Tough decisions are hard to make and even harder to explain. The tendency is to just leave it, especially in politics.
Alan Webber in his blog quoted a NYT reporter: “…a closer look at the school board’s history reveals a chaotic, almost non-functioning body that put off making tough choices and even routine improvements for generations. Experts said that in the board’s years of inaction is a cautionary tale for school districts everywhere."
I agree with Webber, the lesson isn’t limited to school districts. GM got into the mess by putting off decisions until it was too late. I am proud of Canada for tackling its budget deficits in the 90’s, even as our southern neighbour pretended theirs did not exist.
This goes for municipalities too, especially fast growing ones. Are new developments sustainable? Do they enhance the desirability of the town or are they contributing to a sprawl-related grid-lock? Is your municipality looking through each year in the context of the larger 20-year plan to make sure all pieces fit?
Though status-quo is always easy to maintain in the short-run, it isn’t always the best option in the long run.
