July 3, 2008Roanoke needs to think like businessAt times during his four years as mayor, Nelson Harris very easily could have donned a flak jacket as standard gear. But give the man props for firing a few relevant salvos of his own before leaving the job. In an "exit interview" published Sunday in this newspaper, Harris served food for thought that Roanokers should chew on. In a lengthy interview, Roanoke Times reporter Mason Adams asked Harris what the city needs to move forward. Predictably -- and correctly -- the former mayor cited better schools and regional cooperation. But where Harris made me -- and others -- sit up was his mention of who is absent from the city's governing bodies. Without disparaging the current council members, Harris tactfully noted who isn't there. "At one time, like [former Advance Auto top man] Nick Taubman was on the city council. Frank Clement -- he's now deceased, but at the time was the CEO of Shenandoah Life -- was on the council." Reading between the lines, here's how I interpreted Harris' point: The Roanoke City Council needs long-term vision. Fourteen people have served on the seven-member council since late 1999. Too many elections in the past several years have not been about the greater good and direction of the city, but about settling petty scores and achieving parochial and myopic agendas. Roanoke doesn't need that. Harris made his point in the context of business leaders' getting involved in local government beyond dashing off a check to a few candidates every couple of years, as they did for him in the past election. No one is suggesting that captains of industry take over the city council, pushing aside earnest people with a willingness to serve. In fact, because of their commitments and where they live, business leaders very likely won't run. But successful business people operate on vision and long-term strategy. Roanoke needs that. While the rest of us were crowding into city council chambers clamoring ad nauseam over Victory Stadium, Carilion Clinic executives were quietly building a medical empire. As we've crowed about where to put an amphitheater or a Social Security Administration building, the Taubman Museum of Art has risen from the earth, largely financed by private donations. A new council is in place, and it is poised for service to the people. Service, however, should go beyond Mayor David Bowers' seven-page memo advocating additional minutes for speakers and removing a lectern in council chambers. The mayor asked that his procedural changes be presented Monday, where they will be subject to a vote. That's not vision. That's window dressing. On his way out the door, Harris gave us something more substantive to think about. |
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
.....Advertisement.....
|
...Advertisement...
...Advertisement...
Comments
[July 3, 2008 11:37 AM]
TimShannon your right, at one time Roanoke was one of the fastest growing cities, and one of the best places to start a business. It's like Roanoke has given up on that and were more worried about how cute and if we made it as one of the top cities to move a family in. All of the kids I graduated with and went off to college maybe two or three came back to roanoke the rest moved where they have a better chance of getting a better job. Our city council needs to stop worrying about themselves and find a way to move this city foward
[July 3, 2008 3:13 PM]
LarryI dont think that giving people more time to speak and bringing the people back into the cities buisness is window dressing...It is indeed quite contrary to Harris having people thrown out of Council for speaking up..not to mention the closed door meetings..As the 14% margin of victory shows...We Roanokers are glad the have David Bowers back!!!
[July 3, 2008 7:55 PM]
AlOK, in case you missed it I'm keeping count of the negative comments made by various writers at the roanoke time, beginning 7-1 and I did not count the one from 7-1. THIS is No 1 in my count.
BTW, wonder about that comment "because of where they live"...suggests that these captains of business do not see Roanoke city worth of their tax dollars, Wonder why?