By Treva Harper
Amarillo Matters says I’m not experienced. They are right!
Amarillo Matters published their “Voters Guide” and in it they described me as not having enough experience. I am not experienced in many things they are experienced in. I have no experience in buying elections. I have never run a political PAC that bought politicians to help their members grow more wealth. I have no experience being deceitful, corrupt, or willing to bilk the good citizens of Amarillo of their tax dollars for my own profit. I am also not experienced in deceiving people about my intentions so I could get elected. I am not experienced in changing my platform during an election to mimic my opponents so as to confuse voters.
I am experienced in honesty, responsibility, and a sense of serving others. I am experienced in balancing a budget, writing payroll checks for employees, handling cash deposits for a business, dealing with disgruntled customers and fellow employees. I have experience in dealing with vendors and having to make tough decisions to preserve the budget. I know how to do inventory where you have to account for everything in stock and tabulate the value of those items.
I am also experienced in handling someone’s affairs. I was my mother’s caregiver when she had Alzheimer’s Disease. Doing that, I not only took care of her physically but handled her finances, medical decisions, and legal issues. No, it may not compare to handling the city’s business, but it did come with a strong sense of responsibility that I could face legal issues if I failed to handle her things appropriately. I learned to do difficult things with people looking over my shoulder.
So perhaps I do not have the kind of experience that Amarillo Matters thinks a City Council member should have. But you will find no one more qualified to spend your money with you in mind. I actually care about the city, it’s not just a campaign talking point to me!
Photo by Amarillo Matters