Allow me to begin by thanking the reader. I appreciate you taking the time to read, rather than basing your opinion of me or any other candidate on short videos, numerous mailers, or slogans. While I addressed the change of culture in city hall as my first priority, the citizen ownership of city government is the fruit of that tree. Since we allowed the previous councils to opine rather than listen, new opinions represent no real growth in the role of the citizen, or their ownership of government. To that end I have four further propositions, to ensure that real power decentralizes.
An Official Opinion Poll by the Mayor
The simplest I believe would be an official opinion poll of the Mayors own making. While some decry a wishy washy as the wind blows politician, we also cry out for politicians who listen. The difference between a politician and a statesman is that the former is convinced of their correctness, standing upon it as a noble steed, where the latter would prefer the improvement of government to better serve the people. It is for this reason that I would create an opinion poll that did not choose a representative sample, but instead polled all residents who would care to answer. From a simplistic level of right path/wrong path to the actual opinion on each issue before the council at its next meeting, technology has advanced sufficiently that polling the population at their own convenience every two weeks is feasible. As Mayor, I would then simply agree to vote along with the public, as their leader, save for items I find repugnant. Before one can amass a dozen of those, I would suggest you hold me accountable and remove me from office, which brings us to my second proposition.
Initiative, Referendum, and Recall
The proposition which I feel truly brings the most power into the hands of the people is a set of charter amendments known as Initiative, Referendum, and Recall. The three act similarly but upon different aspects of self-government. All three require the collecting of signatures, identically to the red light camera petition and term limits petition. An initiative would, like those petitions mentioned before, allow for the creation of new law, subject to the limits of the US and Texas constitutions and city charter. This would allow for the citizens to enact meaningful law rather than just make changes to the city charter. Referendum allows for citizens to remove already existing law. Not keen on the smoking ordinance, start a referendum to remove the old one and if you wanted to, propose an initiative to replace it. These two together give citizens a real grasp of the laws by which they govern themselves and hopefully spur the innovation needed to keep Arlington at the forefront of modern public administration and civic practices. The final portion of this group is Recall. This would allow for a citizens petition to remove from office an elected official whom was no longer acting in accord with the wishes of the people, subject to an initial waiting period and a show of cause. None of these should be taken lightly as they are in fact strong enough to ruin the city’s good time. They must be undertaken deliberately and thoughtfully, conditions I believe develop most readily only with the understanding of the power within ones hands.
Citizens Oversight of Policing
This third one is generally the most controversial, a citizens oversight committee for the Police Department. As a city grows, so do the issues with which its guardians deal. As our police enforce laws, they are likewise entrusted with maintaining the peace. It can be an incredibly difficult job under the best of circumstances and little makes it harder than any separation from the public. This committee would be comprised of elected citizens, a city official and a police official. Its purpose would to provide the residents of Arlington a real say in how the police force is operated. Furthermore I’d like it to have co-equal access to all body and dash cams and the ability to release this information to individuals or family members accused of crimes or victims of assault by the police. We need more information than just the paltry public relations efforts we now receive as we pay for this service and are thus ultimately responsible for any actions done in our name. There can be no peace without justice. We must ensure that we remove as quickly as possible any bad apples before they spoil the bunch. While some of the problematic issues with modern policing may not have touched your family, we must remember that others do not share that lack of experience.
Ethics training for all Officers of Arlington
Fourth, we as a city need to insure that all people entering city office understand the ethical responsibilities and pit falls inherent in the job. For this reason I propose an ethics class must be taken before entering office so that no official can claim they were unaware of the implications or confused as to the laws regarding the taking or giving of gifts. Likewise for entering into business partnerships, serving on political campaigns, or just simply interacting with the public online and in real life.