Why Fight?
There’s
an old saying that you can’t fight City Hall, and win anyway, but
It’s just an old saying. I prefer the term, “help” city hall,
not fight it. Helping the City to help itself is not a job for the
timid or the apathetic citizen. It requires skin thick enough to
repel institutional resistance and personal insults as well as
endurance to see actions through to completion.
In
single party dominated local politics our vote has little effect on
the law making and enforcement process. Incumbent and newly elected
officials have little cause to say, when faced with a legislative
choice, “this is why I was elected”. In fact they were elected
almost always because they were selected by their party and
run unopposed in the general election.
With
the above in mind the residents fact based free expression is the
primary means of relating their concerns to the local legislators, be
they school boards, city councils or county commissioners.
An
example of helping is the perseverance and fact finding required to
persuade the city and county governments to institute the electric
aggregation program that is saving residents of those jurisdictions
more than $2,000,000, and local governments tens of thousands per
year in electricity charges.
I
am currently working with the city fathers, to begin the process of
aggregating natural gas service for city residents. [hat action is now complete.]
Over
the past 20 years I have learned a lot about local politics and I
have had some success in gaining cooperation from the legislators.
Don't complain, put the act in activism!
Local
media is another tool in the kit of local activism and can play a
significant role in airing issues.
.Paul Hunter
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