Ever think your elected officials would understand you better and make better decisions if they were union members?

Think you or one of your union buddies could do a better job?

BMWE and the AFL-CIO both figure we would get a better deal if more elected officials at all levels were union members. Hence the AFL-CIO has launched the 2000 in 2000 campaign, seeking to have at least 2000 members nationwide elected to political office at all levels--from local school boards to city and county offices to state legislatures to Congress--in the year 2000.

If you are interested in holding public office--elected or appointed--at any level or if you know of a union brother or sister who would be good at a specific elected position, please consider running or encouraging your buddy to run.

If you have a candidate in mind, please contact your local lodge legislative representative, your state legislative director, or BMWE's Washington, D.C. office at 202-638-2135. Campaign and election laws--as well as the finer points of campaigning for office--vary state to state. BMWE legislative department officers can help you with them.

BMWE knows of four members who currently hold elected public office:

• Dana Booth, AEF, Lodge 1064, Mayor of Belington, West Virginia.
• Paul Iverson, DM&IR, Lodge 1710, City Council President, Two Harbors, Minnesota.
• Tom Matthews, UP, Lodge 1709, County Commissioner, Carbon County, Utah and former Utah State Legislator.
• Dave Smiglewski, BNSF, Lodge 1055, Mayor of Granite Falls, Minnesota.

If you know of other BMWE members who currently hold elected or appointed public office, please advise BMWE's Legislative Department at (202) 638-2135 or by letter at 10 G Street, NE, Suite 460, Washington, DC 20002.

Future editions of the BMWE Journal plans to feature these BMWE and community leaders and others we learn of.