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Election time is upon us again. If you are like my family, you may find many of the ads, flyers, and TV commercials to be unbelievably negative and false. This robs us of good candidates by making people who are considering running for office hesitate to do so. Excuses such as "Someone else who supports me put it out, not me" just don't wash. This is particularly painful in local elections, where people personally know the candidates and know they are good people. Tell us what you want to do and share your vision, rather than telling us how horrible the "other guy" is.
So, why does it happen?
Because it continues to work. If you really want it to stop, there is only one thing to do: STOP VOTING FOR THEM! And I don't care what party it is!
When negative ads stop working, candidates will stop using them. Until all of us stand up and say, "ENOUGH!" Expect to see many more. As my parents (and yours) told me, "If you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all."
After the last Council meeting, a resident came up and asked if we could slow down a bit when it comes to getting things done. He pointed to our Council agenda, which contained more than 700 pages of information for the meeting. This is not unusual; we have quite a few things going on! Residents have access to exactly the same information that I and the City Council receive (unless it pertains to a closed session involving real estate or a personnel issue). I agree, it's a lot! Being busy, transparent, and accountable to our residents is very important.
Here is a tip: When looking at the agenda, pull up the staff memo for that item. In the memo, staff summarizes the issue and provides recommendations, along with an explanation of how the item meets the goals the Council has established. Still concerned? Go ahead and dig into all the other information.
Like many of you, I am also on Facebook. Regular updates from City departments are posted to keep people informed about street updates, Parks and Recreation, housing, and more. The responses from many of our residents show a lack of understanding of how things actually work. Also, you rarely see them at Council meetings, especially during budget time. The saying "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" applies here. I like a saying I heard a long time ago: "If you can't prove it, don't say it."
Wise words.
From our amazing Parks and Recreation Department
As the seasons change, please take note of the following seasonal closures:
Sept. 28: The Apgar Family Water Plaza will close for the season.
Oct. 26: All park restrooms, Riverview Campground, and building rentals of the Log Cabin, Kiwanis, and Anson will close for the season.
Still planning a gathering? The Community Building, Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, and Reunion Hall remain open year-round and are available for rentals!
Mike Ladehoff is the mayor of Marshalltown.