My Redacted Life: Chapter 33 (Cont._3)

Attending a lot of planning commission and city council meetings in those days, I began to notice a lack of young folks on the boards. In fact, some planning commission meetings resembled “war-story-time” at the old-folks home. Most commissioners were white men, although an obligatory African-American would show up occasionally in cities with a large minority population.

Women would show up later.

Young folks didn’t appear for years. It was like the old guys were hanging on and weren’t ready to pass the torch. Or maybe the young guys were busy getting started in life and didn’t have the time or energy. Whatever, one still sees the results of a lack of youthful vision in many cities.

More often than not, those in power didn't care much for policies or plans. Those things tended to lock them into specious decisions which they made anyway.

Then there was the night a commissioner had stayed a little too long at Happy Hour. He was ready to protect his city at all costs. A developer proposed to redevelop a large area of homes he held “under contract.” This was a common occurrence in cities wherein homes were sold to families who couldn’t have applied for a mortgage. They paid a monthly payment, absent a mortgage that might build equity. After paying for years, they might miss a payment and find themselves on the street while another family moved into their previous home under a new contract.

The men who operated these scams invariably posted a “man of the year” plaque in their offices. Often, they were deacons of their church or the equivalent.

This night, there was a little grumbling about destroying so many homes, mostly from minority spectators living in the subject neighborhood. Our intrepid planning commissioner came to the rescue, as he saw it, of his businessman friend.

“Look folks,” he began—so far so good. Now “everbiddy” knows that this area ain’t nothing but a collection of rundown [adjective deleted] shacks and the whole area would be a lot better off if they were all bulldozed down.”

A long silence filled the room. Faces dropped. The other planning commissioners suddenly found something fascinating among their papers. People in the audience fidgeted. I closed my eyes and silently began to count to a hundred. The commissioner making the remark simply stared ahead as if he had announced a recipe for world peace.

This was the small-town South where I began my career. There were times when, had it not been for meeting Brenda, I wished I had stayed in the Navy.

What? Oh yes. The commission approved the development.

What the ...?

Morning Thoughts: October 20, 2017

I couldn’t begin to tell you how many mayors I’ve worked with over the years, with different personalities, education, skill levels, and savvy. They formed an interesting bunch, a fine bunch, almost always. As a consultant, I’ve been very lucky.

It’s hard either to generalize or categorize. For example, I can’t point out any stereotypical qualities of female individuals. Well, they do tend to listen and pay attention more, but the men are catching up.

African-American mayors are often from the poorer communities, particularly ones that have suffered an exodus of jobs and investment. Other than being unduly beleaguered, I can’t point to any noticeable difference in ability.

I’ve served a few gay and lesbian mayors, I imagine. Never thought to inquire. There were certainly no noticeable idiosyncrasies.

Of course I have a warm spot for mayors who served in the military.

A pattern does seem to exist in that active mayors are more likely to generate formidable opponents. Those whom we might classify as “Guardians” tend to stay in office longer, but I can’t say this is a predominant trend.

Who was the best mayor whom I ever served, you ask?

Well, it was … you didn’t actually think I’d fall for that one, did you?

Almost all had certain good qualities. A few had more than normal. All in all, they were, and are, an exceptionally admirable group of people. Our state and our communities can be proud of them. I know I am.

I’ve had some interesting experiences. One of my favorites followed my reading of Robert Caro’s Path To Power, the second installment of his massive biography of Lyndon Johnson. In the book, Caro lionized Coke Stevenson, once speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, as well as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of that state. He recounted how Stevenson would often say, to delay action on something he opposed, “Let’s let the coffee cool on that.”

Wouldn’t you know? I took up the phrase in advising my mayors, one in particular. She knew very well how much I liked and used it. Once, an alderman came to me about an issue the mayor supported, one we both knew was highly subject to the dreaded “Law of Unintended Consequences.”

I advised him that more revealing info on the issue was coming and would surely make the mayor change her mind. “I think it would be best just to delay action,” I said, “Let the coffee cool on it.”

   

Yep. You’re right. He used those exact words in the city council meeting. The look that mayor gave me from her "throne on high" would have cut through a two-inch steel plate. But, they waited, new facts came in, and the proposal flew into the dust bin of bad ideas, else I would probably have been managing a fast-foot outlet shortly thereafter.

I have known, as I say, all kinds of mayors. In nearly 50 years, I’ve personally known maybe three or four that were truly unsavory. None lasted long. These were mayors that would intentionally do damage to their communities for revenge, dishonesty, or greed. That small number represents a percentage that would be the envy of any office or profession. Those on the “Dishonor Role” were easily identifiable for a number of common tendencies.

1. They didn’t hesitate to lie, even preferring it when silence or the truth would have better suited their purpose.

2. They neither knew, nor cared to know, anything about public administration or the functions of city government.

3. They concentrated on using their office to support a political party or cabal, and to spread dissention.

4. They rated employment candidates more upon family or personal relationships than experience or qualifications.

5. In dealing with contentious issues, they tended to agree and act upon the advice of the last person with whom they had talked.

6. They spent little time in City Hall.

7. They spent an inordinate amount of time demeaning their predecessors or political opponents, both publicly and personally.

8. Before being elected as mayor, they had spent little, or even no, time observing city government in action.

As I say, I’ve encountered a very, very small number of them. But those few—those dismal few—did a tremendous amount of damage to their cities and, therefore, to our state.

Just thinking.