Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant! In my 30 years serving as a government watchdog, I have seen some twenty-five county supervisors come and go. One of the absolute finest men to hold that seat was Mr. Joseph Centeno, County Supervisor and former Mayor and police chief of Santa Maria. He came from very humble beginnings. How humble? He and his siblings were raised in a boxcar at Naples during the Great Depression (his father worked for the railroad). He said his humble beginnings made him a better person. He earned his way to the top, the old fashioned way, via hard work and determination. Joe recently passed away and I would like to take this opportunity to say a few of the things about what made him so special. First and foremost, Joe became a county supervisor for one reason, to continue a life of public service spanning some 50 years. Unlike many other electeds, he wasn’t in it for the ego, prestige, or power, nor did he need the job or desire it as a stepping stone to higher office. Moreover, as is the case with so many, he did not take the job as a subterfuge for political activism of any kind. Back when Joe was elected, he served on the board during the reign of Supervisors Naomi Schwartz, Susan Rose and Gail Marshall, aka “The Twisted Sisters”- notorious partisans who helped grow county government to the behemoth size it is today. Nevertheless, because Joe’s integrity, authority, competence and earnestness shone through in everything he said and did, he actually helped to dial down the intensity, acrimony and fervor of the sisters. It was an amazing thing to watch. We need more Joe Centenos’ to step up and run and, for the sake of community, voters must seek people of this caliber to serve as their elected representatives. These are people who have a life-time record of achievement and service to the community, people who are thought of as town fathers and mothers, people respected for their common sense, community spirit, and who take the position as a personal sacrifice, rather than to satisfy narcissistic ambitions or for the purpose of partisan political agendas. Another important detail about Joe is worth mentioning in comparison to so many other electeds. There is a tendency among electeds to forget why they are where they are. That is, our electeds are there to represent the people in the halls of government. Instead, what I have seen, over and over, is the people’s representative instead end up representing the government to the people while becoming an apologist for government. Moreover, having been elected, they become members of a club that fail to share the truth about matters as if it were part of a code of conduct among the ruling class. How does this phenomenon come about? It is quite natural really. If the electeds don’t deflect criticism away from the government, then they have to accept responsibility for its failures. Hence, the phenomenon of deflecting, excusing, and even covering up wrong-doing, failures and shortfalls becomes a means of self-preservation. Joe’s position, forever and a day, is that the people have a right to know everything their government is doing and failing to do, and he was there to hold government accountable. That is, too many people accept government’s rule in their life. But, in America, government was never meant to rule, it was meant to serve via the consent of the governed. The Joe Centenos’ of this world supervised the government, as our representative, to ensure it didn’t rule over us or ruin us! RIP Joseph Centeno, my friend. When I recall this quote from George Washington, I will always think of you: “Where are our men of abilities? Why do they not come forth to save their country?” Andy Caldwell Contact Information COLAB PO Box 7523 Santa Maria, CA 93456 For more information, Andy Caldwell, 805-929-3148 [email protected] Join Our Email List! COLAB | PO Box 7523, Santa Maria, CA 63456 Unsubscribe [email protected] Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!