The Observation Deck

I hope to hear some specifics from the (so far) two candidates for Mayor on how they will deal with the City's upcoming fiscal train wreck. Most candidates for public office sensibly avoid specifics because those specifics become a target for the opposition. I am asking that you avoid common sense campaigning and supply some details.

Hopefully, either Mayor George or Councilman Fitzgerald will offer up some ideas. While I have my own prejudices on what is needed I realize that there is more than one way to solve a problem.

Today's Sunpost had a sentence that said the recent increase in City water rates was necessary because of "miscounting". Does anyone have the details? Why is it that newspapers seem to miss the most interesting part of their own story?

Specifics:

Under what conditions would you support a tax increase?

If taxes were raised how would you spend the money? Raises? Benefits? Infrastructure? Development?

Would you support the elimination of binding arbitration in City labor disputes?

Would you support the elimination of the me to clause in City contracts?

What form of assistance should be offered to Rockport, the Cliffs or other development?

Would you use eminent domain to assist those projects? Should the City assist those projects?

Why does Lakewood need its own welfare department? Should those City functions that duplicate County functions be eliminated?

The City has about 100 more employees than it did 15 to 20 years ago. What do those people do? Would you consider benchmarking City staffing levels of 20 years ago to current staffing levels?

The City's income tax department costs more than what would be charged by RITA. Should we return to RITA?

City employees are using sick time as vacation time. Sick time use is about 45,000 hours per year. Would you consider eliminating sick time and replacing it with a short and long term disability policy?

Should the minimum staffing levels at the fire department be decreased to reduce overtime costs?

Do we need more police officer's?

The State will soon be resurfacing Clifton and Detroit. The City will use that opportunity to beautify Clifton. Can we beautify Detroit?

How would you revitalize Madison Avenue? Is it any of the City's business?

Bill,

I think you posed some great questions. I would like to suggest that we move the candidates both for mayor and city council to Candidates forum and open them up for citizens to pose questions like Bill did of the candidates so that we can see their response. I would also like to see creative ideas that they have for improving the city.

I tend to agree with you Steve, that past performance is a gauge of future performance. But I don't want to cast a vote for someone because they "aren't someone else" I want to be excited about my choice this time.

I hope we can do this in the spirit of what is best for Lakewood, which I dare say is creative ideas, not mudslinging.

Ed FitzGerald wrote:Mayor George:

The tone of your response to my announcement says more about your administration than any claims I could ever make. I counted 9 separate inaccuracies in your rant, but there is going to be plenty of time to correct the record.

Enjoy the holiday season.

Ed FitzGerald

FANFARE: dut, dah, DUT, DAH!!!

Okay, this is our fourth day of coverage of "THE RACE TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE." (I wish someone else would figure out when election day is so we can start the reverse countdown.)

So little has happened since day one. I pulled up this Ed Fitzgerald quote out of boredom. I figured I'd work on finding the 9 innacuracies in Tom George's post for a while. It's sort of like playing Where's Waldo. I could swear I counted 13, but maybe I'm just seeing things.

Maybe if we all work on it, and compare notes, we'll figure out the whole puzzle. It'll be big fun, but probably not the kind of fun that will sustain us until November. We'll be back to crosswords by February.

Anyway, dut, dah, DUT, DAH!!!, tune in tomorrow for Day Five in "THE RACE TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE."

well, we do have time on Cox Cable every two weeks. When it's clear who all is running for mayor, we should have a live debate. Readers can email in their questions for the candidates running, and we can read them.

We need a host.

Mr.Davis, we can use you and myself for comedy sketches during commercial breaks. We'll be like Bonnie and Clyde. If we add Jimmy O, we could be the three stooges, but I'm not taking a hammer to the skull!

On a serious note, this debate could be a good thing. I remember when the Observer did an issue explaining every issue on the ballot so that foreign people like myself could understand them. It was great. This could be just as useful. Minus the issues, plus candidates.

Lynn Farris wrote: I tend to agree with you Steve, that past performance is a gauge of future performance. But I don't want to cast a vote for someone because they "aren't someone else"

I hope that Councilman Fitzgerald offers more than "Vote for me, I'm not the other guy".

FANFARE: dut, dah, DUT, DAH!!!

Tensions rose today in Day Five of "THE RACE TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE."

Yawn.

Anybody have 14 inaccuracies?

Bed time.

Tune in tomorrow for exciting Day Six in, dut, dah, DUT, DAH!!!, "THE RACE TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE."

By early Spring 07, I will be hosting a Public Affairs / Social Commentary show on Cleveland State's WCSB radio.

I invite both candidates to engage in live debate with each other and the public, via live telephone participation.

I will post the show time slot by March.

Thank you Mayor George and Councilman Fitzgerald for sharing dimensions of your civic and political personalities on the LO Deck.

