You're watching Open Agenda. Here's our
host, Joe White.
>> Welcome to Open Agenda. I'm your host,
Joe White. So, the Salsbury City Council
has not had very many meetings the last
few weeks because of the Mako
conference, and we have spent the last
few weeks covering the landfill crisis.
So, to talk about the city council, I
brought in Dr. Joe Venosa, Mr. Jim
Atkins. Thank you for coming out.
>> Yep.
>> So, Joe, you were able to view the uh
the Salsbury city council meeting on
Pack 14 last night. Uh housing came back
up, but what what other highlights came
up out of this meeting?
>> Well, there were a series of
commendations for uh recently retired
members of law enforcement.
>> Uh today we offer a proclamation to uh
one of my favorite guys in the city
police department. Whereas the uh city
of Salsbury, Maryland with great
admiration and respect for honors
Captain Jason Yanka Lunis on the
occasion of his retirement after nearly
30 years of dedicated service to the
Salsbury Police Department. Longstanding
history of our agency to um provide a
retiree with a shadow box. This
particular shadow box displays Captain
Lewis's medals that were described in
the proclamation along with all the
shields that he wore in the different
ranks he held. uh throughout his career.
>> I just want to thank the the chief, the
mayor, the city council for all the
support that I I've been given over the
years. Um I only hope that my work and
and eventual leadership uh was deserving
of the support that that was always
there. So, thank you. Thank you all for
everything. This is truly humbling and
and awesome.
>> That was actually nice to see. I think,
you know, fortunately, we we've become
accustomed to seeing just a lot of
vitriol and negative uh vibes in the
particularly in the city council
meetings um of late and so it was nice
to actually get to everybody to come
together and celebrate people that have
done a lot of service. So that was that
was great to see at the outset. And then
uh there were discussions um about I'm
sorry and then they also passed a um
measure regarding the adopt a road
program for the city. So, um, there
really is, I think, going to be more of
a concerted effort to deal with things
like street, uh, upkeep, pollution
management, things of that nature. Um,
and that was really good to see because
that's something that I think we all
agree on and all want to work toward.
>> So, is planning and zoning was that on
the agenda last night?
>> Um, it didn't come up in any detail.
That is on the horizon, no pun intended.
Um, because
>> because Jim, you're watching it for the
county side. They're they're they are
splitting right now.
>> They are. And I think both are behind.
Um I I think that's something that's
really going to have to be addressed
sooner rather than later. And and one of
the interesting things I think that I
noticed not in this past meeting but in
the previous meeting from I think two
and a half weeks ago was that there
still is a debate about how many members
uh should be on the city plan
>> and how many of them need to live in
Salsbury versus correct and I think the
mayor was of the view that five would be
more than enough. In fact, he said he
would be comfortable I believe with
three just given the fact that there
might not be a lot of people able and
willing to serve. Um,
>> and that's where the county is right
now. I mean, the countyy's two people
short. Oh, really?
>> On planning and zoning. Yeah. With
dividing it up. So, they're they're
looking for two interesting people to
take that on.
>> So, you know, that's going to determine
obviously a lot about how what the final
composition of these committees will
will will be. Um,
>> well, well, let's talk about committees
because we're going to bring in J.
Michael Mitchell and Michael Langford
who have both been very very active not
just in attending city council meetings.
I mean, J. Michael ran for mayor. uh in
the last election cycle, but they've
been on a lot of task force, but they're
not currently involved as much as even
they probably would want to be. And I
want to ask them that.
>> Yeah.
>> Uh Michael came up, his name came up
about the bicycle task force and and
>> and that was not accepted. Uh and
Jerichel, I know him from parks and
wreck, uh from the county side.
>> Uh and I'm really interested to ask him
some questions about the basketball
program he runs through the summer,
which is
>> always sports with you, huh? It's always
going to be sports with me. Uh Jim, when
you're watching what the city's going
through, you're at least hearing it from
Joe. Does it give you a little glimpse
into maybe what we'll be covering with
the county, especially things like
planning and zoning?
