A dear friend of mine sent me an email the other day that reminded me that decisions made by local government have the greatest impact on our daily lives, more than at any other level of government.
She recalled an axiom attributed to former Speaker of the House, the late Thomas Phillip “Tip” O’Neill, Jr., (Dec. 9, 1912 – Jan. 5, 1994). O’Neill served as the 55th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and he had the privilege of serving under three different U.S. Presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.
During the span of his political career, O’Neill embraced the essence of public service and embodied the idea that elected officials could make a positive difference in the lives of the people that elected them.
Based upon those principles, O’Neill coined the phrase “All Politics Is Local” which suggests that the success of an elected official is directly tied to his or her ability to connect and act accordingly toward the concerns that matters to the people.
In other words, the everyday concerns of those who we ask to elect us to office should become paramount to our service while in office.
With that said, over the past year or more the following items have dominated the local media and I can’t help but wonder if they have not been the main topic of discussion around the family dinner table:
The reduction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of freshwater flow down the Apalachicola River System; the exorbitant amount of property taxes imposed upon the citizenry by local government; a return to an at large voting system; and a stable educational system for our children, one that’s conducive to learning.
Whether you are a proponent or opponent of any of the above is unimportant, what is important is the ability of our elected officials to comprehend and act accordingly toward your concerns.
O’Neill had it right when he said, “I have been in politics all my life. I am proud to be a politician. No other career affords as much opportunity to help people. Let us not concern ourselves with what we have tried and failed, but with what it is still possible to do. Let us spare no energy that the nation and the world may be better for our efforts.”
When it matters to you, than it should matter to us and not just during an election year but also, during our entire term in office.
She recalled an axiom attributed to former Speaker of the House, the late Thomas Phillip “Tip” O’Neill, Jr., (Dec. 9, 1912 – Jan. 5, 1994). O’Neill served as the 55th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and he had the privilege of serving under three different U.S. Presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.
During the span of his political career, O’Neill embraced the essence of public service and embodied the idea that elected officials could make a positive difference in the lives of the people that elected them.
Based upon those principles, O’Neill coined the phrase “All Politics Is Local” which suggests that the success of an elected official is directly tied to his or her ability to connect and act accordingly toward the concerns that matters to the people.
In other words, the everyday concerns of those who we ask to elect us to office should become paramount to our service while in office.
With that said, over the past year or more the following items have dominated the local media and I can’t help but wonder if they have not been the main topic of discussion around the family dinner table:
The reduction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of freshwater flow down the Apalachicola River System; the exorbitant amount of property taxes imposed upon the citizenry by local government; a return to an at large voting system; and a stable educational system for our children, one that’s conducive to learning.
Whether you are a proponent or opponent of any of the above is unimportant, what is important is the ability of our elected officials to comprehend and act accordingly toward your concerns.
O’Neill had it right when he said, “I have been in politics all my life. I am proud to be a politician. No other career affords as much opportunity to help people. Let us not concern ourselves with what we have tried and failed, but with what it is still possible to do. Let us spare no energy that the nation and the world may be better for our efforts.”
When it matters to you, than it should matter to us and not just during an election year but also, during our entire term in office.
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