What Do You Want From Our Local Elected Leaders?

[sharon kinsella]

Will - your comment above -" My feeling is that legislators spend too much time on constituent services (a ploy to improve their prospects for reelection), and too little time on legislation."

Did you cut all your Civics classes? This is truly one of the most ridiculous statements I've seen in a long, long time.

Legislators are also called representatives. Legislation should be based (at least 50%) by direct constituent needs. Also on budgetary constraints, long term impact, etc.

[Will Brown]

In the strange world of kinsella, if your house catches on fire, you call your legislative representative, not the fire department.

I don't remember my civics classes, but I seem to recall learning that there are executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government. The executive branch is the one that delivers services.

[sharon kinsella]

Elected officials are there to represent their constituents. Much of that is constituent services. Go back over your government textbooks dude. Mine is not a strange world, mine is a world where democratic process is supposed to be a representational government.

[J Hrlec]

In the strange world of kinsella...

[sharon kinsella]

J. Hrlec - are you a 5 year old with a crush on me? I'm one of the only people on here that you crack on. Or maybe you're just afraid of the boys.

[Will Brown]

When you contact your legislative representative asking for something, his staff prepares a letter to the executive agency that either grants or denies your claim expressing his interest and asking for information. Those are almost always form letters. In the case of our elfin legislative representative, I seem to recall that the letters were very short, which probably has nothing to do with his stature. At that point, work on your case stops while a response is prepared and reviewed and rereviewed. It is then sent to the office of your legislative representative, where the staff prepares a letter to you and feeds it though the signature machine and sends it to you. Meanwhile, the executive branch agency goes back to working on your case, delayed a bit by the time they were responding to the inquiry when they could have been processing cases.

That takes a lot of time and money, including some of your legislative representative's time, all of which are resources that are not spent on the legislative process. That is why our legislative representatives rarely, if ever, read the actual bills they are passing, and why they have to spend so much time on corrective legislation.

I expect all legislative representatives operate in this manner, not to get your views, but to get your votes. since the assuaged whiner feels that this politician has helped him, and is inclined to reelect him.

It is a very inefficient and expensive way to run a legislature, especially as there are so many whiners. And it produces legislation that should have been more thoroughly studied before being passed.

So I think we should judge our legislative representatives by their legislative records, not by how many hands they have held.

Best wishes with your transplant.

[sharon kinsella]

Don't have to have one yet.

Maybe you haven't needed constituent services yet, but when you do you'll be glad to have them.

Also have you heard of staffs? That's kind of what they do hun.

[Charlie Page]

On a rare occasion I agree with Sharon. Our elected leaders should be representing our interests and concerns, especially at the local level. That means taking care of problems, removing roadblocks so things can get done and fixing things (legislatively) when they are broke.

Will - I suspect the reason that few in our federal government read the bills they vote on is that most of the bills aren't written by them but by lobbyists. Also, it's too much like work to actually read anything. They can't even read the ten page Arizona immigration bill before making erroneous comments. Public appearances are where it's at these days.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Still leaning heavily for Transparency / Accountability.

I think really paves the way for a good elected official.



FWIW


.

[marklingm]

Still leaning heavily for Transparency / Accountability.

I think really paves the way for a good elected official.

Jim,

We know that City Councilperson Antonio’s seat will soon be vacant. Mayor FitzGerald’s seat may soon be vacant. And, School Board Member Beebe has said that she is not running again so that is another open seat that may be coming up.

Some of these seats will no doubt be filled by “civic leaders.” I hope that all such individuals are up to the actual challenges of journeying down the path of true transparency and accountability.

Matt

[marklingm]

One of the very real stories in the world is how residents all over the country, county and city, are rolling over like submissive little pups, while their elected officials, and civic leaders pull strings behind the scenes for their own benefit, not the benefit of the people they are trying to server.

A mass illusion of we are doing it for you... We are the good ones.... Why be negative with us... And it seems to be working. I am not sure if it is the level of Americans that are medicated or self medicated, but the country, county, and cities have gone to hell with the current FORM of power structures, and from what I am seeing here, it will only get worse.

Around here there is talk of getting rid of the Demora power structure. But only by those trying to get their close little power group into that seat. Look at here in Lakewood, City Hall to my knowledge has turned down and is actively fighting at least 3 public record requests! This is insane, especially when you see what the requests are for, and that Lakewood has lost this very fight at least two other time in court.

We have a school board whose biggest fight amongst themselves behind the scene is transparency and accountability. Because if they were, they would not be able to work the agenda some have been told "you better get done." Still the city has no stomach for it.

People behind the scenes that are still actively controlling the school board are Chaz Geiger and Mike Summers.

I am sure the same is true everywhere else. Old power brokers more worried about control then the city they have been driving over the cliff for the past 10-20 years. But now they move their hands slightly differently, and where the latest fads and say, "This time we really have it right, trust us."

I believe it was Einstein that said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results. I would say that is true with cities. If we are to believe the "power brokers" that claim Lakewood needs this and that, then why will they not answer why they got us to this point? Why should we believe they have the solution?

Why should we believe them when they plug their next "elected official" in through appointment?

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=112&t=9243

Jim,

As I stated above:

We know that City Councilperson Antonio’s seat will soon be vacant. Mayor FitzGerald’s seat may soon be vacant. And, School Board Member Beebe has said that she is not running again so that is another open seat that may be coming up.

