Beg to differ: Mayor's theory interesting, but is it really the right analysis?

There are going to always be some people who will think that the city of Goldsboro has no business funding anything that is backed by federal money and that is run by the Air Force -- no matter what the possible benefits might be.

And there are going to be people who will discount Mayor Al King's estimation that adding extra country acts will bring in throngs of people who will love Goldsboro so much that they will spend money here and come back another time on vacation.

But the mayor is right about one thing: He and the City Council are charged with stewarding the city right now, and that is a job that requires listening to a lot of naysayers, some of whom really do not have one iota of an idea of what it takes to run a city or what is best for it.

But there is something that the mayor said that is disturbing -- and something he and others like him should think about before they decide exactly what their role is when they take public office.

Yes, we want our public officials to make decisions that they think are in the best interest of the future of our communities. Yes, we would not have elected them if we wanted to do it ourselves.

But no, they are not wholly independent speakers of truth who should not listen to what their communities say. And no, we should not have to run for City Council or any other public body to make our voices heard.

Being a politician is no picnic. You are required to listen to a lot of cranks, malcontents and wannabes.

But serving this community means listening to it, too. And sometimes not hearing what you want to hear.

Published in Editorials on April 12, 2011 10:33 AM