"A politics that is not sensitive to the concerns and circumstances of people's lives, a politics that does not speak to and include people, is an intellectually arrogant politics that deserves to fail."
-Paul Wellstone
So, I suppose it happened. Progressives took a clear majority of the Missoula city council. Some conservatives are trying to call this a conservative victory, since two harder-line conservatives are replacing two moderate conservatives. I think that's a weird way to measure victory, since a progressive defeated another hard-line conservative.
But now is not really the time for that. What I found most interesting about Matt Frank's New West article that Jay highlighted was that the new progressive majority so far seems to be interested in humility and restraint -- features that are ultimately good for the city.
The question now is whether the conservative minority is interested in being a governing minority or an obstructing minority. Will they seek good amendments, constructive relationships, and consensus building? Or will they just vote no?
Obviously, the burden isn't just on them. To be a governing minority, you need a majority willing to listen, compromise, and develop consensus as well.
Progressive governance, in my mind, is responsive governance -- and that includes responding to the concerns of Missoulians who ousted the last progressive majority of the council.
The biggest piece in all of this is approaching these meetings in good faith. The progressives (most of us) don't want to ghettoize the city. The conservatives (most of them) don't hate students and renters.
And, as has been noted, to some extent this is all hyperbole. The bulk of the council's work passes on the consensus agenda -- meaning there is virtually no disagreement. But on these heated issues, we need to figure out how to turn down the temperature without silencing voices. And that goes for citizens as well as council members. |
