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Editorial: When Government Works |
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 21 April 2006 |
Two months ago a Town Councilman had an idea for a sex offender law that he thought would make Lansing a safer place to be. Today the law is in effect. Whoa! Did I get that right? A government accomplished something in only two months???
That speaks to the efficiencies of local government. At its best a local government does what needs to be done for its constituents, spending the least to accomplish the most. It's not like state or national politics where strategy is a lot more important than accomplishing anything useful. Yet government this good isn't necessarily the norm. When the "group of six" municipalities got together to come up with a sewer agreement for the region, it took six years to get its act together. That was six local governments in Tompkins County. I'm told it was the biggest of the six that held things up.
So what makes a government work? First it is important for local voters not to get caught up in party politics. The thing is to elect the best candidate for the job. That's what Michael Arcuri said voters would do a few months ago when he launched his campaign for Congress at the Lansing Community Center. A lot of times voters vote a straight line, Democrat or Republican, but that doesn't really work when it comes to getting useful things done. It's up to candidates to set an example and also not get caught up in party politics, despite the pressures of the party.
Our Town Board is largely Republican, but all the members have, at one time or another, expressed admiration for their colleagues regardless of party affiliation. Republican Steve Farkas and Democrat Hurf Sheldon take every opportunity to pose for pictures together when the Star comes to photograph Lions Club events, and Democrat Connie Wilcox would be embarrassed if she knew how many compliments I have heard about her from Republicans. The Village has gone a step farther -- they formed their own political party and more or less all the candidates come from it. Its platform is to make life in the Village good.
I like it when a government acts like a human being with good common sense. The Town Board saw a need for a sex offender law in our rural town where not everything is easily within view. They had the courage to do it, even though such laws are often challenged by organizations like the ACLU. They charged the Town attorney with coming up with a law that had the best chance of withstanding court challenges, and they got the job done thoughtfully, lawfully and quickly.
It's a bit depressing that it's worthy of comment -- that should be the way things work.
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