Great Expectations

I am encouraged to see that the effects of the Lakewood Observer project have created the strong expectation that, in the city that would know itself better than any other city and thereby enter into the Guinness World Book of Records, political personalities will communicate, deliberate and participate in the civic source code under construction here.

Handlers

I hope the effects are not short-lived, because 20th century campaign handlers are likely to underestimate the broad enthusiasm for learning about political personalities and public policies through the LO’s civic source platform.

Intelligent Evolution

With honest, forthright and at times impulsive participation by political personalities in the LO’s civic source platform, we will see the intelligent evolution of local politics and the accrual of new political and social capital before our very eyes. Let’s activate a shift away from the behind the scenes/code of silence model that in periods of diminishing resources with only exacerbate indignations and tensions.

“Watching Youâ€Â￾

Ms. Compeau says “I... WE... will be watching you all and watching how you handle yourself in the election process. We will be watching how you you respond to criticism... how you respond to accusations (true and untrue) ... how you respond to pressure.â€Â￾

The Psychological Template

In response to Ms. Compeau’s post, I would like to suggest a psychological template for gauging the drama of political personalities in campaign mode.

Let’s consider for starters these three levels and figure out where the political ego is located in any campaign statement:

1. Reality Level – i.e. the structure (conscious and unconscious) and situation that limits decision-making and action.

2. Ideal Level – i.e. qualities (believed or imagined) that inflate the political ego but cannot be delivered through political action as real things.

3. Attitude Level -i.e. beliefs, hopes, moods, wishes that inflate the political ego and carry subjective effects.

The Attitude Level

I would suggest that in announcing his campaign Councilman Fitzgerald pitches us toward the Attitude Level. He cites “desperate need of mayor who can provide dynamic, strong leadership."

Is leadership a matter of attitude?

The press release notesâ€Â￾ FitzGerald stated his belief that the current mayor is underperforming and "sleepwalking through our greatest challenges of the last 50 years," while trying to take credit for the successes of other city institutions such as the Lakewood‚s library, schools and YMCA.â€Â￾

The word “beliefâ€Â￾ is apt; it locates the initial salvo at the level of attitude.

At the same time there is an effort to amplify the sense of “crossroadsâ€Â￾ and “challenges.â€Â￾ This creates an anxious atmosphere that supports the shift to the “attitude level.â€Â￾

Citizens: Keeping it Real?

At “the real levelâ€Â￾ there are committee organizations of citizen elites (Grow Lakewood, the Finance Committee) who are recognizing an imbalance to the structure and an unsustainable situation within the service industry of Lakewood's local government.

The question is how are committee organizations of citizen elites informing the situation and structure of local government?

How successfully are political personalities, with their egos sometimes filling with ideals and attitudes, integrating the citizen committee perspectives into the rules of the game?

Clearly there are difficult tensions between taxpayers and the politicians responsible for delivery of services and public employment, as Mr. Call notes with his line of inquiry.

Convenient or Inconvenient Truths

Mayor George responds to Council Fitzgerald with a focus on “action.â€Â￾ He cites concrete projects and institutional relationships.

Mayor George writes: “In the past, the City suffered through analysis paralysis. Lots of talk and lots of plans, but little action. During this administration, as we all know, we've seen action….In addition, Rosewood Place, GrafTech, Walgreens, Kaiser, New York Life, Rockport Medical office building, Ferry Cap and Screw and other projects all were initiated during my term in office.â€Â￾

Depending on one’s perspective, “Rosewood Place, GrafTech, Walgreens, Kaiser, New York Life, Rockport Medical office building, Ferry Cap and Screwâ€Â￾ might be regarded as convenient or inconvenient truths. Like it or not, these have occurred during the Mayor’s watch.

Why the quibble over credits? Why shift to the “attitudeâ€Â￾ level?

Councilman Fitzgerald features the “Attitude Levelâ€Â￾ in this response to the Mayor’s post: “The tone of your response to my announcement says more about your administration than any claims I could ever make. I counted 9 separate inaccuracies in your rant, but there is going to be plenty of time to correct the record.â€Â￾

Is the attitude level where Councilman Fitzgerald believes he can trigger impulsive responses that create a strategic campaign advantage?

Selection of Personnel

As projects that are taking place at the “real level,â€Â￾ with some interface with the situation and structure of government, the pertinent question to be asked is whether or not any bad decisions were made by the Mayor and the people he has hired.

Selection of personnel for the service industry of local government is the critical issue.

Ms. Masters underscores this issue in her post:

“My other problem with your administration is the state of our parks. Yes the new walkway at Lakewood Park is lovely unfortunately the playground is dirty, neglected and falling apart. Swings are missing, a few truck loads of mulch are needed, trash is everywhere, signs are broken, etc.â€Â￾

Yet how much space is there truly within the structure and situation of the service industry of local government, especially when the finances are so limited, when civil service laws and other protections are intact?