>> Well, I I think you you see the same
thing. I mean, and you have to
understand part of it, even though if
you don't agree with it, is that the uh
executive is going to put forward names
of people she wants on these committees.
Yeah. And unfortunately,
the situation arises where you seem to
have a lot of the same people on
different committees and you're not
getting a widespread representation of
the county and what the county wants.
You're getting what certain people want
and they're just being divided into
different groups.
>> We saw that last November when the when
the joint planning zoning met to disc to
consider the uh the increase in density
in downtown Salsbury.
uh you know the same same folks you see
on the library committee you see on on
on a lot of committees. Yeah. A lot a
lot of committees that that deal with
big decisions. A sanitary district maybe
this might come back up in that.
>> Yeah. Well, you know and and again I I
want to be careful when I say this
because I think it's great that people
are willing to serve on multiple
committees or commissions uh especially
if they're in it for the right reasons.
I mean it's great to be that
civic-minded especially in this era
where there's not much of it. I don't
care where you are, Wyoming, Maryland,
that that's an acrosstheboard
generational. And I think it's related
to economics because people are
struggling more and more to just pay
their bills, so they can't do these
other things. But I do think there's got
to be more of an effort even from sort
of those community leaders to actually
get new blood in the game, so to speak.
Um,
>> build a bench.
>> Build a bench. Yeah. build a bench and
bring in some utility players every
every once in a while who who could
bring something to the table that your
status quo personality can't always do.
I mean, it's kind of like this. If I'm a
teacher and I've relied on three or four
solid straight A students to lead a
discussion, okay, that can be great, but
I really want to get at the kid who
might be reticent, who might have
something to say, or maybe is not the
atypical student who brings something of
value. And I think if you look at
community participation,
this the same principle should apply
because we have a lot of rich human
knowledge and understanding and
experience and and we should aim for
that.
>> And you you hear so much about these
blue ribbon committees and and white
papers that get written in the county.
>> Yeah.
>> But you don't hear about them until the
blue ribbon committees are presenting
the white papers.
>> Yeah. it it's done and and being
presented. Nobody knew that there was an
opportunity
>> and there's no minutes left from the
meeting.
>> No minutes taken, no opportunity to get
your voice in it. Even if even if it's
not part of the committee, at least have
a public hearing where with the blue
ribbon committees where the public can
come in and state their opinion.
>> I don't know why reaching out and
wanting the public to be involved is
often not done unless they don't want
the public to be involved. Wow, that
could be I mean Well, let's bring these
gentlemen in. I want to I want to find
out their perspective on their their
community service and maybe even some of
their their thought process of what's
important coming up. So,
>> right, good.
>> So, stay with us. When we come back,
we'll have J. Michael Mitchell and
Michael Langford in the studio and we'll
have a chance to speak with them. So,
stay with us. We'll be right back.
Welcome back to Open Agenda. I'm your
host, Joe White. We want to continue the
conversation with some local folks who
are actually very active in the
community for the city government and
even the county government as well. So
brought in the studio is Mr. Michael
Langford. Thank you for coming out.
>> Thank you for having me.
>> Mr. Michael Mitchell, thank you for
being here.
>> Thank you for having me as well.
>> So there's a lot of folks in the in the
neighborhoods that know you both, but
not everybody. So I want to talk Michael
you're you're very active with the city
council go attending their meetings and
you've been on some housing tax task
force and you've been considered for
bicycle task force as well right?
>> Yeah that's correct.
>> So what's your I mean what what would
you say your passion is?
>> Um I would say through my personal
experiences having housing instability
you know being a young person not having
familial support that feeds into that
experience of like housing and stability
for people. Now that I'm at a better
place, I'm just definitely in a place
where I'm going to speak up and try to
contribute to these issues that matter
to me, that are affected, that are in my
experience because I think more than
people having like the right belief or
ideological purity about these issues is
people having some experience so that
it's relevant and their investment is
clear in the issue.
