to see another boom.

It also seems as soon as one business opens, another falls by the wayside. Residents notice. Prospective business notices. Industry notices. If we continue on this course, our growth will severely recede or, at the very least, we will forever be stuck in this cycle of people coming and going, not ever being able to achieve our community goals.   

For years, it seems the easy thing has been to take the stance of “that’s their problem.” However, that stance isn’t helping anyone and seems to be punishing our children more than anything. It is projected MUSD will lose a hundred employees; many will be teachers. That’s a seventh of its workforce.  I would think a majority of those employees will be residents and I would hate to see empty homes as a result of this. We need to come up with a viable plan to reduce this number, reach out to where we can, and prevent this from impacting our children. One door has closed and so we have to find another solution, and those that believe there is another solution out there, please bring forward the ideas.

Again, I will say the charter schools are unable to accommodate all the kids of Maricopa, so let us present real solutions. The motto of “live within your means” is a distorted solution, as the funding is constantly being subjected to deeper cuts from the state. That funding is not within our control, so I would implore those that refer back to that motto be honest about the capabilities of the district. It makes for a great nugget of wisdom, but outside of that, it doesn’t solve the problem that will soon be upon us.

Also keep in mind, there is a bigger picture at play here. When prospective industries look at Maricopa, they are going to make apples-to-apples comparisons on multiple fronts. Education will at the top of the list and we are not just dealing with our own inefficiencies, we are being compared to other communities that invest more into their system.

In a few years from now, hopefully, the nation will have emerged out of this recession and if we make the right moves, we will stand ready to receive business from the mom-and-pops, to major retail, to manufacturing. We have to find some stability first, and right now, with both MUSD and with our capital improvement plans, it looks like we prefer the risky approach and seem to be accepting of going forward without a clear vision. Exactly where do we see ourselves in five years — is it a hope or is it reality?  There are lots of work sessions being conducted about it; however, we have to get out of the singular view mentality and “that’s their problem” approach.

Lastly, to teachers and school administrators of this community at MUSD and our Charter Schools—I would like to express my sincere “thank you” for the day-in-and-day-out work you do. The job of teaching our children, to provide them the tools to compete in an ever-changing world takes a tremendous amount of dedication.

I believe without these heroes of our community, we don’t have a fighting chance when it comes to our future. I will always stand by them. I will always recognize their contributions. Personally, I have already brushed the dirt off my shoulders — I’m brewing a pot of coffee, and ready to brainstorm when you are.