#70 / Politics?

“Public policy” is another way to say “politics.” And lots of people don't like "politics." People often think that “politics” and “politicians” are bad, or tainted, or corrupt. I ought to know; I used to be a politician. In fact, politics is simply the process by which our communities make difficult decisions and tough choices about what they want to do.

Should we pave over farmlands around Watsonville, so we can invite a big box retail center into the community? There are definitely arguments on both sides. Should we stretch City water supplies to allow the University of California to expand its Santa Cruz campus? Again, there are some arguments on both sides, and we really can’t have it both ways. Our communities need to make basic public policy choices, and these choices will affect our future.

I continue to believe that it is our American “democracy” that makes us different (if we are different), and that we won’t be able to maintain democracy and self-government unless more of us are willing to get involved ourselves.

A basic “time management” question is being posed. If we don’t make the time to get personally involved in issues that we care about, someone else is going to make the choices for our community, and it’s usually someone who will profit personally from the choice that’s made.