Commentary I encourage everyone to run for public office. Try to do it at least once, whether it’s for city council or your local water or school district board. You need to appreciate the democratic process. You will learn so much as you briefly run a small nonprofit, like raising money and communicating with voters. You’ll learn the usefulness, or not, of a political consultant. The formalities of your political party, and whether you will receive their support or not, will be a reality check. And appreciating independent expenditure committees and political action committees will rock your world. You’ll also make a lot of friends and many enemies along the way. But the biggest secret you will learn is the dominance and influence of public employee union political action committees. For purity’s sake, you should not accept political contributions from those that you will be facing at the bargaining table, …