Saturday, I wrote about impressive campaign material I received at my home in Kettering’s Ward 4: Lisa Crosley, Kettering Ward 4 Candidate, Says Her 8 Point Plan Will Cut City Taxes From 2.25% To 1.5%.
Bruce Duke, the incumbent City Council member, has refused my e-mail invitation to post his response to Mrs. Crosley’s plan here on DaytonOS. His e-mail reply, yesterday, in part, said: “Thanks for your e-mail and offer, but at this time I choose not to have discourse on a blog site.” I’m taking that comment to mean that Mr. Duke is simply refusing to comment, Period, since he has made no effort to telephone me, nor has he made any response on his own web-site.
I wrote the following back to him:
Mr. Duke,
The proposals offered by Mrs. Crosley, I believe, could provide a useful framework for discussion. Many Kettering voters would resist Mrs. Crosley’s implied suggestion that Kettering should become more like Beavercreek, just as many Oakwood voters would resist a suggestion that Oakwood should become more like Miamisburg. But by offering an eight point plan, Mrs. Crosley does a great service, if, from this plan can come a creative and meaningful discussion about questions such as: What are the competing views of the future of Kettering? What public policies should be formulated in order for Kettering to have the best chance for a great future?
Your 24 years of work on the Council have been admirable. The qualities of diligence and thoughtfulness, with which you have served, I’m sure, have provided you with a wealth of information about Kettering issues. If you so chose, you could bring enlightenment to the issues that Mrs. Crosley raises.
Mrs. Crosley’s point 4 — “Create Transparency and Accountability” — I feel, is most important. In order for our democracy to have any vitality, there must be transparency. Transparency is needed in government, also in political campaigns. It is disgraceful that Kettering scheduled only one civic meeting this whole election season. It is amazing that you, a respected elected official, during a general reelection campaign, should respond to the request for dialogue with the words, “I choose not to have discourse.”
Mrs. Crosley’s literature headlined, “Thinking About Tomorrow,” suggests a great topic. Our hope to create thoughtful solutions to the big problems facing this nation is not to be found in the partisan quicksands of Washington or Columbus, but within the green fields found within local communities like Kettering. Our best chance to create thoughtful solutions for the future is to activate a grassroots movement at the local level. Such a movement is built on transparency.
We should see it as fortunate that some of our friends and neighbors are solid conservatives and others are hidebound liberals. We are fortunate to be citizens in Kettering, Ohio, because, if there is any place on the planet well suited for a civic community of thoughtful citizens to become engaged in meaningful public discourse, it is Kettering. The question is: How do we create a space where brainless partisanship will decrease and, instead, thoughtful understanding and creative problem solving will flourish? How do we create community? Effective local leadership is essential.
I realize it is now the last week of the campaign, but, I believe, here in this small community, it is the right thing to do to respond to the challenge offered by Mrs. Crosley’s proposals. As a supporter of your campaign for reelection, I am asking, please reconsider. My suggestion is that you write a letter of response and simply post it on your own web-site.
Sincerely, Mike Bock
When one is the incumbent, one can pray the citizens are so disconnected that they do not notice the lack of substance in your campaign. Perhaps Councilman Duke could answer a query I heard several times while walking Kettering 4, “Kettering has great parks and recreation facilities, schools both public and private, vibrant churches, and refurbished government buildings. SO why has Beavercreek had the population and business explosion? Why not Kettering?”
Mike
Thank you for encouraging Mr. Duke to engage in a discussion of ideas submitted by Lisa Crosley. I am a bit perplexed at Mr. Duke’s refusal to “have discourse on a blog site”. I was not aware that the discussion of ideas on an intelligent blog such as yours is any less legitimate than any other media. It appears that Mr. Duke has made a strategic campaign decision to run on his past accomplishments, as illustrated by most of his door hangers and mailers, rather than seriously address the issues that face our fair city. Thus, the stark contrast that delineates the difference in Ms. Crosleys thoughtful, specific proposals vs. Mr. Duke’s nebulous “pledges”. Even if you don’t agree on every point put forth by Ms. Crosley, it offers you a valuable insight into her critical thought process and the serious nature of her campaign.
“Our hope to create thoughtful solutions to the big problems facing this nation is not to be found in the partisan quicksands of Washington or Columbus, but within the green fields found within local communities like Kettering. Our best chance to create thoughtful solutions for the future is to activate a grassroots movement at the local level. Such a movement is built on transparency.” This is a wonderful quote Mike.
Part of transparency includes letting people know whether you are the solid conservative or the hidebound liberal. Lisa Crosley does not apologize for being the former. Bruce Duke doesn’t talk about the fact that he is the latter. It is unfair to expect voters to make decisions without pertinent information. Lisa’s plan may not be perfect, and there may be some nuance that her team has not included in their calculations, but the fact that she is willing to discuss real issues rather than spend campaign dollars sending out shiny postcards with posed pictures and fake smiles is impressive.
I commend Lisa for raising our expectations of what a candidate should offer. Campaign Schools tell you that in a local races everything is about name recognition. If that is the case Mr. Duke will win handily; after a quarter century in office most voters know his name. However, if this race is about ideas Lisa Crosley has a chance because she has shown that she has some.