View from Ward 2

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Dan Alaimo
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View from Ward 2

Postby Dan Alaimo » Sun Mar 31, 2019 11:54 pm

It's the time in the election cycle when all four of Lakewood's Ward Council seats are up for election. I have become a bit disheartened with the way most candidates approach the issues as their focus tends to be broader than the responsibility they are aspiring too. They pay little attention to their Wards and more to regional, state and even national issues. This seems especially true for those flying the progressive democrat banner. They have heeded Bernie's call to run for office, but they don't seem to know much about the offices they are running for.

Ward 2, where I reside, has had a run of carpetbagging opportunists in the persons of Tom Bullock and Sam O'Leary. Awhile ago, I suggested that a theme of this election could be "It's about Ward 2, stupid." By that I meant Sam O'Leary, who is now running for mayor has done little to fulfill the specific responsibility he was previously elected to: the representation of Ward 2. Tom Bullock before him was pretty much the same.

At last week's Dem Club meeting, I heard a several presentations from candidates, but only one made an impression on me. Dan O'Malley spoke specifically with reference to accomplishments in his ward (4). While this approach is exceptional, it is what he was elected for.

There were two candidates from Ward 2. One spoke and didn't reflect much awareness of the needs of Ward 2. The other had apparently spoken at a previous meeting and simply acknowledged the meeting and didn't even give his full name. Some people were overheard saying: "who is he?" "what's his name?"

For Ward council reps, regional, state and national positions are of little concern. It's a matter of keeping a direct contact with the pulse of the city in that area: the safety, the sidewalks, the parks, the housing stock, the intersections, the businesses. This is where city government meets the taxpayers.

Here's a quick cheat sheet for Ward 2 candidates. Most are citywide issues, but all are very local concerns:
--Safety in general, particularly from those entering the neighborhoods from the train tracks (people and deer).
--The intersections on Clifton and Madison where the stop line is set too far back to see oncoming traffic and drivers often run right through without stopping.
--Sidewalks for the short streets paralleling the tracks. The railroad is opposed, but the safety factor is obvious.
--Kauffman Park: Stop by, walk around, talk to some people and see what they think. Off-leash dogs are a perennial problem. The playground equipment is ancient. The outgoing mayor had dismissed a taxpayer developed master plan for improvements.
--Sidewalks: Isn't it time for a city-run service to clear the way in winter?
--Another problem that affects the entire city: holiday week trash pickups, where city crews typical have to make passes on two separate days because the pickup schedule had not been communicated clearly and effectively to EVERYONE. No one is ever sure about the day when a holiday comes along.
--Trash cans: Several were removed with the Clifton bus stops, and for other reasons, but at what cost to the environment?
--Bike lanes, particularly the unused (it's less than underused) Clifton-Lake debacle, which I call "the bike lane to nowhere." It has direct impact on many of those living in Ward 2. Other bike lanes deserve a taxpayer review after so many years. I don't oppose them, but would like to know what is working and what isn't.
--Wind damage from the last several weeks. We were able to take care of our damage, but how many weren't able to?
--The folly of the current recycling program, a citywide concern we've talked about recently here, but I haven't heard anything about it from the candidates.

There are other much bigger issues for the city, the state and the nation, but the ward council seat elections are about very local concerns like these. It's not about Democrats or Republicans or Progressives and Conservatives - or even the hospital. It's about sidewalks, streets, parks and everyday life. Have at it folks.

And don't bother writing me in. You'll probably spell my name wrong and throw away your vote.


“Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Winston Churchill (Quote later appropriated by Rahm Emanuel)
Dan Alaimo
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Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:49 am

Re: View from Ward 2

Postby Dan Alaimo » Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:17 pm

To bring this up again with a slightly different angle. The bullet points of Ward 2 "to do"s also applies to the mayoral race where Sam O'Leary is running. He's the current Ward 2 council rep, so this list represents things he hasn't done in the last job he was elected to.


“Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Winston Churchill (Quote later appropriated by Rahm Emanuel)
Stan Austin
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Re: View from Ward 2

Postby Stan Austin » Mon Apr 08, 2019 3:41 pm

and a good cross reference to Mark Kindt's "Questions to Ask" post


Dan Alaimo
Posts: 2137
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:49 am

Re: View from Ward 2

Postby Dan Alaimo » Mon Apr 08, 2019 8:26 pm

... And for the town halls scheduled this week: Tristan Rader (Tues.) and Dan O'Malley (Thurs.).


“Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Winston Churchill (Quote later appropriated by Rahm Emanuel)

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