First and foremost I am a firm believer that our government and therefore elected government officials are there to serve the people. The first page of my website quotes the following section from “The Proper Role of Government” by Ezra Taft Benson. (Complete copy available online at www.Camacho2007.com).

We must ever keep in mind the inspired words of Thomas Jefferson, as found in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Since God created man with certain unalienable rights, and man, in turn, created government to help secure and safeguard those rights, it follows that man is superior to the creature which he created. Man is superior to government and should remain master over it, not the other way around. Even the non-believer can appreciate the logic of this relationship.

This quote in my mind should be the corner stone of our government and the basis for all decisions made by those who hold political office. It also touches on our responsibility as citizens. “We, the People” must be involved. That is who I am, part of “We, the People”, just one of you, your neighbor, a resident of Eagle Mountain and a citizen of the United States who desires to be involved and to serve.

With the possible exception of having been interested in politics since I was a young boy, there may be little if any difference between you and me. You could be the one running for this office but not everyone has the time or flexibility to run for office. I have been blessed at this time in my life to be able to do so for the first time as a candidate instead of a supporter or campaign volunteer.

Having entered the race for Eagle Mountain City Council, I will likely be viewed as a politician more so than a fellow resident, friend or neighbor. So let’s talk about politicians. What is an honest politician? Is there such a thing? Is it an oxymoron? Is it a politician who says what you want to hear just to get your vote?

You may not always agree with me, although I believe because of our views and values, we will agree most of the time… but there will surely come a time when we will not. However, do you think we ever agree 100% with anyone a 100% of the time? No, right!

Ironically, it seems that this is exactly what we look for in our political candidates and I think this has created a lose-lose situation. When a political candidate knows that in order to get your vote or support there must be 100% agreement, he may end up making promises that are unrealistic; un-accomplishable; not within his power; or simply what he feels you want to hear and not his true views. Then we are disappointed in them when they act and vote against the platforms they stood on during their campaign. That is the type of politician I do not want to be, which means that unfortunately I may lose some votes to those who are and I’m OK with that.

I’m telling you now you will not always agree with me, but you’ll always know where I stand and why. How is that for an honest politician?

What about me telling you that I do not know everything that has happened or is happening in our City or within our City Government. Could you support or vote for someone who honestly admits that there is much he doesn’t know? I could lie and say otherwise. That said; I am certainly capable, willing and able to serve in this capacity.

As an Eagle Mountain citizen, I have done as much research as I can on issues that I believe have a wide-range impact and to some degree I have reached an informed position on many of them. I say to “some degree” because I can only base my opinion on the information that is available to me as a member of the community. Once elected, I will then be able to thoroughly research the issues at hand. I can be like every other politician and make PROMISES, which they find themselves unable to honor once in office for this or that reason. I will not make these types of promises.

I can only tell you that I will do my best; that I will review, research and follow through with issues and concerns facing our community; that if through the law and without manipulation we can change or correct previous errors made by our local government, I will TAKE ACTION; that if something is outside our authority or is unchangeable as per our laws, I will inform the community so that although they may not agree or may be disappointed, they will be informed and will know why something was not done or action was not taken. Information is KEY if we want to be a strong and united community.

I plan on working extremely hard to get up to speed on issues, make decisions based on knowledge and research; and remain true to my values, ethics and morals. I will honor the position and my responsibility to it and to our city. That is my promise!

I believe that the real WORK isn’t during the elections, but after. I wish I saw more of that in our government and promise to be that way. I understand that when elected, the majority of my time as a Council Member will be spent in meticulously researching issues, in listening to both sides of the issue (as there is never just one side), in involving and informing the community, and in proactively looking for ways to improve our infrastructure, our financial status, our security and other important areas.

By now I’m sure you see that I strongly believe INFORMATION to be of extreme importance in the role of City Council; both in obtaining it, researching it and in providing it. Our community has the right to be involved and informed. It will increase passion for the wellbeing of our city and involvement by more of our Residents.

On that note, I have struggled in finding certain type of information and I think that my frustration is shared by others. One of the first things I will do once elected is to ensure that there is easy access to all public data and that every citizen is informed on how to go about obtaining it. It is impossible to make informed decisions without the availability of information.

We should also look to video pod cast our City Council meetings so they can be viewed by a large majority of our Community. At the very least available as an MP3 file. We all have busy lives and families to attend to. It is not always an option to attend each Council Meeting nor does every meeting have topics that are of interest to every person in the community. Although, I understand there have been some suggestions and ideas regarding streamlining and making meetings more accessible, there seems to be a lack of follow-through with these types of projects. The lack of availability of prompt and accurate information leaves room for assumptions, doubts and concerns; leading to emotions, actions and re-actions that divide communities instead of uniting them.

I’ve learned through my research that certain issues we as citizens would like to address with the City Council may not be something that is under their political reach or umbrella. Clear expectations of the responsibilities and duties of a Council Member should be listed and available, so we understand the limits of our Council and what can and cannot be done.

If I can not assist as a Council Member with an issue; there is always the option of assisting and getting involved as a neighbor and member of the community. For example… some issues we face with our HOAs do not fall to the City Council. They require that we unite as neighbors to research, review, discuss and when applicable take action to ensure that things improve in our community.

I love talking politics… my door has always been and will continue to be open; welcoming your thoughts, concerns and input. It doesn’t do us any good if the only time a politician listens is when they are running for the office. I believe that to be hypocritical.

It has been said that no one is a prophet in their own land. Well, Eagle Mountain is my home… my land… but I’m not asking to be a prophet among the people. I’m just asking to be your “secretary”, your “clerk”… an “instrument”. With your vote and support, we can win the election and I can go to work to honorably represent each of you… my friends, my family, my neighborhood and my community.

Acknowledging the past but looking towards the future!

Sincerely,

Edwin Camacho

Your candidate for Eagle Mountain City Council