Note: if you read my blog for more general policy related politics, then my apologies, but this is about insider stuff and specifically some stuff that has gone down with King County Democrats. I don’t like talking about insider stuff too much because what matters is helping people not party rules and games. But “insiders” are the ones getting things done. Good insiders try to be as transparent as possible and try to bring more people inside and explain the context of what they are doing and how it helps people. The backroom is only filled with smoke if we allow it to be.
While this post is public, it is especially addressed to my fellow members in local party leadership. We cannot all stay quiet and “let the process work” while our chair maligns dedicated people in private meetings who are not present, maligns them in public and misleads the press, all while re-victimizing a staff member who would have preferred to have moved on. Unfortunately, this is not only about the staff abuse that the media will highlight, but also our leadership and oversight.
At the beginning of 2017, I became a member of the “KCDCC” – the King County Democrats Central Committee. It’s an executive board made up of representatives from each of the party organizations in the many legislative districts in King County. My particular role is the “committeewoman” from the 37th LD Democrats. It’s elected: the PCOs (“precinct committee officers”) and members of the 37th LD organization voted on the various members of its executive board, including its representatives to the county central committee. I’ve certainly learned a lot. I’ve also done a lot of things I’d never done, including organizing political events for the party and candidates.
One thing I’ve been learning and re-learning, both about myself and others involved in the party organizations, is that we are all volunteers. Many of us are doing it for the first time. We have busy lives and other things going on. Many of us are committed to multiple political activities. We don’t actually all know how it should work or what makes for a functional organization. I showed up because I wanted to do something to make politics more inclusive. To get more people involved. To help candidates win who would enact important policies. You know idealistic things like maybe dealing with carbon pollution. Naive. I know.
Fancy Beans 