>> Well, well, thank you very much. Um
Michael, I I see you a lot at the parks
and rec council meetings for the for the
county, but you're also very active in
in in other aspects as well. Yes, sir.
>> Uh what's what's what's your passion?
>> Uh so my passion is youth. I was a kid
who came up in a broken neighborhood um
and sometimes got judged for that. But I
knew my passion. I knew what I wanted.
So I've always been a youth activist
just to pour into kids to show that they
can they can do more in their
environment.
>> One of the things that's always
impressed me I I attend a lot of the
parks and recck council meetings and uh
you're there. But but I want to talk a
little bit about the basketball program
that you have during the summer for the
out at Harman Field for the girls. So,
Hoopers, man, when when they decided to
do Harmon redo theo Harman courts at
Harman Field, um it was a big thing for
me. Um especially for the pickle ball
people, not only to have their pickle
ball, but they wanted us to have an
extra basketball court. Um there was a
point in time money was falling short
and they said that they weren't going to
go forward unless we got everything that
was promised. So, that was a very big
deal for me. But, um we decided to do a
all girls basketball league. Um girls
basketball was dying. I think there were
three local high schools in the Bayside
who had JV school teams. Everybody else
had varsity. No one longer had JV team.
>> So there was no developmental.
>> There's no developmental. Um so our
biggest push was to start developing
girls and what better place than the
beautiful courts out Harmanville. So we
started using those courts 3 years ago.
It's my third year, third summer. Um
Tuesdays and Thursdays we run a
basketball league for girls fourth and
fifth grade and sixth through 8th. So
that's that development age where before
they get to high school, we trying to
get them back interested in playing
sports.
>> Very good. I mean watching like the W
high girls go as far as they did last
year.
uh you know that that builds a sense of
community as well. Michael, you were at
the city council meeting last night and
housing as you mentioned earlier came up
and I want to find out a little bit more
just about what what was the topic and
and how does this relate because at one
point you guys were on a housing task
force but you you haven't been for the
last year and a half, right?
>> Yeah.
>> So what what was what happened at the
meeting last night? So, um, feels like
we're, uh, continuing the conversation
all the time when it comes to housing in
our community. So, um, when we were on
the housing task force before, we tried
to crowdsource and workshop um, through
a lot of different community partners
um, how to come up with solution, viable
solutions to address like housing. You
know, there's just a lot of different
issues, you know, depending on where
people are, different populations, aging
populations, people aging in place,
being trapped in their home, you know,
is a whole different issue than like
student housing or people feel whatever,
you know, first-time home buyers.
There's not these starter homes people
are now talking about, you know, and
things like accessory dwelling units. I
keep hearing come up. Apparently, the
state wants um some kind of ruling on
that in order to kind of push like um I
guess you know what would have in the
past been called like a mother-in-law
suite kind of situation for people so
that there's um I think that people are
seeing the limits of uh rehabilitation
in nursing homes to provide care for uh
we're going to start and lead us into
some discussion um on some housing
related uh topics and then we we'll
discuss and
>> housing has come up in uh over the
meetings that we have had people come
and talk about housing as far as I am
concerned is one size does not fit all.
The one thing that is missing in housing
everywhere is middle housing options.
It's a new word. It just used to be
starter homes. We are in an area that
has 70% rentals. That includes
apartments and 30% owners, which
according to the Greater Salisbury
Committee's task force is the opposite
of the national percentage. The 4 to2
ordinance. I'm going to give you a
little background on this. It was put in
place to preserve home ownership among
residents and provide stability for
owners and their investment in their
property. It only applies to single
family districts and older established
areas. The other issues that prompted 4
to two were the noise noises from the
overoccupied houses uh the nuisance
issues, parking not available. If
changing fortitude or eliminating it is
to find a quick fix, we need to know how
much of an increase in inventory this
will provide at the expense of existing
owners in these neighborhoods.
>> Before we started shooting earlier, we J
we were all talking about echo chambers
and and really how that really is is an
a bad natural process of of local
government sometimes.
