Thursday, January 25, 2018

Police power


From the time I was young I was taught to have respect for the police. In fact I remember saying that I had seen a cop. My father quickly corrected me and said that we did not call them cops, it was disrespectful, they were police officers. However, as I have aged I have realized that police are human and that the uniform does not necessarily make men and women good. Not only that Power in all it's forms can be abused.  In a revelation given to Joseph Smith it was stated, 

"We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion." 

None of us are exempt from this. But despite this issue most men and women in the force effectively handle the power and really serve us very well. Trying to show the necessary respect for our officers and still hold them accountable for when they abuse the power they have been given, can be a difficult balance. My article this week in the paper (Click here to read), deals with this issue and with the fact that I believe departments can do much to help their officers maintain the trust of the people they serve by promoting clear and transparent policies.

I hope we all find the right balance and can hold our offices accountable for the power we have entrusted them with all while still showing them the very deep respect they deserve, for putting their lives on the line everyday.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Why would anyone be mayor?

Today I wrote an article mostly about our mayor (click here to read).

Truthfully, I started writing this article with the idea being, "why would anyone want to be mayor?"

I have known the current and past mayor fairly well and it seems the headaches far outweigh the benefits. It takes a lot of time. People generally spend more time complaining about what your doing rather than giving any credit or praise. So why do it?

Honestly, some of it would be the prestige. I love the musical Les Miserables and there is a moment when Jean Valjean comes out and is singing and to show how far he has come and how great he is states, "I am the Mayor of the town." But whatever prestige comes with the job has to wear off fairly quickly.

I think the best reason to do it would be because you enjoy it. You enjoy the interaction with the public and the staff. You enjoy seeing what goes on behind the scenes and participating in committees you serve on. You love reading about past laws and local policy. You enjoy feeling like you make a difference. As I stated in my article, I plan to write several articles about those I think should and, if I get to it, some I think shouldn't run, both for Mayor and City Council. If you have anyone you recommend that I write about let me know.