By: Diane Benjamin
In September, I assume City Manger David Hales will be travelling to Seattle for this years ICMA conference. I’m pretty sure he goes every year, you will be paying the bills. Tari just got back from San Francisco at your expense. Maybe the City motto should be changed to “We see the Country for free!”
I bet David can’t wait for this session:
Making Local Government Relevant
The Phantom Menace: Addressing E-Hostility in Your Community
Learn how to counteract the effects of antigovernment or anticity websites and blogs as they try to influence public opinion and show they are mainstream. We’ll discuss how to keep your mayor and council focused on goals at hand rather than being distracted by these sites. 14, 16
MODERATORS & SPEAKERS
Panelist: Chris Hernandez, City Communications Director, City of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
Panelist: Kevin Lahner, City Administrator, City of Waukesha, Waukesha, WI
Panelist: Terrence Moore, City Manager, City of College Park, College Park, GA
Here’s a link to the entire conference: https://members.icma.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?WebKey=B22B775C-D1C1-4A50-A2B8-E0D36CA02010
A virtual conference video will be available for $199. Think he will stay here and watch the important parts instead of going to Seattle?
I guess we will see!
David: before you go, you need to know the facts. There is a difference between being an anti-government or anti-city website and a website challenging you on spending and policies.
- If roads and sewer systems weren’t falling apart
- If taxes weren’t raised
- If deferred maintenance wasn’t millions of dollars
- If the budget wasn’t rapidly expanding
- If transparency really existed
- If citizens weren’t ignored
- If local media did their job of holding government accountable
- and if the Council cared – I wouldn’t have much to write about.
Honesty and transparency would be one way to counteract the effects of your blog Diane, but I doubt that is on the agenda.
TINO – Transparency In Name Only
T*A*R*I* -Transparency ain’t really interesting! Heck, Diane, I would NOT even read or link to this blog, IF it were NOT for the “daily paragraph”” being SUCH a limp excuse for a paper towel and the mayor and his lion, tin man and scarecrow, being SO easily misled or just plain oblivious to the obvious-re: coliseum, streets, budget, taxes, garbage, CITIZENS!
Possibly the title, “The Phantom Menace: Addressing E-Hostility in Your Community” should be redescribed as Dennis the Menace: How to be a Dick and Destroy the People that You Serve (and Pay Your Salary/Benefits.)
I don’t think that this site or the commenters are anti-government or anti-city. I believe that consistently most if not all here are anti-BAD-government. If citizens don’t hold the bad-government accountable then no one will. Then there is the part about keeping mayor/council focused on goals, which of course is the agenda that is Hales which is to subtly destroy local government by bringing in regionalism. He might have been able to pull it off if he wasn’t such a bad money manager which gets peoples attention.
I definitely am not anti-government. I very much appreciate the fact that we are, for the most part, a rule of law society. Private property and enforceability of contracts are great things that our government protects ( again, for the most part).
I am against certain functionaries within the government who keep trying to expropriate more of my money to pay for things I don’t need or want. The old guard newspapers are not dying because of the Internet. They are dying because they completely and enthusiastically sold out to the democrats.
JF: JUST hadda reply! I don’t think it’s the papers “selling out” more then just plain going “cheap street” I was the Pantagraph’s TOP carrier in sales from 1971-74! Went to Detroit (Ford Plant), Washington D.C- ALL the Monuments AND the inauguration of Nixon/Agnew, and a Dude Ranch in WI. among other trips, so THEY were teaching us to be “responsible citizens” and teaching us something (capitalism) and we collected OUR money, as opposed to just sending it in-like today, so we KNEW all our customers. TODAY they throw it in the drive and drive around in a car! And the building actually HAD PEOPLE in it! Not just an answering machine! Hence, the Government thinks the same way, guess what? Try THAT with a storefront!
Thanks for commenting. I always appreciate the perspectives of people with knowledge of the inner workings of the discussion topic at hand. You are right they have cheaped out. Is the switch to Democratic Party shills a cause or effect of this cheapening?
As a big fan of Star Wars, I’m offended at the title of that presentation. 🙂
I don’t know how anyone can teach an adult to be focused or if that is really necessary. Mayors and Aldermen are focused enough to get elected. They are focused enough to promote their agendas. What should be encouraged and nurtured is to be open minded. Being challenged by someone with an alternative perspective is vital for development of any kind.
As per… “What should be encouraged and nurtured is to be open minded. Being challenged by someone with an alternative perspective is vital for development of any kind.” I wholeheartedly agree. It’s just too bad that the Koos and Renner regimes only apply this method when their side has little control.
You are spot on. I have never heard Bloomington’s administration suggest someone to be open-minded. The “my way or the highway” is the method of choice.
“Kevin Lahner, City Administrator, City of Waukesha, Waukesha, WI”
Now there’s a speaker to avoid. If you have ever been there you would know why. I have posted in another blog how Waukesha also tried a downtown revival. Not to mention how the citizens are going to get royally screwed on their water bills because the city ignored an EPA mandate to the last minute and in their last ditch effort they have to pay to bring water in. The streets there are nothing to speak about. Soon Bloomington’s streets will look the same. Waukesha, is another messed up city.
Great! I have a young relative living there.