>> For sure. I want you to talk to that
like how some of these task force end up
being the same people who who really
don't know.
>> So, uh these task force are the same
people who sit on the several different
committees already. Um and again, you
know, if we're trying to be solution
based, you have to bring new people to
the table who have new ideas to be
creative. A lot of times we just
continue, like Michael said, we're
continuing the same conversations with
no solution based. We're not bringing
people who we're talking about, right?
Like we haven't brought any homeless
people to these meetings. We haven't
brought the low-income families to these
meetings. We haven't brought the single
mother who needs help to these meetings.
So, you're meeting with all the people
who have housing. Yeah, we're meeting
with all the people who already
supposedly have their lives together.
And we haven't brought one soul to this
meeting to ask them truthfully, what do
you need or what are the barriers or
what are the hurdles stopping you from
getting housing? So, it's just the same
collective of people.
>> Does the does the term blue ribbon panel
does that is that a little cringe? Is
that is that cringey for you?
>> That's it's not cringey, but that's what
it is, right? like it's it's it's the
higherups meeting together about people
who quote unquote are lower or going
through struggles and we just keep
meeting but there's never a solution at
the end. We never say okay by next
meeting we have to have X Y and Z in
place to move forward. We never say
those things.
>> Well and Michael you you talked earlier
about your housing instability growing
up. So when when you hear Jamaich talk
about echo chambers, you you when you're
on these task force, you're able to
bring that experience at least as a as a
youth and and into adulthood there.
>> I I think that like I'm in a unique
situation where I have um had the
experience of being, you know, homeless.
I have owned my home and I currently
rent.
>> Okay. And I think that having I think
that
you know um one
I think one of the issues is everybody
in our society one of the wonderful
things about our society is everyone
doesn't want the same thing. Everyone
doesn't want a white pick a fence right
kind of life. They want to have like
part of the point of this country is the
freedom to choose what you want.
>> Why is there a disconnect now? Why why
is it that you two are not on the
housing task force? Why are you not on
the bicycle task force? What's the
what's the common thread here with our
local government or city government
getting getting folks like you all to be
involved?
>> Well, I I'll speak for self. Um I get
tired of going meetings and again I've
taken myself off several things, not
just the housing. I I've I used to be on
the NAACP. I I'll speak up about that as
well. Not saying they don't do great
work, but again, I'm about work with the
solutionbased answers. Do you think
we're allowing the the wants and needs
of Annapolis and even Washington DC on a
national level to infiltrate what we
need to do here on our our own
community?
>> Yeah. I think I think a lot of people
play politician. Okay.
>> So, uh a mentor of mine when I was first
getting into politics told me um our
objective is to better the government
locally. Okay.
>> It's not to be a politician. Politician
being a politics is the experience of
bettering the government. Right. That
always has kept key to me, right?
Because again, you start getting people
who make promises or start doing things
to amplify their look and who they are
so that people from other places can
come and say, "Oh, well, you did a great
job in Salsbury. Beautify in Salsbury.
Let us pick you to be the housing and
community development or director or
whatever that may look like." So again,
those things are just plans for we're
going to do something instantly here to
make an impact whether it affects the
city or not the city because later on I
want to be in Annapolis. I want to be in
a different position where I'm no longer
even here. Um, so that that's what I've
seen where we we have these projects, we
have these people who are they want to
go to Annapolis, they want to be real
politicians, quote unquote, but local
matters more than anything. So if
they're not based off local, then what
are they really doing?
>> Well, Michael, do do you feel like our
some of our local leaders are they're
they're allowing their their political
ambitions to outweigh their their local
sense of of what they're supposed to do?
>> Absolutely. I mean, I think that I think
at the end of the day, um, I I think J.
Michael and I, you know, connecting, you
know, to this issue in a similar way.
Like I want to see the best community
that I live in because that's that's my
life day in day out living here, working
here in the city. That's my life
dayto-day. It's not like those big
milestone moments are wonderful in life,
but it's really what you do every every
day. So, I want there to be programs. I
want there to be facilities that are
used by the city. I want there to be,
you know, um community gathering spots.
