This article, originally published by Al Zucaro on BocaWatch.org, is preserved for historical purposes by Massive Impressions Online Marketing in Boca Raton.
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To the residents of Boca Raton,
The image below is very powerful. It demonstrates a principle that is near
and dear to us residents. That is….Government serves us, the resident….not us serving it….
In two recent public appearances while speaking about BocaWatch, I presented
this chart upside down…People were quick to correct me…but I was
illustrating the point that this structure is more rhetorical than
actual….
It seems that developers have almost unlimited access to city staff, city
consultants and the city council….Staff has almost unlimited contact to
city council, lobbyists and applicants….
While the resident, allegedly at the top of the chart, is limited to 5
minutes at the public microphone and once away from the microphone, no
further opportunity to advance the dialogue….
I recently spent three hours in Chambers at a CRA meeting in order to make a
5 minute comment. Using only 4 minutes, I stepped away only to have a CRA
member immediately offer an opinion in opposition. When I asked to return
to the podium to respond, my request was denied. I would have had to wait
until the next meeting and, perhaps, another three hours, to again have
another 5 minutes to further the dialogue….
No wonder the resident is frustrated….no wonder the resident feels left
out of the equation….This is not working and needs to be changed….
The resident is at the top….the resident needs a louder voice….
Al Zucaro
February 28, 2015
