New year, new decade let's see what it brings

The follwoing was taken off of the Montgomery news website. It really holds true for the 2010-2012 UM Board of Commissioners.


Montgomery News (montgomerynews.com)

Public Spirit Willow Grove Guide > Opinion
Editorial: Listen to voters
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The new year is a time of new beginnings.Some people take the opportunity to initiate new habits, or rid themselves of old ones, while others may change their whole outlook on life.In government, it is also a time of new beginnings: they call it reorganization.For local township and borough governments, 2010 provides a chance to start with a new outlook — seats will be juggled, parties will switch and issues will be raised.Reorganization, Webster’s Dictionary says, is to (once again) “form into a complete and functioning whole.”Fortunately, the “complete” component of the definition is provided for by a group of citizens willing to work in local government, and also by the election process adopted to get them there.It is however, the premise of “functioning” that is of issue here.Is a government “functioning” when it adopts plans for development or amends zoning regulations? Well, in a sense they are. They are doing the work — voting, adopting denying ... voting, adopting, denying ....That is after all what we pay them (ha, ha) for. Right?Isn’t, however, the “function” of the government — for the U.S. at least — to represent the needs, desires and best interests of the people?By its inherent nature, a governing body — no matter what its size — is not functioning if it is not listening to voices which it governs.For those local leaders who put their hands on the Bible Monday night and swore to provide residents with representation, this message goes to you — remember your constituents.They are the people who elected you, and they are not going to be easy to please. They will not want their roads to be crowded or their fields to be developed. They will not want to pay more taxes or fees. And they will not want their property devalued or potholes left unfilled.If each politician has their own agenda, whether affiliated with a party or personal, and each of these agendas is forced into a decision (through vocalized pushing and shoving) the results that are squeezed out are often not desired by the residents.If, however, each politician starts out with a common agenda — the best interests of the people — the results stand a better chance of coming out right.As new members take their seats and veteran ones come back from the holidays, the proverbial slate should be wiped clean for the new year and the voices of the people should be listened to, no matter how faint their whisper.
URL: http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2010/01/12/public_spirit_willow_grove_guide/opinion/doc4b43e3d986531859209405.prt
© 2010 MontgomeryNews.com, a Journal Register Property


Now I know some out there will disagree with me but this board, with the longest serving members at 4 years each, has a giant opportunity ahead of them. The self-serving politics has to stop!!! Unfortunatly, at the re-orginzation meeting held last week, two commissioners (yes the ones that are supposed to be the leaders simply by the time served) continued pontificating for the cameras to show that they know what is best. Now, if you look at the votes of the past 6 months, you will see that these two comissioners have no clue about how government is supposed to work. They only want to serve themselves, not the voters who put them there. I can only hope that they somehow saw this editorial and it changes their outlook on the way business gets done!