“Civil Servants”
| “Civil Servants” |
| Greetings, y’all, from Skjolden, Norway, where the Sognefjord ends. It is the longest (200 km) and deepest (1,308 m) fjord in Norway. I am aboard the Holland America ship Rotterdam as a speaker and panelist for the Media Research Center summer cruise. It has been a fantastic week sharing thoughts, perspectives, and insights with constitutional conservatives, the premier conservative media watchdog, and others. Last week, I wrote about “Accountability” and our public servants—also known as elected officials. While we all have partisan leanings and ideological differences, one thing should bind every elected official: the oath they take to our Constitution, and to the federal, state, and municipal charters. This is the foundation of the social contract between citizens and the government, which exists only by the consent of the governed. Yet some elected officials, regardless of party, behave as though we are meant to be ruled—an outright violation of that contract. A simple read of French economist Frédéric Bastiat’s 1850 essay The Law reminds us of the purpose of government: to protect life, liberty, and property. Full stop. But while elected officials often misunderstand their very reason for existence, another group has also strayed. These are individuals who are not elected, yet wield great influence—our civil servants. Over time, many have become known as the “bureaucratic administrative state,” or more commonly, the “Deep State.” These are employees and appointees who act with impunity, serving themselves or political agendas rather than the people. They wrongly believe they can outlast any change in leadership, becoming gatekeepers of a growing Leviathan—borrowing from Thomas Hobbes—rather than remaining true to their calling of civil service. We see this mindset at every level of government, from local to federal, where too many believe citizens are a nuisance, that government exists for itself, and that their jobs are a birthright. Recently, Dallas County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia resigned his position. As Chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party, I sit on the Dallas County Elections Board, tasked with interviewing candidates for this role—a taxpayer-funded civil service position. This week, I will participate in interviews for the new Dallas County Elections Administrator. Four names are under consideration: Matt Morales, Paul Adams, Robert Heard, and Malissa Stallings. Their résumés should be available on the Dallas County website, and I encourage you to review them. I also want to solicit your questions—what would you like me to ask these candidates for this vital civil servant position? In a Constitutional Republic, fair elections are sacred, and it is my duty to represent your concerns and ensure we choose wisely. I have often said that School Board is the most important elected office in America. I would add that election administrator or supervisor is the most critical appointed position. These civil servants must embody integrity, honor, character, competence, and humility—not entitlement. They are not appointed to advance an agenda but, especially regarding elections, to safeguard a sacred process. Sacred, at least, to those who still hold it as such. As the Dallas County Republican Party prepares to implement a hand-count/paper-ballot procedure for the March 2025 GOP primary, the Elections Administrator must be a partner in this effort—not a detractor working against the will of the very taxpayers who pay their salary. |
Steadfast and Loyal.
Chairman West's #MondayMessage
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