That's why I do like my art night, which
is a weekly community arts event and in
my home and inviting people in to
experience creativity play and it
doesn't cost anything. And so the city
is doing programs like that, but a lot
of times there's it's weird how the echo
chamber effect is like they're only
reaching the same 300 people.
>> They may not go to these anyway.
>> Yeah. or may not have you know if you
you know there are people that are you
know I think that the career ambition
the ambitious politician thing going for
like a career in it versus like caring
about the day and how it looks like
rhetorically that's fine but how you
spend your time like how you break bread
with people that's you know if there is
a place to go out that you feel welcome
to break bread with people in your
community that's actually the place you
want to create that's what I'm
interested in I don't really care about
some future hypothetical career for this
person because in 5 years they hope to
that's not appropriate to the context I
think here locally
>> just in the county side I mean city side
we're 2 and 1/2 years from election
county side we're a year and a half and
we're already seeing folks like Michelle
Gregory uh posted she's going to run for
county executive Megan Alton has posted
she's going to run for county council
why do you feel like you're seeing the
the election season start so early
>> I think people uh feel that that some
people may their name may have a bad
taste in people's mouth.
>> Okay.
>> So, they have to find a way to start
earlier above the game and try to win
those people back on their side.
>> Well, well, particularly like like with
someone like Megan Outton, if we use
that as an example, there was
controversy around the Maril race from a
year and a half ago.
>> U there,
you know, elections, there can be a lot
of mudslung, but there's also a line
crossed. Do you feel like because of
that type of uh that ambition and then
maybe some of those lines getting
crossed that that's why you're seeing
>> the early entries? Yeah, of course you
have to, especially when you have
campaign managers who make mistakes and
and do things quote unquote that you you
may not know about. You have to find a
way to to recover from that. From the
looks of things to certain people, it
just looks like a ploy again to get to
Annapolis. It doesn't look like it's
genuine. Uh right, when you're reading
some of the things in their points and
punctuations for their campaign topics.
Um, are we being realistic, right? Or
are we just echoing the same things over
and over again?
>> I'm looking at what the camp campaign
platform is now. It's very broad-based
and vague, which is what I remember from
the mayoral race. What are you looking
for from a vision or are you looking for
details or you looking for a bigger
>> I think at this when I was younger and
more inexperienced I think there's a lot
of like tribalism and like team play in
the sense of people looking to agree
with people so that they feel they can
trust somebody else's solutions or
proposals because they trust uh this
person's a Democrat, this person's a
Republican, this person is a true
conservative, this is the real, you
know, there's a fallacy called no true
Scotsman
>> and people just keep moving you know
what the quality ifications are and I
think I see that a lot where we just end
up this tribalism. So then we end up
doing like a round rob and everybody
contributes the conversation but it's
that echo chamber effect. We're back in
and we haven't proposed any solutions.
So more than I want people to show me
what they're passionate about because
that's what I believe you're going to
show up about and then I want people I
want to know what what you care about
and why and then what you
solutionoriented you know what are you
actually going to do policy the I that
is what has always been distressing to
me. I generally agree with the vague
talking points, but I'm not going to
vote for that if I don't know how that's
going to translate to like policy. What
are you going to propose? What are you
going to change?
>> Well, Jamaica, when you see someone who
touts themselves as like a social and
justice crusader in essence,
>> I mean, is that does that give you does
that give you confidence or is that is
that maybe more of because you've been
in this is this more of a talking point
of someone who's
>> trying to pull the w the wool over your
eyes?
>> I think it's a talking point. Okay.
again, man. Um, when you're looking for
a person to believe in personally, I
feel like they should be doing something
already in their community, not only
when it's time for votes, right? Um,
like Michael was saying, uh, go knock on
doors, people doors before the vote, way
before the vote. Go in those communities
and talk about women's rights. It's
great what she talks about. It's great
what people talk about, right? But are
you consistently going in communities
doing that or are you only doing that
around election time? It's great to be
an activist for something. It's great to
stand for something, but how often do
you throw those things throughout the
year before elections?
