--- Mark Hanson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> In the meantime, I'll argue that resolutions about
> national/international affairs have no place in the
> City Council chambers. It's a waste of time. If
> individuals on the council have strong feelings
> either way, they should exercise their First
> Amendment rights like anybody else, and speak as
> private citizens. We're not paying people to sit in
> City Hall offices and debate Washington DC policy
> making.
>
> Mark Hanson
> Prospect Park
This is complete abrogation of responsibility. The
city has an intergovernmental relations committee for
a reason and there is reason for the city to speak out
on many issues that will impact the city and yes Mark,
the wasteful war of choice in Iraq will have an impact
for years to come on the ability of the federal
government to prioritize needs of importance to the
city due to the financial sinkhole it has created. To
the extent the shift in priorities necessitated by
engaging a supposed "pre-emptive" war which is by
definition a war of choice impacts the cities
priorities and access to resources, it is the
responbility of our city officials to speak up.
I presume Mark thinks that the city councils of New
York City, Chicago, Los Angles, and numerous other
metropolitian areas were off base when they passed
antiwar resolutions pertaining to the war in Iraq
because the war distracts from what those city leaders
felt where higher priorities.
The strict "seperation of levels of government"
philosophy is detrimental to the city in other ways
and is often applied in the other direction to say the
city shouldn't act on issues that the county, state or
federal government SHOULD take responsibility for.
I think of some of our city council people's attitudes
towards the city's dept of health and human services
which has been the first responder to so many issue of
importance to the city on issues which the county,
state or nation have not yet had political will to act
on.
I think of how the department of health and human
services has historically worked with local citizens
seeking to address glbtiq youth issues, HIV/AIDS
prevention programs and many many other issues in the
city at a time when these issues where nowhere on the
radar of the county, state, and federal government.
As the closest level of government, the city can be
far more responsive to the unique and emerging needs
of it's population in the areas of health and human
services than higher levels of government. Often this
response has meant bringing together private sector
actors and supporting initial formation of
organizations that become funded by a combination of
private funds and grants from higher levels of
governemnt as the importance of the work becomes
apparent in excercise. The city has been very
successful when supported by the political powers of
the city in helping leverage resources to address many
of our cities most pressing health and human needs.
Strict "seperation of government" folks would want to
pigeon hole such responsibilities at distinct levels
of government which restricts responsiveness and
therefore effectiveness.
So if the county, state or federal government are
failing to take action on a health or human need in
our community is the solution to have local government
neglect to address the issue itself and let people
suffer and or die because it's not the "appropriate
role" of city government?
So many private and public nonprofits and services in
our city which make it a better place to live and in
the long run save us all money by reducing healthcare,
welfare and even criminal justice costs would not
exist if it were not for the involvement of the city's
department of health and human services with local
citizens and institutions looking for innovative
solutions to the cities problems.
Social invention that moves our quality of life
forward almost always begins at the local level and
spreads to other local jurisdictions and communities
before ever being supported by higher levels of
government, just as the most innovative ideas in
business usually start with small businesses before
being adopted by large businesses, not the other way
around.
David Strand
Loring Park
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