Franklin: Stand Up To Your Elected Officials!

Somewhere along the way I picked up the following quote and finally have the opportunity to use it in one of my posts:

I guess there are some things government can do right for WE THE PEOPLE out there in the bill-paying, profit-making world, but these things amount, mainly, just to doing a few things right and then shutting up about it.

But just try to get a politician to

(a) do something right, and

(b) shut up about it!

I’m fairly confident that everything described above will be on display in all its “grandeur” at Tuesday night’s Common Council Meeting; which includes on its agenda, a Public Hearing on the Mayor's 2010 Recommended Budget.

The Mayor’s Recommended 2010 budget is $24 million and 112 pages in length.  Prior to Tuesday night’s hearing, I expect every member of the common council to have read and understood every page of the Mayor’s Budget, BEFORE voting on it.  And if you vote to approve it, we will also expect each and every member of the common council to confine the city’s spending to at or below the approved budget, which we also expect (in its final version) to include filling the vacant firefighter, police officers, and the DPW position (winter roads need to be cleared fpr emergency vehicles).  A similar $2.5 million over-spending spree—as witnessed this year—will result in a “career change” for those up for reelection in 2010 and 2011.

Related Reading: The Citizen's Obligation To Know

Comments

[Bryan Maersch]

Fred,

Best watch yourself or some 20 something blogger and candidate for the 2010 Aldermanic elections is going to critisize you for using the T word too much.