Local Government Apathy - The Only Known Cure is Involvement
By: Al Arnold
Just imagine every citizen over the age of 18 attending one local government meeting a year. What could happen?
It is only natural if someone is “watching” you do a job, you will take a little extra care to make sure the job is done properly. I believe most people would agree with that statement.
Following through on that premise, if citizens would take the time to attend local government meetings and “watch” local government, local officials would take a little extra care to make sure that their job is done properly. However, when left totally unattended by citizens, local government can sometimes become sloppy. (How many citizens do you think ever attended a New Orleans Emergency Management Committee Meeting?)
Simplistic? Yes. But, we are talking about local government, the most basic, accessible and simple form of government that we have. If everyone would devote just two hours a year and attend one local government meeting, every local government meeting would have “someone” watching them.
The road block to this simplistic cure for apathy through involvement, is “fear.” Fear of the unknown. The unknown of what really happens at these meetings? The unknown of possibly meeting the other people who will be there. The unknown of thinking you may have to “say something.” These fears are very real, for many people. It is this road block, that must be taken down.
To alleviate those fears, I propose that when you go to the meetings that you only go to watch, listen and learn. That’s it. You need not speak at all. You watch, listen and learn.
I see four benefits for you to this very simple cure for local government apathy.
1) You will receive better government because by simply watching a meeting, you will prompt local officials to do a more thorough job of research and deliberation. The more research and deliberation, the better the decision that will be made.
2) You will become more respected by local officials because you participated in a meaningful way. You came, you cared, you listened, you learned. What is there not to respect about that?
3) You will have broadened your education by learning more about how your local government works.
4) You will feel more comfortable going to your next meeting … next year. Where you will learn even more. And so on, and so on, and so on.
Just imagine what could happen?
Al Arnold is the author of Moving Mountains and Molehills Local Politics 101. He is also a crusader against Local Government Apathy. More information can be found at http://LocalPolitics101.US