What the Washington Scandals Have in Common with Charlotte Politics
The political world has been breathlessly watching as the Obama Administration has been rocked by three political scandals. The suppression of details surrounding the death of four in Benghazi (including a US Ambassador), the targeting of certain political groups and individuals by the IRS, and the disturbing amount of investigation by government officials into the conduct of the press have caused even the most partisan Democrats to question the power of the government.
If only the personal hubris and motivations that are center to the cause of these scandals were limited to our nation’s capital, that would be bad enough. However, there is ample evidence that those flaws in leadership are resident in our state capital and the Government Center.
Over the last several months, the citizens of Charlotte have been witness to heavy-handed abuse of power by our elected officials. Citizens feel like they have no say in policies that are foisted upon them. Consider the following:
– The Charlotte City Council negotiated in secret closed sessions with a multi-billion dollar sports franchise to divert tax money intended for maintaining city owned property to the upgrade of a privately owned football stadium.
– The NC General Assembly, without consultation from the Charlotte City Council, utilized their power to draft legislation in attempt to seize control of Charlotte-Douglas Airport and place responsibility into the hands of an unelected authority.
– And lastly, the General Assembly and various local officials assigned to the Mecklenburg Union Metropolitan Planning Office (MUMPO) refused to listen to opponents of a highly controversial plan to implement High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate 77. In addition, state legislators that have opposed this plan have been stripped of committee leadership positions and are most certainly targets in the 2014 primaries.
Abuse of government and elected officials of the people is the kind of tyranny that our founders rose up against at the birth of our nation.
I believe that if our city, state, and nation are to prosper – we need to elect individuals that understand that they are to be representatives of ALL the people. You may disagree with what is being said – but, people have the right to speak and they have a right to know what decisions are being made. It takes leaders with the humility and values that are so lacking today.
Please consider the character of the candidates running for office this year and their willingness to listen to all points of view in a respectful manner.
Editor’s note: Dennis Peterson is a candidate for at-large Charlotte City Council.
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