David Ward, and Riding the Coattails of "Change"

I just realized that I haven't posted anything, useful or otherwise, in nearly a month. Now I have been preparing a neat historical look, or examples upon which we may like to reflect before casting our votes, and I promise that will get done before the election. But for now, a little filler.

So, I just have to chuckle whenever I see David Ward's campaign materials around town here. CHANGE FOR RENO!!! As happy as I am that he's decided to use this quadrennium's most important (and misused) catchphrase to bolster his campaign, I find it delightfully ironic.

In 1995, the City of Reno began a new era when Jeff Griffin became the new Mayor. The years before, culminating with Mayor Sferrazza, had seen a dramatic downturn throughout the city. Major projects had been conspicuously neglected as the city, though ever growing in population, fell farther into the charnel. Some sectors of the city were slipping rapidly into dilapidation, and tourists and residents alike tended to steer clear of the downtown economic center. With Mayor Griffin (and continuing with current Mayor Bob Cashell), the city took the reigns and began a series of municipal projects intended to undo much of the damage that the previous years of negligence had inflicted.

What's so damn funny to me is how it reminds me of some remarks made by one of my heroes a few years ago.

"And now we hear talk that it's time for a change. Well, ladies and gentlemen, another friendly reminder: We are the change."

And that is not altogether different here. Our mayors and our very diverse city council have accomplished much in the past thirteen years, and yet there is much to be done. In reading over Mr. Ward's website I am taken by a number of items, not the least of which being his attention to term limits; I am generally in favor of the imposition of term limits. Also his concepts of dealing with the old Mapes site, the Kings Inn, the Woolworth's building, &c. reflect many screams I have been making for years now. Yet his Ideas for Change seem to reflect a number of Johnson/Carter-style social plans what are reminiscent not only of policy that lead to near economic devastation in the late 70's, but also of exactly what Mr. Reagan was talking about when he discussed his "change."

"We focused on hope, not despair. We challenged the failed policies of the past because we believed that a society is great not because of promises made by its government but only because of progress made by its people. And that was our change."

Truer words have been scant spoken. Yes, the economy, here and almost everywhere, is currently aslump, so this is not the time to be attempting major civil projects (bikes on demand, a Park-&-Ride, expanded municipal transit, &c.). This is a time for real action to improve ourselves, our economy, and our people; not so much a time to be focusing on pipe dreams of ambiguous change.