>> I mean, one of my observations is some
of these really ambitious politicians
are very good campaigners
>> and they're really just not very good at
executing uh when it comes to those
those executive type duties.
>> That was one of the things that happened
to me during my my campaign, which was
so funny to me. Um because a a person
knocked doors, right? And we knocked
doors. We just didn't get to all of
them, but because a person knocked
doors, that was why they got a person's
vote. So I the other day real life I
seen the person when you know she told
me well I'm voting for such and such
because she knocked on my door and my
question to her the other day was have
you seen her since she knocked on your
door. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Interesting. It
was an answer.
>> No. No. Not at all. Of course not. Of
course not. You didn't see her since
then. And it was like, oh, you know, I
made a mistake and so on and so forth.
But again, I'm going to show up. I'm
going to steal that. I'm going to I'm
going to I'm going to use that over I'm
going to ask I'm going to remind people.
It's like no matter what the political
affiliation is, how often have you seen
them when they didn't need your vote?
>> Correct. Um, gentlemen, I I want to ask
you where you where we sit with the
Salsbury City Council right now that we
haven't had a lot of meetings in the
last month because because of the
timing, you know, with Mako and that
sort of thing, but there there are some
big decisions coming up, planning and
zoning. Uh, we're still talking about
the housing as we talked earlier. What's
the one thing, Michael, that maybe is
you're you're hoping that you get some
sort of vision on where they're where
the city's going to go in the next 5
months before the end of the year? feel
like it's too negative to say I don't
actually believe they have the power or
ability to do anything about housing in
this small of context of a municipality.
>> Okay.
>> Realistically, it's just not their role.
That's how I kind of feel like it's
that's the wool is it's this um like
smoke and mirrors thing where it's like
let's talk about housing and we know
everyone's pen up about this and we all
know that nobody likes paying the
mortgage or the rent and yet we don't
actually have the ability to do anything
about it ever in a real obstensible way
like that'll affect anyone. we can
change taxes around this or that or wave
that fee, whatever, but that's not
really changing people's like day-to-day
again life experience. I mean,
ultimately government's about creating
that framework for freedom for people to
live a good quality life. And it's like
when it comes to housing, I don't know
how much the city can affect, I think
would be more effective if they focused
on other issues that affect people's
housing and how they can live. So,
something like public transportation.
>> Okay, J.
>> Uh, might as well be just just that
transparency piece, man. That's that's
big for me and and and a cohesiveness,
right? Um I don't think that our county
council, city council, I don't think the
cohesiveness is there. Okay. Right. Uh
we have to have a better relationship no
matter who, like you said, when you get
these positions, you ain't got to like
the mayor as a person, right? But
together, y'all got to work to make some
things happen to make our city better.
So, you got to put those personal things
to the side and find a way to work
cohesively. Um and only those people
that sit in those seats can know what
that looks like for them, right? Got six
of them.
>> Yeah. Because again, we can guess and
say what we would like to see, but we
with them waking up with who they are
each day, how can they cohesively work
together to move Salsbury forward.
>> Well, I really appreciate that both of
you coming in. Um, I'm I'm I'm very
proud that I've gotten to know both of
you and and it's interesting to see how
we all have different interests, but how
involved the two of you are out in the
community and specifically in your own
neighborhood. So, thank you. Thank
>> Thank you.
>> Thanks for watching this segment of Open
Agenda. We'll be right back.
Welcome back to Open Agenda. So,
gentlemen, we had a chance to uh listen
to J. Michael Mitchell and Michael
Langford. And, you know, going into the
break uh earlier, uh we we had some
questions about the the Echo Chamber,
the Blue Ribbon Panels.
>> Uh what did you get after having a
chance to listen to them?
