Why the lack of interest?
So no one is running against the incumbents on the Oshkosh Common Council. What does that tell us about the state of local politics in our fair city?
I dunno.
I think there are a number of factors at work, ranging from a collective shift of attention to the 2008 presidential election to any number of personal factors in the lives of individual citizens.
Personally I have to admit that my interest in the doings of the Common Council has dropped off a lot in recent months. Part of that has to do with some research that I have been doing on nonprofit media. It's a large project that has taken a great deal of time away from my other pursuits.
I have also started to wonder just how much the Council can do. We know that one of its success stories from last year was sidewalks, a real concrete achievement.
On the other hand, waterfront development remains stalled, property values are falling, crime is rising, the Leach Amphitheater is coming up short of expectations and City Hall is seeing an exodus of experience while the manager's job is unfilled.
Some of these problems are not the Council's doing, but some are. And I, for one, am hard pressed to see where the Council, including the mayor, is having a positive impact.
But still: the trash gets picked up, snow gets pushed around, the street lights go on at dusk.
Maybe that's all we can really expect from local government.
Certainly there is a bloc of voters in town who believe that local government shouldn't do much more than provide basic services. Those voters will keep the likes of Paul Esslinger and Dennis McHugh in office.
Can city government be made to function at a higher level? I think (hope?) the answer is yes. But I can't say I see a path from here to there.
In the meantime I guess we will have to leave it to the private sector and the nonprofit sector to do what can be done to move the community forward.
I dunno.
I think there are a number of factors at work, ranging from a collective shift of attention to the 2008 presidential election to any number of personal factors in the lives of individual citizens.
Personally I have to admit that my interest in the doings of the Common Council has dropped off a lot in recent months. Part of that has to do with some research that I have been doing on nonprofit media. It's a large project that has taken a great deal of time away from my other pursuits.
I have also started to wonder just how much the Council can do. We know that one of its success stories from last year was sidewalks, a real concrete achievement.
On the other hand, waterfront development remains stalled, property values are falling, crime is rising, the Leach Amphitheater is coming up short of expectations and City Hall is seeing an exodus of experience while the manager's job is unfilled.
Some of these problems are not the Council's doing, but some are. And I, for one, am hard pressed to see where the Council, including the mayor, is having a positive impact.
But still: the trash gets picked up, snow gets pushed around, the street lights go on at dusk.
Maybe that's all we can really expect from local government.
Certainly there is a bloc of voters in town who believe that local government shouldn't do much more than provide basic services. Those voters will keep the likes of Paul Esslinger and Dennis McHugh in office.
Can city government be made to function at a higher level? I think (hope?) the answer is yes. But I can't say I see a path from here to there.
In the meantime I guess we will have to leave it to the private sector and the nonprofit sector to do what can be done to move the community forward.
posted by Miles Maguire at 10:13 AM
25 Comments:
Thank God we have the likes of Paul Esslinger and Dennis McHugh
11:13 I agree.
And as I look back in the "Miles Archives" I see more than one blog comment stating that Esslinger would never be re-elected this term. Guess whoever wrote those little nuggets of wisdom is busy shoveling their sidewalks this winter.
11:13--You are confusing your heroes. I don't think anyone ever thought that Paul would hurt himself politically with his sidewalk offensive.
With the snow we've been getting I would hope EVERYONE was out shoveling their walks, not just those who snotty anonymouses like to poke their middle finger and direct their nasty comments at.
Speaking of the likes of Paul Esslinger, Jef Hall has referenced some links to his royal highnass in his blog.
http://jef4wi.blogspot.com/2008/01/tax-bill-mailings-remind-me-of-local.html
The weather is forecast to be warm this weekend. Snow will melt. No shoveling forecast in the River Mill Subdivision. Take a break cleaning those walks. You people are working too hard.
Jef Hall is a jerk. There isn't a comparison.
Esslinger didn't use city resources to endorse a candidate. He allowed ONW to link to the city website. When it was questioned, he acquired space on Monte's site.
Just more "Anti-Esslinger" dribble.
Miles, these posters certainly prove little minds tend to live in little cities.
"If you're not catching flak, you're not above the target"
I'm flying over Oshkosh...just about right on top of River Mill and the guns are blazing!
:)
All of the chaos is driving candidates away plus the relentless media and public scrutiny.
I agree with another post I read on some other blog. The current arrogant council created this mess.
Let them figure out how to solve the problems at City Hall.
The current council has moved this city far further forward than any other council in recient memory. This group is, as a whole, not as connected to the anchor also known as the "good ol boys network" and that may be the reason for the needed changes. Tony, Paul, Dennis, Frank, Bryan, Jess and Burk are well balanced and each provide a different view. Gone are the days of the 4-3 or 5-3 votes. You almost can't predict how a vote will come out with this group. I think they are a great team for Oshkosh at the exactly correct time in our history.
That's an interesting comment at 12:21.
But what exactly has this Council accomplished?
How has it moved the city ahead?
Are there new jobs? A larger tax base? Safer streets? More efficient municipal operations?
To be fair, I don't think you can expect such results in less than a year.
At the same time, I don't think you can say that this is a successful Council until there are results beyond less predictability.
Ok Miles...We all know you're not stupid. I can read what was written and see what was intended.
When is the last time any council had the stones to actually force some change to city admin? These people did. Change is good remember. We will hopefully have a new PROFESSIONAL city mgr and other dept heads. This will change the entire culture of city admin. Now I'm sure I'm giving you enough credit to be able to connect those BIG DOTS Miles. I know you have a chip on your shoulder (can you say sidewalks) with 4 of these guys, but I agree with the poster that this group is a excellent group that has demanded change and will continue to demand more from our city admin.
