Somen recent postings at this site have reminded me of the importance of bipartisanship at the local level.
Although I am a registered Democrat, I do not believe that party affiliations mean that much at the local level. What is required is a sense of public stewardship and of fiscal responsibility, and a commitment to open and honest government. This is why school board, city council and board of trustees elections are non-partisan.
Frankly, the people in this community for whom I have the greatest respect, politically, happen to be registered Republicans. But many of the people I least respect in this sense are registered Republicans also (and one of them is a registered Democrat). Party labels do not guarantee the proper attitudes and commitments, at least not in our community where just about everyone is a Republican.
All of us who share a commitment to good, honest and open government, and to responsible planning for the future of our community, need to work together. We need to join hands, and to organize, across party lines.
We need to make sure that each of our tax dollars is responsibly used, and that no tax levy is passed that is not fully justified. We need to insist that our leaders are guided, in every action they take, by a common vision of the future of our community. We need to insist that development proceed in a way, and at a pace, that serves this vision and the common good of the entire community -- not just the interests of developers and landowners. We need to condemn, and resist, TIFs that expropriate school tax dollars for the benefit of developers. We need to fight run-away growth, that clogs our streets and our schools, and empties our wallets, at every turn. And we need to work tirelessly for the removal of every elected official in our community who acts otherwise, regardless of their party affiliation.
These aren't partisan concerns. They are just plain common sense.
By Bruce Rigelman
Although I am a registered Democrat, I do not believe that party affiliations mean that much at the local level. What is required is a sense of public stewardship and of fiscal responsibility, and a commitment to open and honest government. This is why school board, city council and board of trustees elections are non-partisan.
Frankly, the people in this community for whom I have the greatest respect, politically, happen to be registered Republicans. But many of the people I least respect in this sense are registered Republicans also (and one of them is a registered Democrat). Party labels do not guarantee the proper attitudes and commitments, at least not in our community where just about everyone is a Republican.
All of us who share a commitment to good, honest and open government, and to responsible planning for the future of our community, need to work together. We need to join hands, and to organize, across party lines.
We need to make sure that each of our tax dollars is responsibly used, and that no tax levy is passed that is not fully justified. We need to insist that our leaders are guided, in every action they take, by a common vision of the future of our community. We need to insist that development proceed in a way, and at a pace, that serves this vision and the common good of the entire community -- not just the interests of developers and landowners. We need to condemn, and resist, TIFs that expropriate school tax dollars for the benefit of developers. We need to fight run-away growth, that clogs our streets and our schools, and empties our wallets, at every turn. And we need to work tirelessly for the removal of every elected official in our community who acts otherwise, regardless of their party affiliation.
These aren't partisan concerns. They are just plain common sense.
By Bruce Rigelman
