Taxpayers and the taxpayers alone decide what they will buy, when they will buy it, how much they’ll pay for it, what its physical and spiritual dimensions are, what hours it will be available, and the qualifications of the people who create it. Why? It’s their money. Failure to honor that reality, to greedily grab or even demand a lion’s… Read more →
Every healthy community, whether it’s a neighborhood association, an open-source project, a professional organization, or an online forum, relies on feedback to grow. Constructive input is essential to progress. It is also integral to ensuring ownership by everyone involved in both the process and the results. However, there is a distinct archetype familiar to anyone who has ever tried to… Read more →
The brochure for the backcountry always shows a smiling trekker standing atop a sunlit ridge, arms outstretched toward a cloudless blue sky. It never shows the blisters, the sudden dropping temperatures, or the slick mud of a washed-out switchback. Organizations sell the same brochure. They promise a clear path, collaborative harmony, and a steady ascent to the summit. But anyone… Read more →
First – please pass this along to your civic and community groups, your mayor, city council, county commissioners, fire and police chiefs, school district friends and family members. Pass it along to the owner/operators of small businesses and not-for-profit agencies. Pass it along to your co-workers. It may be a key to your community’s future. In every community, county, and… Read more →
The General Fund Illusion: Why Law Enforcement Funding is a Structural Shell Game “Law enforcement is just a massive drain on our general fund.” If you sit in enough city council chambers or county supervisor chambers, you will eventually hear a version of this complaint from an elected official. The narrative is as predictable as it is exhausting: public safety… Read more →