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
“This country was built on American respect for education” R. Reagan. Thomas Jefferson warned that government “tyranny” would emerge unless “the people at large” were “educated at the common expense of all.” Yet more than half of Americans (51%) say our public education system is going in the wrong direction. We have been “fixing” education since … More Golden Rule Days
Is social media the achievement of our lifetime or the bane of our existence? If used properly it keeps us updated with family, friends and news events. It can be an extreme irritant. We see a post on social media and comment without knowing the source or writer. It may be completely false, half true, … More Being Informed
Open space is essential for any community but is the public buying land for open space a rational way to regulate development and keep growth orderly? Are there other options that work to both provide open space and distribute density? Growth equates to development, more houses, apartments, roads and traffic. Those are only some of … More Growing Separately Together
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
Is the party over – the Republican Party that is? This is not a description to demean but rather to warn of the demise of the current Republican Party through a review of the significant detours which it has taken. Political parties are not necessarily permanent political fixtures. Parties endure as long as they alter … More Is the party over – the Republican Party that is? (6 min read)
Is Public Education “Woke”? Improving education is the claim of elected types across America. They’ll have a fight on their hands by extremists who see public education as a dragon to be slain, which is sad because it’s actually a knight in shining armor. (CDA Press). What do the extremists across our country hope to … More Is Public Education “Woke”?
Get the wall finished, more storage containers and buses headed North. Some leaders yell people illegally crossing our Southern border are headed for a dramatic increase if Title 42 is ended. Republican attorneys general in 15 states have argued that ending Title 42 will increase the flow of migrants into the U.S. What is Title … More Title 42 for Who(m)?
The words resonating from the Christmas story are “be not afraid” in conjunction the Greek word for love-plus “agape.“ These words for me date back to my early childhood and have been repeated over the years emanating from different churches. There should be no room for interpretation irrespective of the denomination. No wiggle room exists … More The Twilight of Fear and Truth
Many small cities are growing in response to the movement from larger urban areas due to people seeking a less congested life style or perhaps remote workers seeking more affordable housing. Current residents often view this as problematic. Blaming and complaining about growth without accepting the responsibility of providing a solution is not acceptable. Saying you … More Growing Better
Phil's Personal Perspectives 