"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Saturday 17 March 2012

You Can Fool Some Of The People

Yesterday  a lengthy comment  was posted in response to the last post. "Looking for Logic In All The Wrong Places"

It was angry, explosive and  critical of  Council. It named members.

This morning a cryptic comment dismissed the entire point.

I didn't publish this morning's comment.

I think Councillors need to know what people are thinking. It's in the nature of a performance review.

We  spend hundreds of thousands of  tax dollars on a  corporate communication system. It's not intended for feedback.It's used as promotion. 

What  chance the system would publish critical comments of  Mayor and Council?

In a pig's ear, my friends.

Do I share critical comments about myself?  Sometimes.

Do I read them? Always.

The thing is, relatively few people read the blog, as opposed  to other publications. People who log in know what they are likely to find.

It's political. It's about our town affairs. It's only of  interest to people who live here and not all of them.

People who pay attention.

It's why I think  members of council  should  know what people are saying.

Some people ?  Yes.  All of the people. No. We can't know for sure how many.

We do know,there is no great outcry that council are being unfairly criticised.

So, comments are like  a barometer. They  registers atmospheric conditions that could lead to this or that weather. If  barometrics  change and they do,  the  weather forecast changes too.

I don't think a person  can be successful in politics unless they understand what people expect. It's only learned by listening.

I'm not talking about running a successful campaign.

I'm talking about being  re-elected because people know what to expect. Being around long enough to acquire the kind of experience that gives people security.

Because they know, that you know what you're talking about and the positions you take,you think are right.

They don't need to believe you are right. They need to know you believe it. They need to be able to count on you.

Trust is a rare commodity in politics. It has to be earned. It builds slowly. One day at a time.

The good news is, it's easier than trying to please all of the people all of the time.


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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is disheartening to see serious people put together responsible platforms when running for public office, including a listing of their lifetime experiences in the work world, family life and community activity, and then, upon being elected, for many of the right reasons, they disintegrate before our very eyes, and the responsibility that they sought is abandoned, and we, the voters, are left scratching our heads and wondering if the entire process is not somehow corrupting.

Do decent people change so dramatically when they become elected officials, or were they never decent in the first place?

Is the concept of trust no longer valid? What will replace it?

Anonymous said...

With modern technology, we no longer have to trust our memories and wonder if we could have misunderstood what was being said by an individual. It's all on tape so you can check for yourself. So an abrupt face is even more startling to the unsuspecting and maybe more devastating as there is no margin for error.
Excuses aplenty - hostile crowd, family problems. long hard day and just day to day existence. But there it is on tape in all its perplexing glory.

Anonymous said...

I don't get it. The Mayor was like 2 differnet people. He said why that agreement was bad and then decided to keep it. Maybe he listned to 2 different people and was confused.

Anonymous said...

To 6:28 PM

The Mayor did not decide to keep the old agreement. He chose to negotiate verses sue. Nice change don't you think ?

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous 3/17 - 10:36

I wonder if you and other that are critical of the Mayor (and council) are assuming that the person that you voted for (whom you agreed with on most issues at the time of election) may not have the same views as you on every issue?

These people were elected in a time when there were certain issues at play. Because they had the same views as you did, you felt that you could vote for them. Now, all these months later, a new set of issues present themselves and now you don't agree. You blame them for disintegrating.

When you married your spouse, you probably agreed on many issues. AS time has gone on, do you agree on every new issue that comes along? I doubt it. People are individuals first. Each are affected by different things.

I think that if you thought Dawe or any other council members would have the same views as you on everything, you have opened yourself up to disappointment.

Anonymous said...

8:08, stop making so much sense! It will only fall on deaf Chicken Little ears.