Easter - He Is Risen!

Today is Holy Saturday.  Sunday is the most holiest of days in Christendom - Easter.  The celebration of our Risen Lord and Savior.  It’s a time traditionally spent with family, enjoying large dinners and catching up.  Many attend church Saturday evening or Sunday morning and take in Easter Brunch at a local diner.  It is generally a joyous time celebrating when Jesus defied death, rose from the grave and embarked on finishing his ministry before ascending into heaven, saving us all from sin and an eternity in Hell.

I will be cooking dinner for my small family on Sunday.  The scratch egg noodles are ready for the broth.  The chicken is brining. Cooking brings me joy.  The weekend will be a needed break from campaigning or politics at all.  Perhaps take in some baseball or a March Madness Semi-final meeting with friends.

I had hoped to get to the forest again and search for those elusive morsels of God’s great earth - Morels, but the weather isn’t cooperating and we are still a week or so early for the season.  I felt blessed to have found 6 Morels last year.  The first time in about 45 years I had located any in the wild.  But then I had not gone out every year.  Just finding those few greatly lifted my spirits.  Walking in amongst God’s green earth, among the wildlife and flora is quite spiritual, relaxing and recharging.  Sure there lurks a slight chance of danger, but then that’s part of the excitement and fun, yes?  I feel like a walk in the woods is communing with God.  Escape to the woods is to me like being in a cathedral built by God. Quiet. Reverent.  The more you look, the more you see.  The noble birds of prey to the tiniest of insects.  All the wonders of life in all its forms.  All a wonder when you meditate upon this glorious place we live - Earth.

Praise God for this wonderful nation celebrating 250 years this year.  Our Judeo-Christian roots blessed this nation with the success, wealth and authority its citizens have earned and despite all who say otherwise, is still a beacon of Freedom and Opportunity!

May all have a Blessed and Wonderful Easter Weekend!  Be safe.  Enjoy the present as the past is done and the future has yet to arrive.  And send God a prayer of thanks.

Fiscal Friday: Citizens Deserve Better Transparency!

Several of your fellow Platte County citizens have filed to run for office to make our county government work for the hardworking citizen who pays their taxes and contributes to society.  As one of those who has filed, I am compelled to point out how the Clerk's office can be improved by my election.

Today, the County Administration Building is open—but the Clerk’s office is CLOSED. The reason given? To "process Senior Tax Credit applications." I sincerely want to know - WHY?

Senior Tax Credit applications ended on December 31st. That was over 90 days ago. Why the "crunch" now? The Clerk’s office has a staff of six full-time employees, including the elected Clerk. Why can’t six people manage applications during business hours?  What is efficient about closing the office and restricting citizen access to the Clerk’s office on such short notice?

Until we, the citizens, receive a more specific explanation for this closure, this appears to be a lack of competent leadership and a disregard for serving the citizens of Platte County.

Under my administration, the doors will stay open when at all possible, the systems stay on, and the taxpayers come first.

In my world, if a system can't handle a predictable load, you don't shut down the system—you upgrade the processor. On August 4th, Platte County has the chance to upgrade the leadership in the Clerk’s office.

#FiscalFriday #PlatteCounty #SystemsNotPolitics #WojoForClerk #OpenForBusiness #NoMoreSillySeason

 

 Fiscal Friday: The Audit of the "30% Club"

In four days, the filing window for a Platte County office will close. The names on the ballot will be set, but the numbers in the county ledger are already written in ink. As an engineer, I don't look at a budget as just a list of expenses—I look at it as a performance report.

If you were running a business or managing a household, would you approve these "specs"?

• A 30% salary increase for elected officials (including the incumbent Clerk).
• A meager 2.5% COLA for the hard-working county staff who keep the lights on.
• A 7% property assessment hike pushed through via a State MOU while the Clerk’s office remained silent.

As most engineers will tell you, a system that takes 30% more "input" while providing the same "output" is considered a failure or at least unjust expenditure of capital.  In Platte City, it is evidently considered standard government operating procedure.

I am running for County Clerk to end the era of “Apathetic Government."

1. I will fight for property tax rollbacks that are calculated to the penny, ensuring you only pay what is legally required—nothing more.
2. We will audit the office processes to find "friction" and waste. If we can do the job for a dime, why are we spending a dollar?
3. While others are caught up in "Email-Gate" and courthouse drama, I will be focused on the data.

By next Wednesday, the "rumor season" will be over and the real work begins. I’m ready to bring an engineer’s precision to the Clerk’s office. It’s time to stop the waste and start the recalibration.

Russ "Wojo" Wojtkiewicz Candidate for Platte County Clerk

#FiscalFriday #WojoForClerk #PlatteCounty #SystemsEngineer #TaxpayerAdvocate #August4 #NoMore30Percent

Wisdom Wednesday: The Engineer’s Rule

"An engineer is someone who can do for a dime what any fool can do for a dollar." — Arthur M. Wellington

In my 43 years as an engineer, I’ve lived by a simple rule: Efficiency is the highest form of respect.  When you design a system, you don't just throw money at a problem to make it go away. You look for the simplest, most effective way to accomplish the goal. If a system requires a 30% increase in "fuel" (salaries) but the output for the customer stays the same—or the "cost of operation" (your taxes) goes up by 7%—the system is broken. It’s "out of spec."

