Political Philosophy for Charles W. "Pete" Maddox

Candidate for
Governing Board Member; South Orange County Community College District; Trustee Area 2

I believe being a politician is one of the most honorable professions one can attain.

People often say, "He's a liar and a crook... He'd make a good politician". But, that's not true. He'd make a good crook, but should never be elected to public office.

The person who makes a good politician is the person who is willing to devote much of his or her time and energy to making this a better place for all of us, without seeking anything in return. A good politician works tirelessly for the benefit of everyone and brings honor to the position he or she holds.

When I was elected in 1990, and reelected in 1994, to the Board of Trustees of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, I based my political philosophy on three principles:

HONESTY -- INTEGRITY -- COMMITMENT

HONESTY in public office means handling all business in front of the public, without making deals in the back room. It means voting on every issue -- in public -- not stepping out of the room when there is a controversial issue on the table. And, it means playing with your cards face up, with no hidden agendas and no special treatment for friends or political supporters.

INTEGRITY means having the strength of character to fight for what is right, not according to one's personal feelings, but according to the constitution, the law and the policies of the office. To have integrity, one must be willing to vote one's conscience without consideration of the impact that vote might have on his or her reelection.

COMMITMENT means working in the best interest of the community, without seeking anything in return. It means accepting all of the responsibility of the position without exercising any of the power. It means putting in the time it takes to do the job effectively, even if that means you don't always get to do what you want to do.

When I was elected to the Governing Board at Rancho, I had only one goal: I wanted my children to be proud of me when I retired. I wanted them to know that I had served honorably, and, when I left that board, the following resolution was presented to me:

"Therefore, be it resolved, that Mr. Pete Maddox has lived up to his credo of 'Honesty, Integrity, and Commitment;' that he served the Rancho Santiago Community College District well for seven years by 'following the rules and doing what he thought was right,' and that his agenda has always centered on student success. On behalf of the administrators, the supervisors, and the confidential staff, we thank you, Pete, and extend our best wishes for success in all of your future endeavors."

Today, I have the same goal for my service on the Governing Board at the South Orange County Community College District. I am still committed to these principles, and I fully expect to reach my goal once again.