sittin' next to al

holland's lone hispanic council member isn't running for anaother term in office. i am unsure how long he's been sitting on the council's ward 2 seat, but my guess is that it's been some time.

he announced last month that he wasn't running again because of illness in his family and wanted to spend more time with his family.

now, the growing hispanic population of holland has no one to represent it, at least not for now. i think it's important to have someone on the council how's of latin descent. of course, i'd also like an asian and black up there, maybe another woman or two, as well.

regardless, last week, i received an e-mail from a city employee who told me that there were some community leaders who were compiling a list of names of people who lived in ward 2 who are hispanic. my guess is they want to narrow the list to someone they'd like to run for the ward and keep another hispanic in the council.

anyway, the e-mail went on to say that my name was one of the ones mentioned for this list. i do live in ward 2. i read the e-mail once. then i read it again. i think i might have read it a third time.

i knew what my response was the first time, even before i got to the end of the e-mail, where it said tha perhaps working at a newspaper would be a conflict of interest. i couldn't do it. there are many reasons.

i don't fancy myself a politician. i usually berate politicos, especially having come from duval county, texas. it's a place where politics is a craft that people have sharpened to the point where it's nauseating.

also, i don't have the no how for such a position. i'd make a fool of myself up there sitting on one of those confy chairs. i guess plain and simple, i'm too dumb for it.

plus, we've only been living in town for less than four years and in the ward for less than that. i know many members of the community because of my job and people know me for the same reason. but i'm still a newcomer in town.

i wrote back saying i was flattered and honored but declined because my position at the paper is a major conflict.

it means a lot that people would think enough of me to consider my name or me as a person who could be placed on a ballot for city council.