Too often, as the saying goes, “you can’t fight city hall.”
It’s sad because the institutions that represent the public and taxpayers often take their constituency for granted.
A few years ago, I approached my city councilman in the bucolic hamlet of Smyrna, Georgia, about how the city could improve the process for small, home-based businesses, specifically the requirement that freelancers pay the city for an occupancy permit to work out of their home.
He pretended to listen, and I offered to address the city council, giving him cover and support for the possible change. He then asked me to hold off on addressing the city council.
Thinking he was on the level, I honored his request, only for him to proceed with changes to the measure without feedback from the one taxpayer who had apparently approached the city to change home-occupancy permit requirements.
(He has told me repeatedly that no one else is clamoring for any changes, so I will take him at his word, even though he has given me no reason to do so.)
During a recent follow-up conversation, he resorted to name-calling rather than helping me understand the requirements. It would be less of a problem if anyone working for the city could answer a question about the arcane and unnecessary prerequisite, rather than just saying, “Those are the rules.”
Like any good politician, he denied saying what he said after the name-calling. I was initially mad, then disappointed that this is our political climate, and it happens at every level of government.
The real tragedy is that we — as in the “royal we” — don’t want to listen to one another. Elected officials don’t have to listen to their constituents and often don’t. After all, how many constituents will lose sleep over whether arcane regulations make sense for the modern workforce?
As I have been told unofficially by “those in the know,” many people lie or don’t follow the rules. I should have done that, but if we believe in the rule of law, we should do our best to adhere to it.
Unfortunately, those who follow the law are often punished. However, I only ask that, instead of calling me names, my city councilman at least say, “Thank you.”
Instead, elected officials like mine might privately say they agree with a change but don’t have the courage of their convictions to take a stand. While there is nothing worse than a politician who has no backbone, sadly, there are too many who lack the courage of their convictions.
My question is simple: Why do they often let unelected bureaucrats run roughshod over those footing the bill? Why does it have to be a fight with City Hall?
However, that would require some awareness and appreciation from the residents. After all, they make a community what it is; they’re not an opponent to fight.
Instead of a fight with City Hall, it could be a partnership. Sadly, that won’t happen until our elected officials do better, and that is our responsibility to find better candidates.