Independence: A Solutions Orientation

Here’s a quick quiz:

What goes with lawn signs for mayoral candidates Cindy Chavez, Dev Davis, Matt Mahan and Raul Peralez?

If you said “Irene Smith lawn signs,” you are correct.

And why is that? It’s because my independent campaign is resonating with groups of people all across the political spectrum.

I’ve been an independent voter since I was 18. Never joined any political party.

I see politics not as a tribal skirmish, but rather as a self-organizing phenomenon in which people come together around particular issues and from that space originates leaders who can form solutions to those particular issues.

And a lot of people agree with me. Here’s how I see the electorate in D3 breaking down:

It’s not Democrats vs. Republicans — there are certainly a lot more Democrats than Republicans in D3, but even so, party differences mostly disappear when considering local electeds. Of course, there are extremes and ideologues who see candidates through the prism of their political slant and are dismissive of solutions if they don’t originate within their own party. But I find folks in D3 don’t care where a good solution comes from.

It’s also not left vs. right. There is broad agreement around what the issues are: fix homelessness, lower housing prices, less blight, more police. The question is how.

The different groups within D3 are broadly organized into three groups:

1.) The pragmatic, get-it-done-efficiently-group. This group has a businessperson’s perspective on city issues and is critical of City Hall waste and stubborn refusal to change directions. They want metrics and results and accountability.

2.) The City-Hall-is-dangerously-unresponsive group. This group wants action and is exhausted by the lack of response from City Hall on every level with every form of issue.

3. The We’re-not-doing-enough group. Activist-focused, this group wants to address increasing — as well as historic — inequities and shortfalls.

The main thing to note about these groups is that although their focus is different, they see the same issues and want the same results. Often, the exact same results. A fair, transparent solution that is both compassionate and effective for those living in D3. Residents of D3 recognize that we are all on the same team.

I have learned a lot about my own independence from meeting all these other independents over the last 10 months. It has been intellectually challenging and rewarding, as it makes me look for precision in my political analysis and hopeful toward the very common ground of solution-based reform.

All of which is a long way of saying that I salute District 3’s independence and freedom from extremism and the status quo. There are many, many more of you than the cynical operatives estimated, and it makes me feel right at home among the various lawn signs for Mayor.