Some of these seats will no doubt be filled by “civic leaders.” I hope that all such individuals are up to the actual challenges of journeying down the path of true transparency and accountability.

I was recently told that “transparency and accountability” are passé. I hope not. If true, we may indeed have the ostensible government warned of by President Theodore Roosevelt:

Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.

And, while blanket criticism of the School Board grows frustrating at times, that frustration comes with the job. If you believe in true “transparency and accountability,” you have to be willing to take criticism. Again, as warned by President Theodore Roosevelt:

To announce that there must be no criticism of the president... is morally treasonable to the American public.

The same premise holds true for all of our local elected and civic leaders – including me.

Matt

[Danielle Masters]

I was recently told that “transparency and accountability” are passé. I hope not. If true, we may indeed have the ostensible government warned of by President Theodore Roosevelt:

Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.

And, while blanket criticism of the School Board grows frustrating at times, that frustration comes with the job. If you believe in true “transparency and accountability,” you have to be willing to take criticism. Again, as warned by President Theodore Roosevelt:

To announce that there must be no criticism of the president... is morally treasonable to the American public.

The same premise holds true for all of our local elected and civic leaders – including me.

Matt

If "transparency and accountability" are passé then what is current? Accountability is very simply means that one is responsible for his or her actions which is another definition of being an adult and a responsible citizen. And transparency means that you can show the people who elected you that you are doing what they elected you to do, that once again, you are being responsible.

If you can't or won't show the electorate that you are doing what you were elected to do than what exactly are you doing? And who exactly are you serving?

What kind of example does it show to the next generation when our public officials refuse to act like responsible adults and actually do the jobs they chose to be elected to do? If they won't tell us, how do we even know they are competent. If they refuse to answer to us (the citizens of Lakewood) how do we know they aren't coloring in coloring books all day and charging us for the books and crayons?

And Matt, for the health of this city I think you need to be a little more specific, exactly who feels that "transparency and accountability are passé"? And what direction do they think public officials should head? Is the new plan-- what's "current"-- hiding from the public or pretending (lying) to our faces?

I really want to try and be positive about our various levels of government especially given the extremely important holiday we mark this weekend. People have sacrificed their livelihoods, families and lives for this form of government that some in this city so casually dismiss.

I want to thank every public official and civic leader in this city that is standing up for our democratic form of government in this current climate. We need you now more than ever. Happy 4th of July!!!

[marklingm]

And Matt, for the health of this city I think you need to be a little more specific, exactly who feels that "transparency and accountability are passé"?

Danielle,

As a local elected official, I quickly learned that the number one tool used by many antagonists is to simply attack the messenger rather than actually discuss the message. I am astonished that so many analytical discussions are summarily dismissed with a mere, “You just don’t like X.”

I believe that naming the names of those elected and civic leaders who tell me that that “transparency and accountability” are passé will simply divert the discussion away from the message.

You obviously do not have to believe in “transparency and accountability” in order to be an elected or civic leader, but I want my civic and elected leaders to truly believe in “transparency and accountability.” Let's walk the walk, and talk the talk.

And, in any event, you already know who does and does not believe in “transparency and accountability.” To quote one of the most famous phrases in judicial history:

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it…

As to those elected and civic leaders who truly embrace “transparency and accountability,” you’ll know them when you see and hear them.

Matt

[Danielle Masters]

And Matt, for the health of this city I think you need to be a little more specific, exactly who feels that "transparency and accountability are passé"?

Danielle,

As a local elected official, I quickly learned that the number one tool used by many antagonists is to simply attack the messenger rather than actually discuss the message. I am astonished that so many analytical discussions are summarily dismissed with a mere, “You just don’t like X.”

I believe that naming the names of those elected and civic leaders who tell me that that “transparency and accountability” are passé will simply divert the discussion away from the message.

You obviously do not have to believe in “transparency and accountability” in order to be an elected or civic leader, but I want my civic and elected leaders to truly believe in “transparency and accountability.” Let's walk the walk, and talk the talk.

And, in any event, you already know who does and does not believe in “transparency and accountability.” To quote one of the most famous phrases in judicial history:

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it…

As to those elected and civic leaders who truly embrace “transparency and accountability,” you’ll know them when you see and hear them.

Matt

Matt, thank you as always. Your response to my question makes total sense. I can accept that naming names wouldn't accomplish much. And I suppose it doesn't really matter who said it since in my mind because of the actions of certain politicians in this city it could be attributed to many of them. I do hope that a miracle happens and that a few of those politicians that turn their nose up at the idea of “transparency and accountability" will finally realize that this is what the electorate wants and needs for Lakewood to be a healthy and vibrant city.

[marklingm]

“Communication.” I want our local elected leaders to communicate with their constituents.

To that end, while we do not always agree, I would like to give a “shout out” to those City Council Members who represent(ed) me in Ward 2 and At-Large.

If I ever have a question or request a meeting, my current and former city council representatives have always been very responsive – i.e., Tom Bullock and Ryan Demro (Ward 2), as well as Nickie Antonio, Brian Powers, Monique Smith, and Mike Dever (At-Large).

I always leave our meetings with the feeling that my concerns have been heard – perhaps not agreed with – but heard nonetheless.

Thank you!