Never waste a good crisis.
It’s a basic maxim in City Politics.
Unfortunately it can have either high public minded or cynically self-serving spin. Let’s start with the former. Sometimes public sentiment lags behind the real needs of public policy. Reality demands action, but the public awareness simply won’t support the often extreme changes that must be made.
In such situations it might take a crisis to swing attitudes toward a true understanding of the need. Unfortunately, public support can just as quickly swing back toward the former complacency. Hence the maxim. For the public good, utilize the urgency generated by the crisis to make good policy decisions. No time to waste.
Algal blooming idiots
Take the recent troubles with the City of Toledo water supply. A large environmental catastrophe which has been building for years coupled with glacially slow improvements to the water treatment system. Throw in a bad relationship between Toledo Mayor Unca Dennis and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, plus a dash of poor planning in case of emergency, and, well, Toledo made the international spotlight again. And not in a good way.
To call a half million folks without ready access to potable water for over forty eight hours a “crisis” is a gross understatement. What came next is the real story. After the massive distribution effort moved countless gallons across the region to T-Town, after the last tanker moved out and the final bottles were emptied, after the recalibration of the water treatment and the lifting of the “don’t drink” order came the opportunity for true statesmanship.
Tough lessons could have been learned. The crisis could have been used to expose hard truths. About an invaluable resource that has been used as a cesspool, about environmental warnings ignored, about letting personalities and posturing get in the way of important decisions and about the urgent need for an infusion of ducats into a failing system.
Instead what we got was mostly small-time politicians using the crisis to try to play statesmen on tee-vee. Politicians currently seeking re-election descended on ol’ Froggy Bottom in an attempt to look concerned. Guvnah Kasich, who canceled a federally funded half billion dollar passenger train project the minute he got into office, had the audacity to call himself an “environmentalist.” State Senator Randy Gardner, who represents the agricultural fields and industrial feedlots that can pump algae-feeding nutrients into the lake, opined that the offending algal bloom wasn’t really all that bad.
Rep. Bob Latta was a special case. Supporters laud his “good family name,” ostensibly referring to his father, long time Rep. Del Latta. Which indicates what a truly empty suit the current Latta is. He’s never seen a deregulation scheme he didn’t like, and reportedly vowed to fight new regulations on agricultural runoff even before he got on the plane to T-Town.
Oh, they touched the right talking points in front of the cameras, fawning over the Great Lake Erie and vowing to right numerous wrongs done to her. Specifics not forthcoming, of course. Don’t hold yer breath. At least the good Republicans on Toledo City Council had the nerve to show their true state of concern and were complete no-shows during the crisis. Apparently Rob Ludeman, Sandy Spang and Tom Waniewski had more important things to do on the first weekend in August, possibly sipping drinks by the non-potable pool.
Crisis mode
Sufficient hand-wringing complete, the finger pointing dutifully began. Was the Collins Administration asleep at the wheel, like Councilman Jack Ford at many Council meetings? Had the EPA warned of a lack of preparedness months before? Or had the EPA not provided sufficient testing guidance and pollutant regulation?
Meanwhile Marcy called for a comprehensive watershed plan to save Western Lake Erie. Dems in the state legislature, Michael Ashford, Edna Brown, Teresa Fedor, and Mike Sheehy, called for more rigorous regulation of potentially harmful runoff. Dems on Council like Utilities Chair Lindsay Webb demanded a full accounting of progress on updates and changes to the water system.
Forget all that, because the finger pointing is far from over. Never waste a good crisis, remember. To those who are trying to use it to further sound public policy, we commend you, but you’re wasting precious moments.
Never waste a good crisis. Use it for face time!
