Today’s Morning Buzz is by Samantha Harkins. Connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn!
Regardless of your politics we all have to acknowledge a few months ago we witnessed a historic election. A record number of Americans voted. We shattered the glass ceiling by electing the first female, Black, Indian-American Vice President. We also have a country deeply divided, and our President-elect has a lot of work to do in healing this nation.
Leading up to the election I was obviously thinking a lot about politics, but not in the way you might think. With only a few weeks until inauguration, I’d like to declare today a new party, the party of getting it done despite the odds: the party of local government.
You’ve heard it said that all politics are local. It’s true. And services are too.Think of the issues that affect you every day: trash being picked up, parks where your kids play, potholes being filled, toilets successfully flushing. Those services and so much more happen every day in, what I would argue, is a nonpartisan way. Sure our elected officials face politics in how decisions are ultimately made and implemented, but at the core of these services is a dedicated group of professionals who make it happen.
There are decisions of Congress or the President that I would argue never directly affect me. But what happens in my city impacts me, my family and my neighbors every day. As I sit here in my home office (because, unlike many colleagues, I am fortunate to work remotely) I’ve seen the Lansing Police Department drive by, heard the sirens from an ambulance making a run and have seen the public service crew inspecting a storm sewer drain. The men and women of the local government party are about service, not politics.
As we begin the arduous healing process our nation faces, we should keep in mind the things that unite us: our communities, our neighborhoods, our desire for great places to live, visit and experience.
The shared community and human experience is way more important than the political rhetoric that divides us. As we move into a new administration we should focus on those things that unite us and come together to support the hardworking men and women who represent the local government party.