Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
It’s a symptom of a bigger problem with politics. As the media and tools we engage with become global, the common touchstones of citizens - especially the extremely online ones - become these big value issues. In the U.S. it’s called the nationalization of politics. As these big issues that people from Seattle and Boston and Omaha argue over with one another take up all of the oxygen, local issues fall to the wayside. Which is not a good thing. It’s the local issues that directly affect people, especially those less advantaged.
I don’t want my councillors and mayors contending over high-level issues and cultural battlegrounds. We have other levels of government for that. I want my councillor to dedicate herself to acting on behalf of my neighbours and myself on the practical, day-to-day workings of our neighbourhood: roads and infrastructure, parks, public transport, waste collection, property zoning, and bylaw enforcement. Take our concerns to city administration and advocate on our behalf. That’s all. |
Most of those issues can be looked at throguh a climate change lens, though. Waste management can deal with things like methane recovery. Roads and transit have obvious connections. Parks, managing golf courses etc all can and should be viewed in regard to their overall climate effect, and how to do it in the best way possible.