It seems I spend half my time these days doing research in preparation for my meetings. A
"citizen policitian" shouldn't have to take this much time....I suspect that's why a lot of seats go un-challenged each election cycle...."normal" people just don't have the time to devote to these endeavors.
Why all the research?
Don't we have paid staff to do that for you?
Yes. Yes we do. But it really boils down to a matter of trust.....and I lack a certain amount of that...okay...I lack A LOT of that commodity.
I think it pays for any local elected official to adopt some basic beliefs:
1. Don't trust staff. Especially don't trust those who try quickly and earnestly to become your "friend" as soon as you' re elected. I have been betrayed by these "friends" more times than I care to count and it's hard to live through each and every time.
2. Always remember that a bureaucracy is like Dawkins famous Selfish Gene; it's first mission is to SURVIVE. And survive it will. Long after the Mayor gives you a plaque for your service, a handshake and words that will bring tears to your eyes, the bureaucracy will survive and pursue their own agenda.
3. The King is Dead! Long Live the King! The bureaucracy that is so loyal to the present leader and the present majority will "flip" loyalties so fast it will make your head swim as soon as a new regime takes over.
4. Beware of the "dead rat" syndrome. It's identical of the behavior a stray cat uses when it wants to endear itself to a new owner (okay, dogs have owners, cats have STAFF, I know). It comes and drops a dead rat at your feet to show you how loyal it is. So, naturally, you adopt it. Staff will come to you and tell you how happy they are to have you in office and how bad the old regime was and drop a "dead rat" on your doorstep: some offense that the previous regime committed that you will find deplorable. You will be expected to reward this behavior with a nice, warm bowl of milk (or a "reclassification of the staff member's job to a higher pay grade, or more projects, and staff in the annual budget which will eventually through "classification" lead to a higher salary and benefits)
"citizen policitian" shouldn't have to take this much time....I suspect that's why a lot of seats go un-challenged each election cycle...."normal" people just don't have the time to devote to these endeavors.
Why all the research?
Don't we have paid staff to do that for you?
Yes. Yes we do. But it really boils down to a matter of trust.....and I lack a certain amount of that...okay...I lack A LOT of that commodity.
I think it pays for any local elected official to adopt some basic beliefs:
1. Don't trust staff. Especially don't trust those who try quickly and earnestly to become your "friend" as soon as you' re elected. I have been betrayed by these "friends" more times than I care to count and it's hard to live through each and every time.
2. Always remember that a bureaucracy is like Dawkins famous Selfish Gene; it's first mission is to SURVIVE. And survive it will. Long after the Mayor gives you a plaque for your service, a handshake and words that will bring tears to your eyes, the bureaucracy will survive and pursue their own agenda.
3. The King is Dead! Long Live the King! The bureaucracy that is so loyal to the present leader and the present majority will "flip" loyalties so fast it will make your head swim as soon as a new regime takes over.
4. Beware of the "dead rat" syndrome. It's identical of the behavior a stray cat uses when it wants to endear itself to a new owner (okay, dogs have owners, cats have STAFF, I know). It comes and drops a dead rat at your feet to show you how loyal it is. So, naturally, you adopt it. Staff will come to you and tell you how happy they are to have you in office and how bad the old regime was and drop a "dead rat" on your doorstep: some offense that the previous regime committed that you will find deplorable. You will be expected to reward this behavior with a nice, warm bowl of milk (or a "reclassification of the staff member's job to a higher pay grade, or more projects, and staff in the annual budget which will eventually through "classification" lead to a higher salary and benefits)
5. A former Undersecretary for Agriculture in Washington D. C., once told me, "Son, there is no system yet devised by man that can reduce the number of snouts feeding from the public trough." He was right. Try. Just try cutting personnel positions from the budget.
And finally at the picture of the penguin at the top of the post reminds you, DO SOMETHING BRAVE.
So back to the research.
