We have become so accustomed to government’s procedural difficulties that it is actually newsworthy when the process works as intended. We experienced this last week when our township was presented with a check for $543,500 to fix the road and seawall in front of my house. I had been working on this since 2003 and joined with several neighbors in 2006 to increase pressure on local government. The "squeaky wheel" approach proved effective but I was concerned about the long term effects and reputation this type of activism might leave. My concerns were relieved when the mayor acknowledged the efforts of our group in her speech and even thanked me by name. In the days since the ceremony I’ve had time to reconsider some of my beliefs about government and my self-imposed limitations on this topic. This change of paradigm might eventually prove even more valuable than the grant check.
Leave a Reply