I remember when I started my career in the newspaper business in the early 70s and was completely connected to the high school sports scene in Slidell.
The kids, parents and coaches involved in prep sports live and breathe it all, and for me as the Slidell sports guy, it is a world that consumes you. I remember being so sure that everyone in Slidell cared about it.
About 15 years later I got moved to become Managing Editor for the Slidell Sentry-News and left the sports scene behind. It didn’t take long to realize that the sports world was not nearly as big as I thought, nor as important to everyone.
Take that thought to the world of politics in Slidell, or any community in the United States for that matter. It is still very much the same thing. The people who are involved in elections and winning public office, from local cities to the Congress of the U.S., are very consumed with what is happening—and in the end, WINNING!
Maybe that is the real reason behind all the interest, enthusiasm, passion—everyone likes to win. So as my wife and I buzzed all around the city this past Saturday night, bouncing from one campaign party to another for coverage and pictures, you could feel the excitement from every place we stopped.
Slidell election night is almost over for another four years, but I must say this was the most interesting campaign I have covered here since my career began, well, oh so many years ago.
The reason, without doubt to me, is the quality of candidates who stepped up to run. Not only did they bring great new enthusiasm to the elections, but there was so much passion for Slidell. I really loved it.
And as you have probably read with all our front page stories this week, we have some outstanding new council members who are excited about stepping into their seat on the City Council platform and doing their best for Slidell.
We need to appreciate the small number of people who are willing to run for public office. As I’ve said many times before, elected officials are taking on mostly thankless jobs. They seldom hear when something is running smoothly, or there is another addition to Slidell that makes us happy, but by gosh you know their phone will ring at 6 a.m. on a Sunday when water is filling up the street from a heavy rain.
Thankfully, we always seem to have someone willing to run for these jobs, whether they are city or parish council positions, or all the way up to D.A., sheriff or coroner. And so far, we have had most of those people who seem sincere about doing a good job.
That’s why this city election seemed so great. I interviewed many people in the races who were downright fired up to be elected, and were intent on becoming educated on the issues, looking for ways to help our community be a better place. I think we saw that start the last four years since Greg Cromer became mayor, and he brought four new council members into office with him. I’ve heard council members mention many times that the group works well together, and all seem focused on decisions for positive growth and improvement in the city.
Now we are adding four more council members with the same attitudes, and with Cromer continually coming up with new projects or big news for Slidell that you have to feel good about Slidell and what the future looks like.
Of course, all these new winners didn’t get there with their pretty faces. They all jumped into an election campaign that none of them had been through before. I’m sure it was all a bit overwhelming at times, and to have made it so far as a rookie politician, you’ve got to admire their determination.
I remember one campaign party when I was talking to Nick Disanti, currently in a runoff with Sean Morrison for the final council seat. I was asking how things were going and he had an interesting comment.
“I just try to control the controllables,” he said.
Sounded like a smart statement and made me think he had a few good advisors keeping him cool-headed down the stretch run, which apparently worked well as he led the primary voting with a little less than 50 percent.
To all the winners, and others accepting the challenge of an election, thank you for your willingness to step into public service—a job that isn’t always appreciated the way it should be.
Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.