City Council should take its own advice
Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/3/15
Geez. After this past election, you'd think that Boulder's elected officials might look to dial back the controversy. In an opinion piece recently, Councilman Sam Weaver seemed to agree when he pleaded with the Camera's opinion page authors to offer words with "more love than anger." To me, this sounds a lot more like advice given during marriage counseling than something one suggests to the editor of an opinion page, but, still, love is always nice.
You might also think that City Council would follow its own advice and offer some ideas designed to make us feel more of the love and not so much the anger. So much for that. The first Big New Thing advanced by City Council just after midnight Tuesday was a "declaration regarding inclusivity for the refugees and other disenfranchised populations," focused on making Syrian refugees and transgendered individuals feel welcome. While I share most Boulderites' commitment to inclusivity and letting people live their lives however they may choose, council could not have found two "disenfranchised populations" more likely to generate angst, even in Boulder.
Current worries about Syrian refugees are driven by genuine security concerns that polls say are shared by a majority of Americans. And, while most of us support unfettered tolerance of sexuality in principle, some of us are like President Obama, who just three years ago finished evolving enough to get behind gay marriage. It may take us a bit more time to digest the recent changes before we are again ready to join the rest of you on the front lines of the socio-sexual evolution.
It's not just that council's inclusivity goals are controversial, it's also that a declaration of this sort won't change a thing. Boulder already aspires to be as inclusive as any city in the world and anyone who cares already knows that.
Aren't there some small and simple things City Council could do to generate a little love right from the start? Doesn't anybody on council have any ideas about some low-hanging fruit that might make us smile and cheer up a bit?
The good news is that, after the right-sizing episode, Boulder government has found religion regarding the value of public input. So, what we loving citizens must do is give Boulder City Council some ideas about what they can do to feel our love. We loving citizens need to fill council members' mailboxes with ideas about how to make life in Boulder a little bit better with baby steps.
I'll start the conversation with a few ideas...
First, let's get rid of the cages for beer drinkers at the summer concert series, Band on the Bricks. In most of the civilized world, people at music festivals can walk around with a drink in their hands. How hard would it be for City Council to allow us one night a week when we can walk a few blocks of Pearl Street sipping a beer? This is Boulder, we have great beer, and, to be frank, our dancing could use the help of a bit more alcohol.
Second, how about letting restaurants allow us to bring our dogs into outdoor seating areas? My mom always told me that dogs' mouths were cleaner than peoples' mouths, something I find frighteningly easy to believe. Let me keep my canine kid at my side instead of locked in a car while I enjoy a meal outdoors.
Third, legalize hopscotch and painting pictures on buildings. Boulder actually has laws that prohibit chalking sidewalks and painting murals on buildings without going through a formal approval process and we all know how easy that is. So, our kids are getting fat playing video games instead of hopscotch and we drive through town looking at boring red brick buildings instead of art. Forget "pilot projects" in hopscotch and murals and kill those stupid laws.
Last, let's get back to our hippie roots by once again allowing nude sunbathing at Coot Lake, which was legal and common through the early 1980s. That's about when we flower children started packing on the pounds and — coincidentally I'm sure — City Council members found their inner prudes and old fogies who insisted that we put our suits back on. How can Boulder keep being weird if we don't have a place to disrobe in public?
Okay, loving citizens, I've tossed out some ideas. Your turn. Show a little love by sending your ideas for a better Boulder to [email protected].
Geez. After this past election, you'd think that Boulder's elected officials might look to dial back the controversy. In an opinion piece recently, Councilman Sam Weaver seemed to agree when he pleaded with the Camera's opinion page authors to offer words with "more love than anger." To me, this sounds a lot more like advice given during marriage counseling than something one suggests to the editor of an opinion page, but, still, love is always nice.
You might also think that City Council would follow its own advice and offer some ideas designed to make us feel more of the love and not so much the anger. So much for that. The first Big New Thing advanced by City Council just after midnight Tuesday was a "declaration regarding inclusivity for the refugees and other disenfranchised populations," focused on making Syrian refugees and transgendered individuals feel welcome. While I share most Boulderites' commitment to inclusivity and letting people live their lives however they may choose, council could not have found two "disenfranchised populations" more likely to generate angst, even in Boulder.
Current worries about Syrian refugees are driven by genuine security concerns that polls say are shared by a majority of Americans. And, while most of us support unfettered tolerance of sexuality in principle, some of us are like President Obama, who just three years ago finished evolving enough to get behind gay marriage. It may take us a bit more time to digest the recent changes before we are again ready to join the rest of you on the front lines of the socio-sexual evolution.
It's not just that council's inclusivity goals are controversial, it's also that a declaration of this sort won't change a thing. Boulder already aspires to be as inclusive as any city in the world and anyone who cares already knows that.
Aren't there some small and simple things City Council could do to generate a little love right from the start? Doesn't anybody on council have any ideas about some low-hanging fruit that might make us smile and cheer up a bit?
The good news is that, after the right-sizing episode, Boulder government has found religion regarding the value of public input. So, what we loving citizens must do is give Boulder City Council some ideas about what they can do to feel our love. We loving citizens need to fill council members' mailboxes with ideas about how to make life in Boulder a little bit better with baby steps.
I'll start the conversation with a few ideas...
First, let's get rid of the cages for beer drinkers at the summer concert series, Band on the Bricks. In most of the civilized world, people at music festivals can walk around with a drink in their hands. How hard would it be for City Council to allow us one night a week when we can walk a few blocks of Pearl Street sipping a beer? This is Boulder, we have great beer, and, to be frank, our dancing could use the help of a bit more alcohol.
Second, how about letting restaurants allow us to bring our dogs into outdoor seating areas? My mom always told me that dogs' mouths were cleaner than peoples' mouths, something I find frighteningly easy to believe. Let me keep my canine kid at my side instead of locked in a car while I enjoy a meal outdoors.
Third, legalize hopscotch and painting pictures on buildings. Boulder actually has laws that prohibit chalking sidewalks and painting murals on buildings without going through a formal approval process and we all know how easy that is. So, our kids are getting fat playing video games instead of hopscotch and we drive through town looking at boring red brick buildings instead of art. Forget "pilot projects" in hopscotch and murals and kill those stupid laws.
Last, let's get back to our hippie roots by once again allowing nude sunbathing at Coot Lake, which was legal and common through the early 1980s. That's about when we flower children started packing on the pounds and — coincidentally I'm sure — City Council members found their inner prudes and old fogies who insisted that we put our suits back on. How can Boulder keep being weird if we don't have a place to disrobe in public?
Okay, loving citizens, I've tossed out some ideas. Your turn. Show a little love by sending your ideas for a better Boulder to [email protected].