How would Councilman Fitzgerald create such an opening in the structure and situation of the service industry of local government?

Is the opening real or ideal?

Status Quo

It seems to me that Mayor George has attempted to preserve the status quo of the service industry of local government, with ever diminishing resources and the shrunken time horizon so dictated by immediate needs.

Does Lakewood want anything more than the status quo?

The Ideal of Planning

The “Idealâ€Â￾ of planning obtained political traction in the effort to inform the structure and the situation of budgeting longer term for the service industry of local government.

Grow Lakewood, Main Street, Youth Master Plan, the City Vision – how do these “idealsâ€Â￾ inform “the realâ€Â￾ structure and situation for the service industry of local government?

How would each candidate do so?

What Are the Inconvenient Truths

The key question to raise concerning any campaign statements is: What are the inconvenient truths about Lakewood’s structure and situation (the real limits of decision and action) that attitudes and ideals mask?

Merry Christmas

Kenneth Warren

Ken:

Challenging post, as always. I suppose I have to resist the temptation to engage in too much analysis myself, since I'm one of the people being analyzed. However, I do agree with your contention that one of the central questions voters will be weighing is whether the status quo is acceptable or even possible. A related question, even if the status quo is the best we can hope for, is whether this administration is competent to adequately preserve the status quo.

I personally have been disappointed at the level of dialogue in previous mayoral elections, and I believe that The Observer can be part of crafting a more substantive political discourse. Traditionally, there are two or three mayoral "debates" each election cycle- the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis, and the League of Women Voters. All are worthy events, but they are somewhat confined to the very restrictive political debate format which has been the norm in American politics since the Kennedy-Nixon debates. Would Lakewood voters sit through hours of debate as in the Lincoln-Douglas debates? I doubt it, but I think we can fashion some method preferable to 1 minute answers and 30 second rebuttals. If done right, these debates could actually further public policy development in Lakewood, as opposed to just being tactical exercises in saying nothing.

I'd like to propose a whole series of debates focused on individual topics- safety, economic development, housing, the fiscal situation of the city, etc. For starters, I'd like to accept Dan Slife's invitation to host us on his WCSB radio show, which could also be podcast, of course. In the early 90's I actually worked at WCSB, so I'd like to see the old studio again.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas as much as my family did, and best wishes for a great New Year.

Councilman Fitzgerald:

Thank you again for stepping into the rapids of the LO’s civic source.

It appears to me that you have begun your campaign by raising the question of the competency of candidates to preserve the status quo.

Is there any inference to be drawn concerning your intention to preserve the status quo - in the best sense of its base line of local government deliverables and services rather than to pursue an agenda of innovation, disruption and transformation?

From my conversations with people I believe there are generally conflicted feelings over the choice to preserve or transform the status quo in the service industry of local government in Lakewood.

I would place such decisions as privatization and city manager model of government within the scope of an agenda of innovation, disruption and transformation - actions that change the structure and situation of local government.

For me the preservation of the status quo can include such a mundane service as back-yard trash pick-up, something transformational thinkers often pitch to the penny-pinching altar of sacrifice.

It seems to me that issues you have raised - “safety, economic development, housing, the fiscal situation of the cityâ€Â￾ - can be located for purposes of debate along vectors of preservation and transformation.

The question I would ask for you to ponder is: Do you pledge your competency to support an agenda of preservation of the status quo or an agenda of innovation, disruption and transformation?

I am not pressing for an immediate answer.

Of course, I am interested if any of this conceptual scaffolding makes sense to Mayor George.

Kenneth Warren

Ken:

Personally, I feel our city must place a premium on innovation during the next four years. Of course it's easy to say that, the devil is in the details, and I expect to provide details over the next 11 months. Change is always taking place- the question is whether our local government is an agent of positive change, or belatedly adapting to it?

Finally, my initial point was that among those who are satisfied with the status quo, a significant number may also doubt whether this administration has the ability to competently administer the traditional role of local government.

Ed FitzGerald wrote:Finally, my initial point was that among those who are satisfied with the status quo, a significant number may also doubt whether this administration has the ability to competently administer the traditional role of local government.

quoted for truth.

as for the "may also doubt" part...it's not a question of may, it is certain doubt.

kate

The candidates seem a little reticent. I know it's a little early for lots of debate, but eleven months can get away from you pretty quickly.

What I'd like to see, BEFORE the election, is an audit of the City's finances. Can this be accomplished in time for voters to make an informed choice? How can we make this happen?

Steve

Steve-- The audit was just done (please refer to my article which can be read in the Lakewood Observer of 3 issues past). The city had exemplary ratings and the Finance Director has recieved plaudits from the professional societies.
Your Intrepid City Council Reporter-- Stan Austin

Stan,

Are there any copies of Lakewood's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) available to the public?

Are there current copies at the Library?

Steve