Sunday, February 24, 2008

Long Island Best Practices WIKI: Part 2

We've been reading quite a bit of local news recently on how government operates on Long Island and in New York State generally. This is separate and apart from the "meta-issues" involved in the presidential campaign.

Some advocate getting "mad as hell."

It has been my humble experience that getting "mad" does not cause fundamental change. It only makes things worse.

It's easy to be against something. It is much harder to be for something.

So how do we lower the temperature and at the same time inform and engage the public and governmental entities of all types in a substantive dialogue?

Many of the One Long Island proposals are designed to do just that.

But how about we make an attempt at defining some standards of performance for the types of services we currently have and wish to have in the future, then see who is providing those services in the most effective manner. Then use those ideas as a base line for developing our future service structure(s).

Compare "apples to apples" and be honest with yourself and the public.

"Cherry picking" (enough fruit metaphors) issues and pitting one group against another will not solve anything to any one's satisfaction.

No dogma. Take a fresh look at everything. Collaborate and engage the public.

Then we can make some rational and potentially difficult choices together.

More in Part 3.

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