>> Well, again, disclosure, I consider them
friends. Um and and and I have um you
know I've I've I've worked with them on
some other issues in the past and and
I'm always blown away by uh not just a
level of commitment to doing things that
other people often don't or can't uh but
there's an earnestness there that
there's a genuiness to it that you often
don't see in local government and that
to me is very refreshing. I
>> also before I get to you Jim I mean
they're boots on the ground too. Yeah
they they they walk the walk.
>> If it's a muddy field they have mud on
their shoes. They're not wearing black
polish shoes. So, Jim, I I know you
don't really follow city politics, but
you definitely hear us talk about it
plenty.
>> Uh, what did you get out of it? And is
anything sticking to your mind that
maybe will will filter into what we're
seeing with the county government as
well?
>> I think the biggest thing that I heard
is deja vu all over as Yogi used to say.
>> Yeah.
>> You have all these meetings, but nothing
gets accomplished. Mhm.
>> You meet and you talk about something
and you come back 2 weeks later and you
talk about something and 2 weeks later
you come back and you talk about talking
about what you talked about and nothing
nothing has happened. There's been no no
progression in getting anything done.
>> You do realize that you're talking to a
university professor here in terms about
meetings.
>> You know, you know, you know, you see
that and then there are some good
examples. I mean, I I I don't
participate with this one group, but uh
WCOM go clean and we've had Kevin
Kapalan in and and we listen to Bruce
Robinson talk uh plenty at county
council meetings.
>> Those are guys who go out and pick up
the trash first. Then they come in and
talk about what they did. Y
>> you don't I don't always agree with what
they have to say. I honestly don't. But
when they do come in, you're going to
say, "Hey, listen.
>> They know where that trash was on Cobber
Mill Road and I didn't." a lot of
solutions to especially local issues are
are most uh affected in a positive way
by bypassing the bureaucracy. And I
think we've developed a culture. I mean
this is a societal thing that we feel
like we have to have meetings and
commissions in order to almost
legitimize things. Well, when you listen
to J. Michael and Michael uh talk about
the, you know, ambit ambitious
politicians in the area, what is it?
What would you tell other taxpayers,
other citizens out there that almost
like a buyer beware, but what what
should they be looking for? Uh, versus
worrying about all the negativity, so to
speak.
>> My view is it's built on two things. Um,
I don't care what you do in front of the
camera or on a Facebook photo. I care
what you do when nobody's looking. Okay.
>> One of the things I'll always remember
from my dad that he always told me is,
you know, he said, "Integrity is doing
the right thing even though, you know,
nobody is watching."
>> And I really I've and look, none of us
are perfect. God knows I ain't. Ask my
wife. But one of the things I've always
tried to do is is is do those things
that I thought were important and not
look for somebody else's
validation or or or praise because it
means that hey a you don't really care
about it if that's the case or you got a
deeper insecurity and it also means that
you're actually not doing what needs to
be done.
>> Well, it's just Michael brought up an
excellent point.
When you have these different
politicians in different positions,
executive council members, whatever,
>> you don't have to like each other.
>> No,
>> you don't have to go out and have dinner
together.
>> You're here to run a county.
>> You're here to do what's best for the
citizens of the county,
>> right?
>> So, if you don't want to socialize and
be friendly outside the building, don't
do it. But when you're in the building,
you need to have some decorum, which I
think is is lacking
>> on the executive side of this county.
Not only with the executive, but with a
lot of her departments head the cororum
to the council because they are the
legislative branch of this county. And
you don't have to like them.
>> You don't have to agree with them,
>> but you have to be respectful
>> and you have to reach a common ground in
the middle. It would help to be present,
too.
>> Well, definitely. It It helps because
>> cuz sometimes the things the people I
get along least with, nothing's going to
change until we get in the room.
>> I'd much rather have really harsh words
with somebody who I disagree with, but
we come to a solution, rather than be
like, "Well, I'm glad we can respect
each other and the actual thing doesn't
get done."
>> Well, people people have forgotten
>> how to
disagree with it with people
>> without being enemies. Well, thank you
gentlemen. Um, this is all for this
episode of Open Agenda. We'll be back
next week with another new episode.
And I have been properly scolded by
Julie
