Hispanic community is place to look for new leaders
Hispanic community is place to look for new leaders
BY GERY CHICO
August 5, 2006
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
If you're like me, it's getting to be too much. Real problems and issues in people's lives go unaddressed, but the symbolic issues and matters get the politicians' attention. It's time to change this for all of our sakes. It takes new leadership -- and the Hispanic community can help bring this about.
Here's the map. New leaders bring about new politics that bring about new, results-oriented government. How do we find new leaders? Let workable ideas, tenacity, a track record and broader backgrounds be our guides when assessing people for leadership. Let's not simply give our support to somebody who gets elected, holds office and does very little to better people's lives. This maturing community can have an impact on the local, state and national scenes by encouraging people who are accomplished -- from so many different fields -- to seek leadership.
Come they will and we should seize them. Choose the community hospital department head who came forward with an idea to provide easy access to health care, an idea that can really work -- not a hot-air speech that's safe for one's political career or political party. Look for the Hispanic company owner who brought us an economic development project that truly created jobs. Let's listen to the teachers and others who have a sound plan to make education a fundamental part of our Hispanic homes across Chicago. And, shouldn't we look to the police officers and others in law enforcement who truly have a workable idea to improve the safety of our neighborhoods?
Here's what we don't want and can no longer tolerate: If you happen to be a federal or state officeholder, especially in the legislative branch, there's so much pressure to do whatever it takes to win an election, serve the party, win the majority of a chamber, or set yourself up to look good on an issue, even if you can't prevail on it. This explains why millions march for immigration reform across the United States, and Congress takes the summer off and leaves the issue until later. We do, however, have time for debates and votes on flag amendments.
State government isn't immune to this malady either. Recently, Gov. Blagojevich proposed $1.5 billion for school construction assistance across the state. Some districts have been waiting for years to expand and renovate schools, build labs and add technology. But the politicians (mostly Republicans) who hail education as our most important issue didn't want to give Blagojevich a "victory" he could use in November, so they decided to just ignore him! School construction funding died, and the children and their families wait.
Local government is less susceptible to this. Here, people won't stand for it. They want the streets safe, the garbage picked up, the water to flow, the schools to work and public housing to work.
What can we learn from all this? Be especially careful of those coming from Congress seeking local office. They must show that they can leave the posturing, positioning, flamboyance, hyperbole, party-serving stalling mode in Congress. Similarly, state officeholders ought to be held accountable for what they've done already before seeking another office.
I challenge the Hispanic community to lead the way here, first by talking about change and then by making it happen. If you and they are as fed up as I am, changing the way our leaders are chosen is a start.
BY GERY CHICO
August 5, 2006
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
If you're like me, it's getting to be too much. Real problems and issues in people's lives go unaddressed, but the symbolic issues and matters get the politicians' attention. It's time to change this for all of our sakes. It takes new leadership -- and the Hispanic community can help bring this about.
Here's the map. New leaders bring about new politics that bring about new, results-oriented government. How do we find new leaders? Let workable ideas, tenacity, a track record and broader backgrounds be our guides when assessing people for leadership. Let's not simply give our support to somebody who gets elected, holds office and does very little to better people's lives. This maturing community can have an impact on the local, state and national scenes by encouraging people who are accomplished -- from so many different fields -- to seek leadership.
Come they will and we should seize them. Choose the community hospital department head who came forward with an idea to provide easy access to health care, an idea that can really work -- not a hot-air speech that's safe for one's political career or political party. Look for the Hispanic company owner who brought us an economic development project that truly created jobs. Let's listen to the teachers and others who have a sound plan to make education a fundamental part of our Hispanic homes across Chicago. And, shouldn't we look to the police officers and others in law enforcement who truly have a workable idea to improve the safety of our neighborhoods?
Here's what we don't want and can no longer tolerate: If you happen to be a federal or state officeholder, especially in the legislative branch, there's so much pressure to do whatever it takes to win an election, serve the party, win the majority of a chamber, or set yourself up to look good on an issue, even if you can't prevail on it. This explains why millions march for immigration reform across the United States, and Congress takes the summer off and leaves the issue until later. We do, however, have time for debates and votes on flag amendments.
State government isn't immune to this malady either. Recently, Gov. Blagojevich proposed $1.5 billion for school construction assistance across the state. Some districts have been waiting for years to expand and renovate schools, build labs and add technology. But the politicians (mostly Republicans) who hail education as our most important issue didn't want to give Blagojevich a "victory" he could use in November, so they decided to just ignore him! School construction funding died, and the children and their families wait.
Local government is less susceptible to this. Here, people won't stand for it. They want the streets safe, the garbage picked up, the water to flow, the schools to work and public housing to work.
What can we learn from all this? Be especially careful of those coming from Congress seeking local office. They must show that they can leave the posturing, positioning, flamboyance, hyperbole, party-serving stalling mode in Congress. Similarly, state officeholders ought to be held accountable for what they've done already before seeking another office.
I challenge the Hispanic community to lead the way here, first by talking about change and then by making it happen. If you and they are as fed up as I am, changing the way our leaders are chosen is a start.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 8:44 AM
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