Give the council an earful, and urge it to back off rhetoric that got them elected

Resolution for performance audit dropped from agenda, but there is important lesson here for council newbies

As many of you may know by now, the resolution calling for a performance audit of Longview Assistant City Manager Ann Rivers has been struck from the Longview City Council’s agenda tonight.

With a bad cold, I have not had time to explore the reasons for this, except that public outcry against the measure and the council’s secretive and vindictive behavior may have persuaded supporters to withdraw it. And I don’t know if it has been permanently or just temporarily shelved. 

I hope it is the former. Toward that end I hope the public shows up tonight and lets the council know that both the method of pursuit and the substance of this resolution are both totally unacceptable.

The value of political participation is invaluable, but it should go beyond grousing.

So, if you go tonight, I urge you to be more than critical.  I urge you also to tell the council that you are willing to work with it to solve the city’s myriad problems and, more than anything, to really listen to one another and argue on the basis of fact and truth. Those are the keys to civil and productive dialogue.

Longview is not perfectly run. No city is, but its flaws are not so deep as to justify how GOP rabble rousers disparaged that city during last fall’s council election campaign. Wallowing in despair, and using it as a political wedge, is hardly a way to improve things.

During the campaign debates sponsored last fall by the Cowlitz Civil Dialogue Project, then incumbent Councilman Mike Wallin said he came into office 12 years earlier on a crusade to cut wasteful spending. But he found a problem with the goal.

He said he couldn’t find much. And this is from a solidly conservative guy. 

The point here is that city government should not be run by preconceived and ideologically driven notions. You have to learn the ropes. You must learn the law. You just consult ALL your constituents. Sometimes you must compromise. You must be honest and open. 

Toward the latter end, these new council members should go through another round of public meeting and public record compliance training. The public’s business is the public’s, not theirs.

The biggest sin of this council’s first two months is to believe the rhetoric that got three new members elected. Their mandate, if they have one, is to govern, not sow discord. It’s a form of hubris to think that they know better than everyone after just 60 days in office.

I hope that damage from this incident is not long lasting. In particular, I worry about the impact this could have on city workers. Going after the city’s top two administrators must send a chill through the whole structure of city government. 

It’s easy to knock city employees, and no about there are some  city workers who are lazy and incompetent. But, in my experience,  I’ve found them dedicated, responsive and hard working.

In closing, I’m going to share part of a statement that Longview Councilwoman and former Mayor Mary Alice Wallis sent to me this morning:

"Trust is fragile and takes time to grow, but can be broken in a second. Our staff is our best investment and the city's greatest assets. These are individuals who use their skills and expertise for the betterment of our city and our city council's effectiveness. These individuals aren't elected for a short-term, they are hired and employed, hopefully for the long term. It is their livelihood and to our advantage to have tenured experts on staff. It's clearly outside the proper role and function of the city council to target individual staff members. Because the staff members are our best investment, we should support their efforts, seek to better understand their contributions to the city, improve our communication and build lasting relationships with our team.”

She’s asking for trust and cooperation, not war.