Remember when President Obama suggested that we push the “reset” button and start over with Russia?
I think it’s time to push the reset button in Pacific, as well.
As I read the tea leaves, the ongoing battle over Mayor Cy Sun has taken a life of its own, and people are forgetting how they got here. So here’s my recap: City hall was both dysfunctional and insolent. A man who wasn’t really qualified to serve in a public capacity but who had the courage to try, became incensed and got elected by a disgusted electorate. No sooner was the newcomer elected but the defeated incumbent predicted that he wouldn’t last. Then another official, who had not opposed the abuses that made it possible for Mr. Sun’s election, took some steps to nudge him over a cliff by claiming he didn’t deserve his war medals. That just threw fuel on the fire and I think it’s a leading reason that Cy Sun has dug in. And understand this: He has the city in a corner. The city can lose its insurance long before any recall election. People who let the abuses go on for so long are now angry at the amateur who turned over the applecart. But they have forgotten why he was able to do it. Meanwhile the officials who are responsible for the voter revolt are getting a free pass.
At least one of the individuals who is working for Mr. Sun’s recall has seen the human side of this individual, but feels that the recall has to go forward. I’m not sure whether there is any disinterested person who can talk with him.
Perhaps you may know this phrase from the poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Things are in the saddle,
And ride mankind.
This is precisely what is happening here. Things, not people, are in charge now.
So it’s time to hit the reset button. And here’s where to start: I think you should recognize that, while Mr. Sun is an amateur, you can say the same about all the elected officials who passed up opportunities to end the abuses. Mr. Sun is not suitable for the office of mayor, but neither was his predecessor. Mr. Sun is the only individual I am aware of in a community of 6,000 people who was willing to step up to the plate.
Having said that, I believe that Cy Sun would like to live in a decent, peaceful community where people are valued and respected. I think he wants a community where he can wave at his neighbors and know they will wave back. He would like to be able to deal with businesses and government agencies and know that he is treated honestly and with respect. He would like to feel that he belongs here. If he had children in town he would want them to have fun and feel secure. I don’t believe he wants to destroy the city. But I do believe he wants to destroy the abuses that were occurring. And if he’s like the rest of us, I believe that he wants to be respected for the effort he has made to set things right. His stubborn, brusque, aggressive manner is nothing I care much for, but I share his belief that Pacific city government fell short of the mark in terms of civility and ethics. And this went on for years.
If Pacific is to have a city government, key individuals are going to have to recognize that they and Mr. Sun have some values in common that can be built upon. And I think they should acknowledge that many people knew about the abuses, and those people share in the responsibility for the current crisis. While I don’t think anyone has the courage to do this, it wouldn’t hurt for some of these luminaries to admit their shortcomings. Apologies go a long ways towards defusing such situations. Sometimes apologies accomplish more than you can ever imagine.
I’m not confident Pacific city government can be saved. But I am confident it won’t be saved unless someone hits the “reset” button.
Amen Robert. Mayor Sun dug in because the second he won the election, he was walloped over the head metaphorically by a sore loser with extremely distasteful rhetoric and then our council picked up the reigns from there. I also agree his persona leaves little to be desired but he is principled and I respect that in a leader. The voters did give him a mandate and he is taking that to heart. He wants to work with people but likely finds that hard to do when other electeds and even a few non electeds Like your self have made it clear you believe he isn't qualified for the job he was elected to do. So now a mans honor and integrity have been impugned and questioned, so what does a man do?: he digs in and prepares to prove people wrong by any means available. The city council, the old guard, have circled the wagon so to speak and created the political environment that makes CY appear incompetent. They have started a civil war not because they care about the city but because they lost one of their own, a serf felled a mighty owner and its payback time. Time to make an example and pray that his Highness Hildreth takes us all back. You are right Robert. This city will only survive if apologies are made and the reset button is engaged. A recall on the other hand only serves to allow the organizers to pump their chests a little and pretend they are politically knowledgeable and capable. The main architect, is trying to gain payback for rich plain and simple. The recall wont make it to the ballot nor would it even come in time. I second your feelings here. We have to shake hands or be prepared to disincorporate.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. However, they come too late. At the time I posted this particular blog, there was plausible doubt that Mr. Sun was a fool. With recent developments, he has erased all that doubt. Clearly, he is incapable of sound reasoning. He appears to be under the influence of the individuals who laid the foundation stones for the very corruption he wanted to stop. Mr. Sun passed up opportunities to make friends with people who could have helped him. He has used up all his political capital. He is politically bankrupt. The only reason he is holding office at all is that a frustrated public was willing to embrace the "Anybody but Rich" philosophy, and they were willing to do that because no-one else had the gumption to say the obvious -- that the city's government had lost its way. The people who should have stopped the abuses didn't think there was going to be a price to pay and didn't believe an incompetent person like Mr. Sun could be elected. (I didn't either.) They underestimated the public's anger, and they are paying the price.
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