Ernie Trakas
& Friends Mission Statement
I want to take this opportunity to talk about the larger issue that faces us all in this election. We are in a cultural war for the soul of our country. 229 years ago Elizabeth Powel asked Benjamin Franklin, as he was leaving the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, what form of government the Founders had given the citizens? Franklin famously replied “A republic Madam, if you can keep it.”
A Statesman. Not a Politician.
One of the key proactive principles in the design of our governments – National, state, and local – was specifically to prevent corruption in public offices: It was not supposed to be a career.
Holding office was an act of public service. It was a calling and a duty to serve the people. Not one’s own self-interests.
There were no “term limits” built into our original systems.
Term limits were unnecessary. Those who served, limited themselves. They had nothing to gain. Yet, they sacrificed greatly to fulfill their obligations to serve.
Unfortunately, as we so often see in life, others took advantage of this honor system.
Rather than serving the people and stepping down after two or three terms, they continued running for office. They turned serving others, into lucrative, life-long careers.
Hence, the passage of Term Limits for Governors in 1965 and State Legislators in 1992.
A Politician worries about the Next Election.
A Statesman is concerned with the Next Generation.
My record and my actions reflect my commitment to serving:
I serve You. I serve Our Communities. And I serve South County.
Franklin’s words are a warning to each generation of Americans.
Democracy is both a blessing and curse. A blessing because it provides liberty and freedom for its citizens. A curse because at the same time it contains the seeds of its own destruction. Liberty and freedom are not things guaranteed by any document or promise. They must be earned by each generation, which must jealously protect them from threats, not only from outside, but from within the nation as well. The seeds of the destruction are complacent, uninformed and disengaged citizens. For far too long many of us, myself included, have failed to be vigilant in the defense and protection of our Constitutional freedoms and liberties. The result, leadership at every level of government – federal, state & local no longer treat us as citizens, but subjects to be dictated to.
All wars are made up of battles.
One of the battles in this war is for the District 6 seat on the St. Louis County Council. With your help and engagement this is a battle we can win together.
We are being bullied by government at every level. Whether it’s FBI Director James Comey giving Hillary Clinton a pass, when by his own acknowledgment any other person would be held accountable, or your County leadership selling its office and influence, we are viewed as subjects who can be dismissed without a second thought, not as citizens to whom government and politicians are accountable. That is no long tolerable for me. Nor should it be for you.
Ronald Reagan reminded us that “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
So, I encourage all of us to end our complacency, refuse to sit on the sidelines any longer. Get informed, engage in the exercise of the freedom the Founders passed on to us, and join the struggle to protect your liberty and freedom. Not just in this campaign for St. Louis County Council, but in every race, for every office, in every slot on the ballot. Actively support every candidate that shares your vision and values.
One last thing, recently a friend, after listening to my reasons for seeking the District 6 seat on the County Council, urged me to tell voters just what I had told him – I can’t be bought. So, you won’t be sold out.