Academy of Local Politics

Here we go again, talking about citizen apathy.

In Middletown, CT, "the Common Council approved an ordinance allowing high-school-aged Middletown residents to be given a one-year appointment to many of the city's boards, commissions and committees."

The city is hoping the program will not only give the students a unique chance to see the inner workings of government, but also help bring fresh, new opinions and ideas to the commissions and committees.

This isn't an original idea. It has been tried in many places before with limited success from what I have seen. It may give some students a chance to see the inner workings of local government, but very seldom do they offer fresh, new opinions.

That's OK. Anything that attempts to get citizens more involved is worth a try.

I will be attending the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Annual Conference this week and one of the topics of my sessions will be Citizens Against Apathy.

As opposed to recycling old ideas to the citizen apathy problem, Citizens Against Apathy is a new idea. I have no idea at all how it will go over. It may fall flat.

"One flattened by an opponent can get up again; one flattened by conformity stays down for good."

I've never been one who is afraid of being a non-conformist. We'll see what happens.

If you are going to be at this Conference look for the one wearing the Red/White/Blue suspenders. That's me. The non-conformist. Say "Hi"!

Everyone who thinks their property taxes are too high, please raise your hand.

Everyone who wants their local service cut, please raise your hand.

Almost a couple of months ago I wrote about what is happening in Wisconsin to address these problems. It is called Wisconsin Way. This movement (?) is being led by a variety of "Special Interest Groups".

In Indiana, Governor Mitch Daniels "has assembled the Blue-Ribbon Commission on Local Government Reform. The group will focus on ways to reduce the size of local government."

This article writes about Governor Daniels Blue-Ribbon Commission notes, "It will take a bipartisan effort by the General Assembly to push through any meaningful reform. Lawmakers haven't been known for sticking their necks out in such endeavors."

My question is, "If all the results, of all the Blue-Ribbon Commissions on taxes, in all the states were stacked up, how big of a bon fire would it make?"

Many states have discussed cutting the number of local government units through consolidation, to no avail. I have written about this issue previously. We now learn this is a subject of discussion elsewhere.

"The number of local councils in Western Australian would be slashed from 142 to 30 under a plan outlined by a group promoting local government management."

Round and round we go ... where it will stop, ... nobody knows.

There are "stings" against stores selling cigarettes to minors.

There are "stings" against taverns selling alcohol to minors.

Now, a "sting" against cities who refuse to comply with open records laws. The reason for the sting is "the contention is that every citizen has a right to unrestricted, anonymous access to information that is clearly in the public interest. A citizen should only have to ask for what they want. Having to resort to a formal freedom-of-information request should be the exception, not the rule."

The story comes to us from our friends above the border in Edmonton. The "sting" is being conducted by the Canadian Newspaper Association with over 30 newspapers participating.

I wonder how our Cities would do in a sting like this? Or, School Boards? Or, County Boards? 

It would be interesting to find out.

After announcing that I believed that Mayor Bill Gentes of Round Lake, Illinois had the best local government blog I follow, I heard from Mayor Gentes.

Mayor Gentes pointed me in the direction of the website and blogs of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. On the City Administrator Blog different Department Heads blog on a variety of issues and concerns of the citizens. The Fire Chief has his own Blog.

I was not only impressed with the Blogs on this site but the entire website. This site could be used as a template for other cities who think they need a website, or wish to improve the website they presently have.

There is absolutely no excuse for a local government not to have a website. No excuse. It is the most convenient and least costly method of communication local government can have with its citizens.

Through the website local officials (both elected and appointed) can communicate without the filter of the media.  

I thank Mayor Gentes for alerting me to the Eden Prairie website and once again request that if you are aware of a good local government blog (or website) to let me know.