Is anyone listening?
To the editor:
Is the Cape Coral City Council members receptive to citizen input?
Our local newspaper recently conducted a Web poll, asking the above question.
The results were quite amazing, yet not surprising.
1.Yes, most of the time – 16 percent
2. Some of the time, but more often than not – 12 percent
3. No, hardly ever – 34 percent
4. Not at all – 35 percent
5. Other – 4 percent
Isn’t it great that 69 percent believe the council is not perceptive to their input? These are real figures. Why is this happening? Who is the council listening to? The city manager? Do they have their own agenda? Why are they not listening to us? Are we not the employer? Didn’t we elect them to be “public servants” to work on our behalf? Have they forgotten why we elected them?
I am amazed that 28 percent believed the council was receptive. I can possibly attribute the 28 percent because some council members “genuinely are receptive” to citizen input. My hat goes off to them. Bravo! I am appalled when I hear some council members mentioning that citizen input time at council meetings should only be once a month for five minutes. What is wrong with this picture? An employee telling the employer how long the employer can speak? Limiting the employer to five minutes every month? Hello?
Spending the employer’s money like its going out of style? Have some of the council members heard of the word “recession?” Don’t some of them realize that we are in a bad economy, and need to cut back and tighten our belts? We are tightening our belts. It’s time for all city council members to tighten theirs! Let’s quit making excuses and diminishing the city’s reserves. I suggest city council cut all the fat from the budget. I’m sure there’s plenty, if you dare to look for it.
“If you say you can, you will, if you say you can’t, you wont!”
Erick Kuehn
Cape Coral