Yesterday’s blog was about getting involved with local government as a means to be better informed. Along with that comes a needed commitment to ‘see’ problems broadly. Doing that provides insight to possible solutions.
Thinking through solutions, a team of people can picture the
results – pros and cons – of each solution. Some cost way too much. Others are
cheap but ineffective for the long run. Still others help some citizens while
harming others. The best answer usually involves long-term solutions for the
most common good while controlling costs now and in the future. The holistic
approach is hard work. It requires a lot of reading, thinking and solitary
homework. Then it is time to share with people you trust to give your ideas
some air, perspective and commonsense logic.
The process takes time. the process respects everyone as
they struggle together to arrive at workable solutions that do little or no
damage to the community.
Where to build a dam? Or where to locate a garbage
processing facility? How about expanding the sewage treatment plant? Or replacing
underground utilities that are nearing their expiration date? It didn’t take me
long to learn that local government spends a lot of time and money on things
people don’t see. They are invisible underground or so common as to be taken
for granted.
Then there is planning for the future so the community isn’t
surprised by a huge change that is inevitable. Look at COVID; how has that
changed how we shop, meet, do business, govern and teach kids? What changes
will be needed to accommodate these shifts in norms. And what is the norm now?
What will it be in the future?
Another basic question: what is the one thing that makes our
community special? What would happen if that ‘one thing’ were lost because of
rampant change? How do we protect our community from that kind of damage or
loss? Is there a way. How do we find out what our options are? What is the
process we should use in considering these matters.
All of the above is governance. It is local. It matters. Each
of us can be involved. At least we each can understand the issues.
Criticism is important to keep our institutions effective
and efficient. But the negative must be balanced by the positive – what are the
best solutions we can use to benefit the community? That takes an involved
community. And a civil one.
If you think your voice is not heard, get involved and understand
the issues well enough to craft good, workable solutions to the problems you
believe are real.
October 13, 2020
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