rough draft of column--HELP ME

                And—this pettiness is not only evident at council meetings, but downtown as well.  Any perceived insult results in people threatening to pull their business—hurting the insulter financially.  What they don’t seem to realize (or perhaps they don’t care) is they don’t only hurt the person they thought insulted them, they hurt the entire community.   For example, if the City were to pull its legals from the local paper, yes, that might teach the editor a lesson.  However, that lesson might result in one of the state’s oldest newspapers shutting its doors and leaving Dayton without any local press. 

Apparently it makes a certain type of person feel better to WIN—at anything.  If they can bully someone into getting their way—even if their way does absolutely nothing to make lives (even theirs) better—than by gum, their gonna do it.  They “win”—and everyone else loses.

                I find myself asking WHY?  Why would you to start a petition that will cost the city a ton of money and give no new information?  Why would make demand after demand on city maintenance crews regarding a vacant lot you happen to own?  Why would you accuse your neighbor of a “cover up”?  Folks that show this type of pettiness must be compensating for SOMETHING.  They must get SOMETHING from causing a ruckus and making people feel bad.  I’ll just be darned if I can figure out what it is.  I’m thinking they must have been picked on a lot in high school.

                I firmly believe that if we could just harness all this negative energy we could make Dayton a better place.  Heck, if we could just stop the rabble rousing and gossip for one week and use the time saved to spruce up the city, it would make a major difference.    Think of all the negative press Dayton has had in the past four years.   Can you imagine how GREAT it would have been if this could have been positive press instead?  Don’t you think that if Channel 5 or the Des Moines did a story about this awesome little town—this unsung jewel in the middle of the heartland—maybe that would attract a person or two to visit or even move here?    Dayton has a bunch of beautiful houses for sale—and in this economy they are dirt cheap.  Wouldn’t it be great if some new families would move into them—bringing new ideas and new energy—and paying property taxes to boot?  Imagine this lovely scenario and then ask yourself why would anyone move into a town as DYSFUNCTIONAL as Dayton?  Why would anyone invest in a community where citizens don’t care about each other and only care about “winning” dubious victories?  Heck—why would people even choose to remain in Dayton with the toxic climate?

                Announcing at a council meeting “the rodeo never done anything good for me” and insinuating that because of this we should just get rid of it is just selfish.    Personally I am not a big fan the sport of rodeo myself. I don’t really get it.  By, doggone it, I am going to do everything in my power—including volunteering my time and spending my money—to help make it a success.   I may not like certain business people in Dayton, but I’m gonna give them my money anyway.  Business in Dayton is good for Dayton and even though an individual might offend me, I realize that that person’s business benefits all Dayton.

                I have three more months on my council term and I am going to try mightily not to erupt like I did last night when the straw broke this camel’s back and the floodgates opened.  (And—by the way, that’s called mixing metaphors.)  When my term is over, I hope to find a way to use my skills to benefit the city I love so much—without the aggravation of monthly meetings that become screaming matches on an astoundingly regular basis.

                There’s gotta be a better way, my friends.  We can’t do too much about what citizens choose to say at meetings (although I do think the rules could be enforced more vigorously about citizen participation and general decorum), but we can vote for the candidates we feel have the best interest of DAYTON at heart—and aren’t just running to push through their petty agenda and make themselves feel important.  I haven’t decided for whom I will vote this November.  I am going to a little research first—and I urge you to do so as well.  Let’s make sure the next council has four years of moving Dayton forward—not arguing over insignificant items and wasting everyone’s time.