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July 2006
Public Service
Candidate School
Providing fundamental training for anyone interested
in public service.
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Moderated by
Greg Hill,
Former Redondo Beach Mayor |
The cost is $25 per night or $65 for all three
nights.
The Redondo Beach Chamber is hosting a training
program for aspiring candidates for any local public
office. It will cover various areas of campaigning.
Candidate Academy will feature professional experts
with a proven track record in the management and
execution of successful political campaigns.
Session 1 - Motivation
Attendees will develop an understanding of what it
takes to be a candidate for political office. We
will also discuss why they want to run for office
and gain a better understanding of the level of
commitment required to make a campaign successful
and to get elected. Finally, attendees will discuss
current political trends and how to develop a
winning message.
Session 2:
Develop & Manage a Winning Campaign
Attendees will understand the “nuts and bolts” of
running a successful campaign. Roles and
Responsibilities; the campaign manager, campaign
staff and the candidate. Other areas that will be
covered include, get out the vote drives, absentee
ballots, precinct walking, direct mail, and
electronic media.
Session 3: How
to Interact with the Media & Campaign Fundraising
Attendees will learn how to give an interview and
deal with print reporters, radio and television and
how to prepare for a meeting with an editorial board
endorsement meeting. We will also learn how to
develop a campaign budget and develop and execute a
successful fund raising program.
July
17, 2006
Candidate School Offers Antidote to Apathy
 A
municipal election in Redondo Beach five years ago
attracted just 9.9 percent of voters to the polls.
Such anemic participation, of course, is not limited
to Redondo; other cities have had difficulty getting
their populations interested in local government.
That's why it's encouraging to see local chambers of
commerce stepping forward to get more citizens
interested in public service. In February, the
Torrance Chamber of Commerce organized its
Grassroots Public Service Academy aimed at
encouraging prospective candidates get involved in
local government.
Now the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and
Visitors Bureau is following suit this month with
its Public Service Candidate School, which will
provide a primer for anyone interested in running
for local office. The program will consist of three
parts, the first focusing on motivation and what it
takes to be a candidate. The other sessions will
explore how to manage a winning campaign as well as
how to raise campaign funds and how to deal with the
media.
Such programs, which are now conducted by chambers
around the state, should help cities bring new blood
into local government. They are especially helpful
in cities, such as Redondo, that have term limits on
officeholders.
Too many people these days have become turned off by
politics, thanks to increasingly negative
campaigning and a dearth of opposition candidates in
many races. A lack of interest in civic affairs can
spell trouble for many cities. Disengagement means
less pubic oversight of local government decisions
and the possibility that local elected officials may
start viewing their positions as an entitlement
rather than a privilege.
Nonpartisan training sessions like the one planned
in Redondo will at least help aspiring politicians
to know the ropes and understand the sacrifices
ahead if they choose to seek elective office. We
hope people from a variety of backgrounds -- not
just local business people -- will get involved.
The Redondo chamber's event, which will be moderated
by former Redondo Mayor Greg Hill, will include
speakers such as former California Treasurer Matt
Fong; Michael J. Wissot, a political activist who
manages a marketing research company; Tim Rosales of
Johnson Clark Associates, a company with expertise
in conducting political campaigns; political
fund-raiser Joanne Davis; and representatives from
the Daily Breeze and Adelphia Cable.
We hear a lot these days about the need to improve
the physical infrastructure of California and its
cities -- roads, water delivery, electricity. But we
should also work on improving our intellectual
infrastructure too. One way to do that is to
encourage citizens to get involved in local
government, and creating more candidate schools
should help to make that happen.
Click here
to contact the Redondo Beach Chamber
for more
information
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