What’s the biggest stumbling block to representative government? Silence.
The first choice of politicians to address any unwelcome problem is silence. The second is to pass you on. The third it to blame someone else. The fourth is silence. The fifth is silence . . .
Tompkins County politicians’ “vision of the future” is “based on a set of principles that reflect the values of the community as expressed by the County Legislature they have elected” – does that sound like representative government to you?
Since Tompkins County residents overwhelming believe that their government is corrupt and there is no meaningful participation – they don’t either.
The response of Tompkins County officials to their decisions is: Take it or leave it – there’s nothing you can do about it. And if you want to question, debate, disclose, or document issues — silence.