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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > November > 08 > Entry
Editorial: Dayton, region can’t afford small leaders
Gary Leitzell, Dayton’s mayor-elect, and the city commission have to come together in the face of Rhine McLin’s upset. If they don’t, Dayton risks having a smaller place in the region and the state.
What does coming together look like?
Mr. Leitzell is the new guy. He has to school himself aggressively on how to do a job that would be intimidating to anyone in his or her right mind.
He needs grounded, respected, experienced people helping him, and he has to be confident enough in himself to know what he doesn’t know. Whom he surrounds himself with will tell a lot about his judgment.
The four Democrats on the commission need to help him. They can’t be eager to see Mr. Leitzell twist or fail. They can’t be gunning for him or his job. They have to be engaged.
What’s the threat if Dayton becomes an increasingly smaller place in the region’s and the state’s orbits?
The region takes its name from the city. If the city government becomes consumed by political infighting or paralysis about how to responsibly deal with a stunning $15 million to $20 million deficit, citizens and leaders will notice.
That behavior will scare away people, investors and, most immediately, the administrators that the commission depends on. The staff people at City Hall can’t be good at their jobs if the politicians don’t back them up or if they refuse to do the right things.
Dayton deserves to be at the table when regional decisions are being made, whether the issue is how to boost Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, what roads are going to be built or how to court companies.
But if the commission is seen as dysfunctional or unable to help the region put its best foot forward, people will find ways to go around Dayton.
The city manager form of government has served Dayton well. If you look back over the years, strong administrators have propped up both good and bad politicians for decades. Among public administrators, Dayton has historically been seen as a place that respected talented professionals in hard as well as comfortable times.
That has helped recruit good people.
Every time Dayton has done something big or important for the city or the region — think the Schuster Center, Tech Town, Fifth Third Field, RiverScape — it has had the help of others. That help has included business leaders, state government, the federal government, other local governments and plenty of well-intended local activists.
The city needs all these forces today more than ever.
But they might walk away if the commission doesn’t play well together.
Dayton’s access to Columbus will be set back without Mayor McLin. Gov. Ted Strickland is fond of her, and she had his ear on matters relating to Dayton and cities generally.
Political relationships like this matter when Dayton and the region are asking for money and consideration.
Of course, governors (like mayors) come and go. But Dayton’s reputation will precede it. How the city presents itself to the department of development and in the legislature will be important. There will be times we’ll want their help.
Dayton’s struggles are huge, worse that they’ve been in modern memory. The politicians in charge have a chance to show their talent — or their smallness.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: City of Dayton, Editorials, Ellen Belcher, Miami Valley Politics
Copyright © Wed Apr 08 11:25:19 EDT 2009 Cox Ohio Publishing, Dayton, Ohio, USA. All rights reserved.
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Comments
By 4stargal
November 8, 2009 7:01 AM | Link to this
Isthe thesis of this article that harmony within Dayton’s group dynamics will improve the city’s image and validate their proficiency? I think not. “Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.}” - H.L. Mencken (Journalist, satirist)
By oldtimer
November 8, 2009 7:56 AM | Link to this
4stargal’s comment is a perfect example of why Dayton is what it is. Too much cynicism, too little cohesiveness. An old saw says it well: “A good thing to remember and a better thing to do, is get off the wrecking gang and on the construction crew.”
By Drexel Dave Sparks
November 8, 2009 7:57 AM | Link to this
More former ruling class bologna from the DDN. Why do you people even bother? What a bunch of mushy pablum rooted in anything but logic. The idea of the job of mayor being this grand difficult and monumental undertaking is rubbish. Politicians make decisions. They do not participate in manual labor, and do lots of schmoozing. Always a free plate for the leader. This pablum is just part of the giant butt-kiss that is obviously going on between the powers that be that still see some money to suck out of Dayton. But guess what? You dance with them that brung you. And the DDN, and all of the other power players and money whores did not bring Mayor Leitzell to the dance - the Citizens of Dayton did. The citizens of Dayton are the ones whom Gary Leitzell should be dancing with. It’s obvious that the self-anointed ruling class of the Dayton area has no more idea of what to do than a man with no arms playing “Barrel full of monkeys”.
By Nancy McGee
November 8, 2009 8:07 AM | Link to this
Dayton can’t afford small editorial writers either, but we certainly have them.
By David Esrati
November 8, 2009 8:55 AM | Link to this