Charlie Maddox: Blurred Leadership
01-07-2010
In his platform, Charlie Maddox says that he “seeks to be the Mayor of Athens, not the manager,” and he goes on to say that “the administration of this City’s core activities cannot ebb and flow with the fad politics of the week.” We can all agree that elected officials need to set the policies, and then let the departments carry them out, but Charlie completely ignores a key part of governance. The city charter requires Athens-Clarke County to have a manager and lays out what the manager does, but charters can be changed and ours needs to be changed.
Charlie acts as if the manager simply carries out policy without having any political interest of his own. This is patently false. The manager plays politics on a daily basis, and this must stop. It is time that the mayor and especially the commission reassert their authority as the elected representatives of the people. Why should we turn even more power over to an unelected bureaucrat with his own political motives, as Charlie suggests we do? He talks about politicians micro-managing the activities of the departments, but isn’t that what the manager (with his unaccountable political motives) does on a daily basis? Why do we need that extra layer of bureaucracy between the people’s elected representatives and the heads of the departments? Is it to protect the departments from politics, or is it to protect the power of a single, unelected individual to govern the county as he sees fit? Under the current charter, the mayor and commission are forbidden from giving any orders to the department heads. Charlie tells us that this is a good thing, but I say that it is anything but.
If elected, I will work to restore the leadership of the mayor and commission in the government of Athens-Clarke County. Strong leadership, from strong leaders who represent the views of the citizens is needed now, in these difficult times, more than ever. It’s time that the commission had real oversight authority, the authority to remove department heads who are mismanaging their resources, to the detriment of our citizens, and the authority to directly question and challenge them, as well as issue them binding orders. Charlie might say that this puts too much power in the hands of one individual, but I say that that’s how it is now, and the power should be dispersed to all, through their elected representatives.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address spoke of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Charlie would instead support government of the elite, by a single unelected bureaucrat, and for himself and special interests. The choice, therefore, is clear this November. As mayor, I will lead the way to a more democratic and transparent government, a true government of the people, elected by the people, and serving as advocates for the people.
01-07-2010
In his platform, Charlie Maddox says that he “seeks to be the Mayor of Athens, not the manager,” and he goes on to say that “the administration of this City’s core activities cannot ebb and flow with the fad politics of the week.” We can all agree that elected officials need to set the policies, and then let the departments carry them out, but Charlie completely ignores a key part of governance. The city charter requires Athens-Clarke County to have a manager and lays out what the manager does, but charters can be changed and ours needs to be changed.
Charlie acts as if the manager simply carries out policy without having any political interest of his own. This is patently false. The manager plays politics on a daily basis, and this must stop. It is time that the mayor and especially the commission reassert their authority as the elected representatives of the people. Why should we turn even more power over to an unelected bureaucrat with his own political motives, as Charlie suggests we do? He talks about politicians micro-managing the activities of the departments, but isn’t that what the manager (with his unaccountable political motives) does on a daily basis? Why do we need that extra layer of bureaucracy between the people’s elected representatives and the heads of the departments? Is it to protect the departments from politics, or is it to protect the power of a single, unelected individual to govern the county as he sees fit? Under the current charter, the mayor and commission are forbidden from giving any orders to the department heads. Charlie tells us that this is a good thing, but I say that it is anything but.
If elected, I will work to restore the leadership of the mayor and commission in the government of Athens-Clarke County. Strong leadership, from strong leaders who represent the views of the citizens is needed now, in these difficult times, more than ever. It’s time that the commission had real oversight authority, the authority to remove department heads who are mismanaging their resources, to the detriment of our citizens, and the authority to directly question and challenge them, as well as issue them binding orders. Charlie might say that this puts too much power in the hands of one individual, but I say that that’s how it is now, and the power should be dispersed to all, through their elected representatives.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address spoke of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Charlie would instead support government of the elite, by a single unelected bureaucrat, and for himself and special interests. The choice, therefore, is clear this November. As mayor, I will lead the way to a more democratic and transparent government, a true government of the people, elected by the people, and serving as advocates for the people.
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