I’m not running for County Clerk to just "occupy an office." I’m running to apply Common Sense Engineering to our local government.

• We need an office that does more for you, for less.
• Your tax rollbacks and property records shouldn't be subject to "approximate" math or courthouse drama.
• It's about finding ways to save the taxpayer a dime, not finding ways to spend a dollar.

Watch: Why Hard Work Isn't About Quitting One Day

Take 23 minutes to watch this fabulous mashup from Mike Rowe talking with successful CEOs about the philosophy of leadership and discipline. These are the same ideals taught by the Kaufmann Foundation—principles I’ve strived to incorporate into everything I’ve done as a self-employed professional.

Size of the operation doesn’t matter. Intent and discipline do. Let’s stop the waste and start the recalibration.

Russ "Wojo" Wojtkiewicz Candidate for Platte County Clerk

#WisdomWednesday #WojoForClerk #SystemsEngineer #PlatteCounty #Efficiency #August4 #MikeRowe #MikeRoweWorks

 Monday Memo: The Math of Change

It’s a long way to August… and filing for county office closes in just one week, on Tuesday, March 31st. It will be interesting to see the final list of names—moving past the rumors to the actual candidates.

There are two sides to having so many challengers. On one hand, it’s great to see neighbors willing to sacrifice their time and resources to be public servants. On the other hand, political theory says that two challengers usually guarantee an incumbent win by splitting the "anti-incumbent" vote.

But I am counting on a more powerful theory: An informed electorate.

We are seeing a historic level of disillusionment with the status quo. Two incumbents have already dropped out—one citing the "lawfare" and vitriol that has plagued our courthouse, and another likely realizing the deep public backlash to that 30% salary hike.

I am one of at least two candidates who have decided to come out of retirement to help stabilize our county. I am personally fed up with the "embarrassing circus" we’ve seen unfold in Platte City. I want to bring professional, focused attention back to the Clerk’s office.

Together, we can bring a level of cooperation and efficiency to County government that—frankly—becomes boring. We can leave the "evening news" headlines to Jackson County!

My goal is simple: audit the office, follow the statutes of Missouri, and if those statutes don't serve you fairly, I will be your advocate in Jefferson City. We will not let a State commission run roughshod over our taxpayers while the Clerk’s office stays silent.

Please study the candidates. Educate yourselves on the issues. I’d love to meet you, answer your questions, and earn your trust.

#PlatteCounty #WojoForClerk #MondayMemo #SystemsNotPolitics #August

Saturday Spotlight: Enjoying a warm start to Spring

A friend and I went out to scout if Morel Mushrooms were beginning to pop up.  Of course, they are not, it is a bit early.  But with all these very warm days and nights, it was worth a morning’s walk in a local forest and my Morel spot to find out.

Morels are one of nature’s best gifts!  Such earthy, meaty flavors.  Hard to find, but provide such exhilaration when you do find one or a whole mess.  And walking out in nature brings one closer to our Creator and the wonder of his infinite wisdom and creation.

So enjoy this beautiful Spring and the coming Summer!  I’ll be busy walking doors and meeting thousands of my Platte County neighbors.  Let’s have fun, be blessed with what we have and enjoy life!  Let’s keep Platte County friendly, safe and beautiful!

 

Fiscal Friday: Why Come Out of Retirement?

I get asked this at every front door and every community event: "Wojo, you’ve had a great career, you’ve built a business, and you’ve earned your retirement. Why on earth are you running for County Clerk?"

The Answer: Because, like many of you, I am tired of being told to just "accept" mediocrity and insider deals.  When I saw the Salary Commission—including the incumbent Clerk—vote for a 30% salary increase for themselves while only leaving 2.5% for the actual county workers, it wasn't just a "political" moment for me. It was a professional insult.

In my 43 years of engineering and 30 years of running RBW, Inc., if I ran a system that prioritized the "bosses" that heavily over the customer and the staff, I wouldn't have stayed in business for a single year.  As your County Clerk, the taxpayers are my customers and will come first.

I didn't come out of retirement to find a "job." I came out of retirement to do a task.

• To analyze the Clerk’s office looking to bring efficiency and systems modernization to the office.
• To ensure tax rollbacks are calculated "to the penny" so assessment hikes don't become an unearned government windfall at your expense.
• To advocate for you, the taxpayer for better solutions regarding property taxes and mandated statutes.  The goal being a more property and business owner friendly county.

I’m not a career politician looking for a ladder. I’m a neighbor who is fed up and ready to work. If you’re tired of the status quo, join me. Let's get to work.

I want to hear from you. What is the one thing in Platte County government that has you 'fed up' or ready for a change today? Drop it in the comments. I'm taking notes, and I'm taking them to the Clerk's office on November 3rd.

#FiscalFriday #PlatteCounty #WojoForClerk #FedUp #AbsolutePrecision #August4 #NoMoreInsiders