Reader: Councilwoman Carla Madison changed my idea of what a local politician could be

Patricia Calhoun’s tribute to city councilwoman Carla Madison, who lost her fight against cancer this week, prompted one reader to share memories of a most uncommon politician.

Here’s the kind of eulogy that Madison would no doubt have loved.

FenceChat writes:

I moved near 5 points last year and prior to that, had the usual “local politicians do nothing for us” attitude. I had no idea who my representative was or would be. Carla introduced herself and single-handedly changed my impression of what a local politician could be. She was not a public servant, she was a public champion. Always willing to do the crap that we all take for granted, got things done, and got them done with a smile so that even when she met with resistance, her positive attitude and earnestness won people over and undoubtedly worked persuasive magic on her detractors. I didn’t know her personally, but know enough of her work, ethic, and results to say that the loss of her is a loss that we all suffer. She was a shining example of what “community” means, and could be, and I hope her example, at the very least, inspires us to be more neighborly.

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