King on Council

Thoughts on Goshen, Government and Beyond

Blame a Long List of Local Politicians…

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_09A2944Lately I’ve felt some urgency to acknowledge that at this moment in time, Goshen can boast a climate of political civility.
Way to go, US (curtsies and bows all around, batting of eyelashes)!
If we didn’t know it before, we should know NOW that what we have is FRAGILE. It suddenly seems possible that one loud, mean-spirited voice can sour a whole room, a whole community, even an entire country.
I used to take for granted that it was the responsibility of elected officials to cultivate civility in democratic dialogue. I just thought it was part of the job. I figured that if the very people who like to talk about government policy (politicians) don’t stand up for peaceful communication, who the heck will? I thought the exchange of ideas (without the threat of violence!) was a traditional American value, even a sacred right.
Maybe it was naive. Americans do, after all, have an impressively violent civil war in the national scrapbook (well, an UNcivil war).
But if I’ve clung to some idealized version of civic discourse, it’s not my fault; I blame a whole bunch of Goshen politicians.
Over the years, our city has had a multitude of difficult community conversations, conversations about race, culture, sexuality, religion, money. These are the kinds of discussions that can rattle even the most “well-behaved” among us.
Former Mayor Allan Kauffman managed to preside over controversial town hall meetings without ever using words like “loser” or “moron,” without suggesting that people deserved to be dragged out of an auditorium on a stretcher, or punched in the face.
And council members of both political parties have carried that same civil spirit over the years. Councilman Jim McKee always offers a smile and a handshake. Councilman Ahlersmeyer was genuinely kind to me when I campaigned in his neighborhood. Councilwoman Gautsche will literally not say a petty word against anyone (despite my occasional encouragement).
You get the point, right? I could give you a laundry list of the things I value about every single member of city council.
In Mayor Jeremy Stutsman we have a real gentleman — a guy who says “bless you” to the stranger who sneezes next to him in an auditorium (I’ve heard him); a guy who quickly and quietly gives up his seat to an elderly person in a crowded room (I’ve seen him); and a guy who is downright funny (I’ve laughed with him).
None of this means local politicians won’t ever disagree on issues that come before the council. It’s actually our JOB to enter into some uncomfortable conversations. We will inevitably annoy one another from time to time. That’s okay. Talking through disagreements is a proud Goshen tradition.
Curtsies and bows, Everyone!

Being Naughty in Public and Other Ways to Get Media Attention

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1G7A4458Thanks to the Presidential-Candidate-Who-Must-Not-be-Named, politicians at every level of government now know how to get noticed. Cursing, shouting down dissenters, making sweeping generalizations about entire segments of society and angrily stomping around without apology — this stuff lands you on front pages. Aggression sells BIG.

Unluckily, my LEAST favorite thing about being an elected official (and before that, a candidate) is figuring out how to “get attention.” My natural tendency is to keep my head down and do my work quietly.  Well, maybe not quietly. I like a good chat. And I like a good gripe session. I like to think through problems and solutions out loud and with others. So, no, I don’t ACTUALLY work quietly. But I don’t relish the spotlight, either. Mostly because the spotlight doesn’t look (or feel) like a place to be REAL.  At best, it seems calculated and rehearsed; and at worst, it seems like ego-driven ridiculousness.

So, what does this have to do with Goshen’s City Council?

A couple months into the job, I’ve figured out that while we have great local newspapers, reporters are spread thin and will not be routinely checking in with me to get my “take” on city business. What??! That’s right.  You know what else? I will ask important questions and make perceptive comments at council meetings and in other public forums… and the words will not always appear in our local papers (you may pause here to GASP). The same thing will hold true for my fellow elected officials. I’ve already seen important discussions at various city meetings (initiated by members of both political parties) slip through the cracks.  And my definition of “important” is something that I would want to know as a resident and voter if I were not in the room listening. For example, at our very first meeting of the year, there was a proposal to cut the number of city council meetings in half.  The ensuing discussion (which illuminated council members’ views on voter access to elected officials, public input opportunities, how meeting agendas are created, etc.) was absent from local news coverage.

That’s where this blog comes in. In lieu of being naughty in public to get attention for issues I consider important, I’ll write here. Hopefully someone other than me — and my very supportive mother –will read it from time to time.

It’s probably worth mentioning that I have a degree in Journalism. Will I provide perfectly impartial coverage of myself? Um… no.  But I DO value objectivity and transparency.

I ran for office in large part because government is confusing (oh, please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks so). Most people disengage from civic life not because they don’t care, but because they’re not exactly sure how things work or where they fit in.  This will be my ongoing attempt to clarify how government works in Goshen and where YOU might fit in. And you will be patient with me, right? Because it might take me a minute to figure out where I fit in….