Democratic commitment to democracy (little "d")

Larchmont Democratic candidates Anne McAndrews and Geoff Young assert that the issue that most distinguishes them from the Republican candidates is their commitment to a truly open and inclusive governing process. While the Republicans claim that their actions reflect a similar commitment to open government, the Democratic team has a very different understanding of what the term means. Some examples follow.

When they say they are reaching out to residents, McAndrews and Young are talking about soliciting opinions from outside their immediate social circle, listening to residents’ concerns and helping them find effective means of communicating their ideas to decision-makers within the village. The example of interaction with voters given by Mike Wiener and Phil Johanson at the League of Women Voters’ debate was the Republicans’ “Plugged In” newsletter, in which the Mayor outlined what he believes are the accomplishments of the current Board over the past year. Using such a clearly political and self-serving piece as an illustration of communicating with residents would be laughable if it were not so insulting to the voters. And, in fact, it was not sent to the whole community — only to selected residents.

The process for planning and implementing the Flint Park renovation is another example that came up repeatedly at the debate. Both Democratic candidates have stated many times that all residents should have been invited to express their concerns and ideas before tax dollars were used to draw up plans. In the Democratic candidates’ view the fact that the plans have not been posted for all to see is typical of the administration’s controlling approach to village governance. The Republican candidates’ claim that several open meetings on the park renovation have been held is misleading, at best. These meetings have not been publicly noticed. The Coastal Zone Management Commission, which one would think would have had an early involvement concerning the renovation of a waterfront park, has only recently been invited to attend a meeting.

The Republican candidates tried to insist that work on environmental issues was proceeding apace as a result of the creation of the Open Space and the Environmental Committees. However, since neither committee has been asked to report their work product back to the Board, it is difficult for the average citizen to infer that progress has been made. The current Republican administration’s practice of burying matters in committees appears to be not a way of ‘getting things done’ but rather a means of deferring and delaying decisions and retaining control over the process. The debate discussion concerning the Greenway, a county-wide program to which Larchmont’s excessively delayed response is an embarrassment to the community, was illuminating in this regard. The Republican candidates could come up with no reason for Larchmont not to join the Greenway, except that they wanted a committee to study a “Soundway” first. It is difficult to divine a reason that the Greenway and “Soundway” could not be pursued simultaneously.

Running through what the Republican candidates have said – especially at the debate – has been the implication that expediency is paramount, even to the detriment of community involvement. The irony of their campaign slogan, “Getting It Done,” is that they seem to be getting “It” done only if it is already on the Republican agenda and only according their own timeline.

By contrast, McAndrews and Young have a long list of things they will pursue as elected Trustees to the Larchmont Board. This list derives from listening to their neighbors and welcoming their participation. They feel comfortable with this approach because that is the genuine democratic process.