One Issue Candidates
One of the other candidate’s website has a running list of “Voter Requests”. Presumably, this list contains requests that have been made to the candidate while he was canvassing neighborhoods. One of the requests jumped out at me. It said: “No One Issue Candidates”.
One issue. That’s me. Transparency and accountability to those who pay the bills. If this is an issue that is important to you, then your vote for me will not be wasted.
I presume the comment was made about my candidacy. My twenty years employment as a Rochester police officer, coupled with my dogged determination to see that the city police department is saved and the community does not outsource police services to the lowest bidder, makes it plausible that some people might think I am a one issue candidate.
Well, they’re right. I am a one issue candidate. But it’s not the issue that they might think it is.
Transparency & Accountability: That’s the Issue
I am a single issue candidate. And that issue has to do with transparency and accountability. In a nutshell. To be certain, the “Save Our Police” movement falls under this umbrella issue. Both city administration, and a council majority, thought that they could slide the issue of police outsourcing past the citizens. They were being less than transparent in doing so. During the course of the move to outsource the local police, here are some of the reasons given by city council members when trying to explain the reasons behind the move to disband the local police.
- It’s about saving money
- It’s NOT about saving money
- The police union is disruptive
- We like the police union, we never said it was about the individuals
- It’s a bargaining tactic designed to increase our bargaining position next year during contract negotiations
Does this sound like a transparent city council to you? It doesn’t to me. It sounds like a council cloaked in secrecy, uncertain about their motives or even less certain if they should tell the truth about what their motivations were.
Think About How Encompassing the Issue of Transparency Really Is
When you think about it, this issue really is quite encompassing. Transparency and openness are things that should come naturally from your elected officials. But that’s not the case with your current city council majority. They operate in a cloak of secrecy. Don’t question their motiviation lest you be labeled a “radical”. Don’t ask them to explain why they do things, or how they do it, or if they have explored other options. Almost all inquiries into how they spend your tax dollars is met with resistance. Almost like they think the money belongs to them.
So yes, I guess I am a one issue candidate. I want council to be open and transparent, and I pledge to operate in this manner if elected. Don’t forget, though, that this transparency applies to so many areas of council representation. Here is a short list of areas where I think transparency and honesty would make our city council much more representative of the taxpayers:
- Do we really need a 26 million dollar budget surplus? Let’s return some of those funds to the taxpayers.
- Hold employees accountable and stop making excuses for their lack of accountability. Reward them when they perform well and prosper, but admonish them when they fall short of expected goals.
- Require competitive bidding for city contracts. Nothing is less transparent than maintining 30 year no-bid contracts with second generation contractors.
- Keep our local police, and stop being deceptive about the reasons for suggesting they be replaced. Honesty *is* the best policy, and the council majority has failed miserably on this issue
One issue. That’s me. Transparency and accountability to those who pay the bills. If this is an issue that is important to you, then your vote for me will not be wasted.