Candidates Forum

Rick Miller and Bob Brackett
Republican candidates,

Township Council
   Without the checks that our two-party system provides, one-party government quickly becomes accountable and responsive only to those few party leaders who control the levers of power. As the saying goes, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely."
   Over the past ten years in Lawrence, our local government has been dominated by just one political party. And while that benefits the big contributors and other members of the so-called in crowd, the citizens of our town have paid a real price.
   They’ve paid the price of skyrocketing taxes — last year alone, the municipal tax rate jumped by 10 percent. How many residents received 10 percent increases in their paychecks? How many seniors on fixed incomes saw their Social Security or pension payments increase by 10 percent?
   They’ve paid the price in escalating municipal debt. Over the past ten years, municipal debt has increased by more than 65 percent. When challenged about the council majority’s fiscal irresponsibility and its impact on the future at an April 7, 2004 council meeting, Councilman Mark Holmes said, "I don’t believe in thinking about tomorrow."
   They’ve paid the price the growth of an arrogance of power – an attitude that’s reflected in the statement by then-mayor Mark Holmes, who dismissed public concern about the corrupt practice of rewarding major campaign contributors with no-bid contracts by declaring at a Feb. 3 2004 council meeting, "The ordinary citizen doesn’t care about pay-to-play."
   They’ve paid the price because too many good ideas are ignored because the council majority only listens to the advice of their political fat cats. How else to explain the majority’s refusal to even second Rick Miller’s proposal to require full disclosure of the political contributions of local developers? What are they hiding?
   They’ve paid the price in inadequate planning and preparation of emergency planning and response plans to protect the people of our township. When the microburst storm came through parts of town a few years ago, Bob Brackett, who as fire chief was the incident commander, couldn’t even get the chain saws our first responders needed to clear the streets and remove fallen trees from residents’ homes.
   For 10 years now, the council majority has had full control of all the levers of power in this town. Yet as Mark Holmes himself admitted at the League of Women Voters-sponsored candidates forum Oct. 20, he’s "embarrassed" at the shortage of recreational fields our town has for our children, compared to neighboring towns. Yet in 10 years, what has the council majority done to address this embarrassment? Nothing.
   One of the hallmarks of good government is openness to new ideas and innovative solutions. The one-party council in Lawrence has shut its mind to any ideas that aren’t their own. After 10 years of absolute power, they seem more interested in maintaining their monopoly than serving the public.
   It’s time to end one-party rule in Lawrence. We will restore much-needed balance to our local government.