OPINION: Local elections demand vigilance by voters

If a person with no political experience announced a run for president of the United States, normally the announcement would be greeted with peals of laughter. After Donald Trump’s election, it does not seem so funny. He had the money, name recognition and other unmentioned things to pull it off.

However, that is not the recommended way to proceed. It is much better to begin at the local level, serving on committees or running in local races, such as school board, city council or county commission. That will afford the opportunity to learn about governing policies, election strategies and earn credibility for effectiveness and integrity.

Local political races may once have been considered “low-hanging fruit,” but they are becoming much more demanding of our attention. I would remind you of recent events in Texas. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon had expressed the belief that conservatives need to win seats on local school boards in order to “save the nation.” Bannon said school boards are the “key to pick the lock.” Patriot Mobil, a Texas-based cellphone company, responded with money and action. With their backing, 11 school board candidates were found and every single seat was won. They took over four school boards.

The results were as dire as one might expect. Books have been banned and pulled from the shelves. One district has been forced to implement policies that restrict how teachers can discuss race and gender. New rules now facilitate the ability for parents to ban library books dealing with sexuality. Texas law requires districts to display posters reading “In God We Trust” in each school building. Patriot Mobil donated such posters to one of the districts. A company on a “mission from God to restore conservative values at all levels of government” received $600,000 from Patriot Political Action to spend on school board races in the Fort Worth area.

Some students and parents are expressing their repugnance with these developments. One mother complained, saying, “They bought four school boards.”

This is a lesson to us. Pay close attention to local elections. We must assure that all races have candidates who share our values. And since some of these groups from the radical right may be well funded, we must be ready to respond.

I am not familiar with all school board contests in the area, but those in the Moscow School District do not seem to reflect an all-out attack on our values. However, some candidates show an interest in book banning, in common with one of the actions that was taken in Texas.

Moscow School Board positions in Zones 1, 3 and 4 are up for election this year. Cody Barr seeks a seat in Zone 1. Barr and his wife are home-schooling their four children. He expresses his concern that certain “sexually explicit” books must be removed from school libraries, commenting that libraries are for learning, not for “sexualization.”

His opponent, Jim Frenzel, believes librarians are professionals who will select age-appropriate materials for students and that there is an effective procedure in place for parents with concerns.

GayLynn Clyde seeks a seat in Zone 3. She is particularly interested in parental rights. She states that there are certain materials in our libraries of which parents should be made aware, adding that parents would be appalled with materials being made available to their students.

Her opponent, Dulce Kersting-Lark, has worked in a library. She commented that there already is a good policy for reviewing library materials and it has been her experience that parents have not complained.

Book-banning was not particularly an issue in the Zone 4 race, but incumbent Dawn Fazio also commented that there is a policy for reviewing books in place. She does not recall any parent reaching the final step in the process, which is an official appeal to the board.

Bannon may have inadvertently done all of us a service. The Patriot Mobil incident in Texas should be a wake-up call to all voters to be heedful in all elections. Individuals who serve at the local level affect our lives every day. People whose faith in our elections has wavered may have that faith restored as we gain confidence in those who serve in these positions. Trust in our institutions has been shaken in recent years. Those who would destroy confidence in our elections shatter a fundamental underpinning of society. They should never again be given the power to govern.

Ringo, of Moscow, is a former mathematics teacher and a seven-term Democratic member of the Idaho House.