Is running our government agencies like a business a smart idea? We hear some elected and not elected leaders describing how much better that would be. I honestly have to ask why? What makes anyone believe that? If we consider what corporations have done over the years it may give us some pause. At the … More The Environment of Public Administration
I never met Donald Trump. I worked on a couple of buildings that had his name at the roof line, but I wasn’t working for him. Between what I knew of him, read of him and learned about him; we would not be friends. Our worlds were so vastly different in so many ways. Him … More The Donald Trump I Never Knew
In rapidly growing communities, the need for a traffic management information center (TMC) should never be decided based on political misbeliefs but rather facts. In a community where extremists abound a proposed traffic management center (TMC) was suddenly dropped by the regional planning organization after at least two public meetings with over 300 people objecting … More Reason Must Supersede Self Preservation
I dislike change as most do. We grow accustomed and comfortable with a way of doing things and it becomes the only way. Moving, job changes and breakups are not always easy but we must adapt and grow accustomed to another way. We have various levels of government in the United States, National, state and … More Government Upgrade
In these current times we turn to government for help despite years of criticizing it, under funding it and complaining about it. Government, as Americans we love to hate it. The usuals suspects are it costs too much and doesn’t deliver the proper services, it’s too big and intrudes into our lives, over regulates us … More Government Matters
Perhaps the most horrific time growing up in America and some other countries is being a teenager and particularly the junior high years. One may generalize and call it puberty. It is more than merely the recognition of one’s body and it’s functions. That alone clearly created growing pains. The academics and more difficult classes … More Once Upon A Time In America
The President-Elect is a businessman. In fact he and his family have business interests the world over. This is great for a businessman but not so much for an elected official. This situation leads to the appearance of and actual conflicts of interest. I won’t waste your time reiterating the obvious. This potential for conflicts … More Just A Matter Of Trust
People talk of Mr. Trump as a Washington outsider. He is not a politician is how the story goes. Nothing could be further from being correct. A new highrise on the waterfront, a new Wal-Mart coming on the edge of town, a new giant shopping center are major issues at the local level of government. … More Outsider-In
The media still covers the great email caper and reinforces the Republican political agenda. The republicans were astute or devious enough to recognize that Hillary Clinton would probably be the Democratic Party nominee for President quite some time ago. Apparently not so astute as to see Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump on their radar screen, … More Are We There Yet?
Perhaps this time it won’t just roll off, enough, enough.
Phil's Personal Perspectives 