Call me idealistic
Regarding my pro stance on the Town of Norwich and City of Norwich taking part in a joint consolidation study, one reader that doesn’t agree wrote: “Michael is pretty young and idealistic, which is to be expected and also is proper.”
I actually think I’m pretty cynical, and at 25, I feel like I’m 40 (too many late night’s at Millie’s Diner).
I see my position as being more pessimistic than anything else. It’s born from a lack of faith in local government.
A lack of faith that it will ever be proactive. A lack of faith that it will ever take risks. A lack of faith that it can ever look beyond the short term. A lack of faith that it can really get anything done on its own. A lack of faith that it can ever lead.
If anyone’s idealistic, it’s the people on the Norwich town board who think they live on an Island Kingdom beholden to no one.
Furthermore, if anyone’s idealistic, it’s people in local government who think Chenango County will get better if we stay the course.
Who knows, maybe if we do nothing the county will become a tourism hotspot?
“If you think Branson sucks, wait till you see Norwich!” A pamphlet might read.
I know local governments can rest on their laurels. I know local governments have excuses. I know local governments hate Albany. I know local governments can meet for two hours once a month. I know local governments can react after a situation reaches crisis mode.
What I don’t think local governments can do is develop a realistic vision of the future. They sure can develop a future based on a fantastic version of the past.
December 13th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Hello Mike, sounds like Millie’s might be good for the soul. Politicans are all cut out of the same cloth and they enjoy wraping it around themselves. As a result they have a real problem moving to solve real concerns. Merry Chritmas, Mike Scott
December 15th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Michael; If you are a cynic it is due to the failure of our expanded government. The broken trust our leaders have created by joining a world economy that has done nothing to help Chenango County. If anything, this “global economy” has brought ruin economically to our area. I am as cynical as you in the same respect. I am not as much of a doubter if the local communities than you however.
The only hope this area has is to minimize the density of the bureaucracy that throttles our development here. Now, before anyone gets their I don’t want a foundry springing up in my back yard hackles up, I am talking about making government helpful, supportive and nurturing in a development of healthy and local oriented way. In my experiences with the county bureaucrats I have come away with a very jaded, and cynical attitude towards their lack of understanding of their very jobs. No where in any private business can an employee act like they could care less if you do business or not. The civil servants that occupy this county’s offices are a lackluster bunch of undermotivated, and useless people who are suckling off the teat of government as long as they can before their jobs are farmed out to some offshore corporation. (Now that is cynical!)
The facts are that any people who work for the government, especially the local government, should be very aware of the fact that how they do their job influences the attitudes of developers and busnesses whop may want to spend some money here. These publically paid employees should be bending over backwards to HELP citizens who are trying to build, develop, or change this local landscape as any change is better than none; Powerlines not withstanding.
The fact is our area needs enthusiasm first and more than anything else. People here need to feel proud and confident of our future. When penny anny bureaucrats hold the keys to your future, nothing good can happen.
Michael, you are right to doubt the towns. Only you are doubting their distrust for things all messed up like the county government we have here. Fix the big problems and the little ones will take care of themselves.