I don't buy the argument that change for the sake of change is necessarily good.
(There's a big ol' apartment building down on Main Street that represents a big change from what was there before.)
Saying you want change is easy, just as it's easy to make certain kinds of changes (a sidewalk being a good example, now that you mention it).
Making constructive change is hard.
Maybe this Council can do it. And for all of our sakes, let's hope it can.
But, as I see it, there are structural obstacles that make it nearly impossible for the Oshkosh Common Council to have the kind of impact it would like to have.
The biggest problem is simply this: Part-time Councilors will never be able to keep up with full-time staffers.
You can change the faces, but sooner or later you are going to have a divergence in goals and objectives.
And the folks who are at it full time will win over the folks who are at it part time.
But what exactly has this Council accomplished?
How has it moved the city ahead? NO
Are there new jobs? NO
A larger tax base? NO
Safer streets? NO
More efficient municipal operations? NO
Allow me to expand further:
Where is the "former Mayor's Committee to fight poverty in Oshkosh?
Wasn't the goal to get rid of Mr Kinney?
When will this council stop taking excuses for the lack of speed limit control?
These guys have made a huge move for the better, just by the changes at city hall.
Our city manager needed to "retire" many other department heads also need to retire. We need new blood and new attention to Oshkosh not driven by a membership in the good old boys club.
This council can do that!!
Past councils with the likes of Jon D., Bill C., Shirley M.,Meredith S., didn't have the will to make those changes.
Most people in Oshkosh must agree as there is no opposition in the coming election. This is a good team!
To assume no opposition equals no problem with the current council is something only a fool would surmise. As has already been said...this council made the mess we have. Let them clean it up. That's more likely the reason there's no opposition.
2:59 said:
"this council made the mess we have. Let them clean it up."
I say:
To make an omelet, you need to break some eggs.
I think this council is preparing a buffet of wonderful changes for our city residents to partake in.
Keep up the good work! ...and keep stirring that pot.
One of the presidential candidates offered some good insite with this phrase:
"If you're not taking flak, you're not over the target"
This council is taking a fair amount of flak, so my guess is they are spot-on in what they are doing!
The statement: ‘they made the mess let them clean it up’ worries me...
BECAUSE when they fired the city manager the council started the trend of "excessive spending"
Has anyone been keeping track of the money spent by the council since they fired the former manager? We know that the city gave the former manager a "buy out".
Advertising costs for the aborted interim search. Now we will be hiring a search firm at additional costs. When will this type of spending stop?
Our hands seemed to be tied when this council will not listen to citizen input and is arrogant enough to say "we'll do it our way" regardless of the cost. Or provide “lip service” with statements like “it will be money well spent”
We can only hope that part of the criteria for hiring a Search Firm does not include holding citizen opinion polls… meetings/workshops/forums. Does anyone hear really think this council will take any citizen suggestions?
Citizen workshops/forums can be conducted by this council without paying a facilitator.
they are spot-on in what they are doing!
Oh really?
spot-on by excessive/unnecessary spending...
spot-on at NOT listening to citizens...
spot-on???
Will you think they are spot-on when they discuss raising their pay?
I agree with this staement:
"To make an omelet, you need to break some eggs."
and regarding 2:56's anger; Mike Huckabee said it best when he said:
"In the Airforce there is a saying, if you're not taking flak, you're not over the target"
2:56 and others are launching salvos of flak, so this council must be doing something right!
Question for Miles:
For discussion purposes ONLY
The general consensus from council and the community "seems" to be that Mr. Fitzpatrick is doing a good job as acting city manager.
Mr. Fitzpatrick has stated he is not sure he will apply for the position. This council should get a firm answer from him?
If interested this council could offer him a one year contract as City Manager.
Shouldn’t the council at least look at this man’s qualifications BEFORE we spend the money to hire a search firm?
I would hate to see the council spend 30Kto40K on a search firm before considering this man and his qualifications. Some might even consider him one of the “good ole boys”,however he has served the city well.
If we can save some money in this process shouldn’t it be considered FIRST?
It was posted:
"The general consensus from council and the community "seems" to be that Mr. Fitzpatrick is doing a good job as acting city manager."
In exactly what way is he doing a good job?
I actually feel he uses too much "corporate speak" and trys to be too evasive at times.
I also feel he is doesn't hold a totally impartial view of employees vs taxpayers.
We need someone who can reign in rising labor costs. That is why our taxes are increasing. Is Mr. Fitzpatrick able to do that? I'm not convinced.
I actually feel he uses too much "corporate speak" and trys to be too evasive at times.
I as well as others am not convinced that any CEO won't
sound "corporate".
Isn't that what we want a city to operate like a corporation?
Will any CEO hold a totally impartial view of employees vias company?
We need someone who can reign in rising labor costs. Yes, we believe that is actually what Mr. Fitzpatrick is trying to do.
Isn't that the reason several contracts went to an arbitrator?
Why can't this council at least look at this man and his qualifications BEFORE we write the check to a Search Firm!
bb
I agree this council should listen to the public more; however they seem "hell bent" to the contrary.
Ex:
They bring up the hiring of a new city manager and hiring a search firm in council member statements when the public is not allowed comment.
They not only discuss the options they instruct city staff to go ahead with the Requests For Proposals.
They select and set-up a committee to review the RFP all without any public citizen comment.
Public Forum / Community Comments? To be setup by the Search Firm at what cost?
Since when do we need "go between"
to have public meeting with a council?
Saw Dust Days neighborhood meeting will be held AFTER council approval, and than only at a Parks Board meeting @ 4pm when most people are still working.
A council doing things their way with no regard to the cost or public opinion.
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