The Herald

POLITICAL ACTIVITY IS
SIGN OF ALERT CITIZENS

The frailties and imperfections of government have always been noticeable to even the least concerned when such faults cause failure or delay in the performance of duties and responsibilities that may have immediate effect on certain groups. The efficient prosecution of all government functions to the satisfaction of all is subject to many interfering influences, some of which may come from within the government itself. Therefore the free nations that are governed by the consent of the governed are always faced with certain changes of ideas and policies that often alter the method of government with the idea of greater efficiency of the government and less burden of the governed.

The important feature in the alteration of governmental procedure is politics. While we have come to associate the word "politics" with many unsavory meanings it still has a meaning that is a necessary force to the organization of an effective community operation. When weakness occurs in the service of the community to the people the time is ripe for the politician to come forward decrying the present methods of operation and offering plans for a more expansive, yet more economic service to the people.

The government operated by the elected officials receive its support from the persons who pay taxes and cast their ballots in the elections. The people in turn expect to wield certain influence over the elected officials in proportion to the amount of taxes paid or the number of votes controlled.

It is likely that many will become incensed with governmental procedures and sooner or later begin to take exception to methods used. The right of a citizen in a democratic country to criticize the government is one of the broadest privileges of Americans. By the same token the individual may offer, not only a better plan of government but may even offer himself or his colleagues as candidates for office.

The professional politician is a keen student of mass emotions and a handy observer of the efficiency or inefficiency of government operation. The comparison of these two will quickly bring about a conclusion as to what remedies may be necessary "to form a more perfect union."

Political activity, once dormant locally, is now beginning to take on new life. This is unusually strange due to the manner that local government has moved along without too much criticism for the last several months. Big issues which attract the attention of the politician have in some cases brought to a head the basic operation of government offices or the handling of public funds. The plans of the local government to bring about improvements in public services have come to logger-heads where plan and finance meet. This jam has not only given the go ahead sign to politicians but has caused considerable unrest among the citizens whose vote must elect or defeat candidates.

The plans of a community must have the backing of the people and must be carried out in an efficient manner whether the cost is more or less than the estimate reported. The use of public funds must be based on the anticipated revenue and no increases should be made until a new source of income is assured.

Taxes, an important part of city financing, has always been a pet peeve of the politician. It would be grossly unjust to offer the people first class government at basement store prices. There must be taxation in the increase of any public service and to offer a community additional services at a reduction in taxes is to take an unfair advantage of the uninformed public.

Greater efficiency in the use of tax money may be realized by the planning and specialization of the budget experts employed to do such job. Whether we are getting maximum efficiency for tax dollars spent should be reported to the people at suitable intervals as a matter of information. When inefficiency occurs or when people are not periodically informed there is a reasonable doubt as to how reports are arrived at, or whether the resulting information represents good or bad government for the price paid.

The political forces now developing have found considerable grounds for establishing doubt in the mind of the people as to whether they are getting the most for their tax dollar. Whether these doubts can be proven is a matter of conjecture. While we take note of the present administration we well observe the burden of proof. It is not our purpose to set up politicians as opportunists, nor do we state that a revolutionary change can be made overnight. We do say, however, that political activity represents a healthy city and is certainly one of the best means of waking up a sleeping public.