Month: May 2019

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

These words taken from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address ring as true today as they did in 1863 when they were first spoken to honor the fallen. Throughout our history, men and women have answered the call to serve our nation and defend our freedom and way of life.

Far too many of these brave souls made the ultimate sacrifice. The cost of our freedom is indeed high. To these honored dead we pause on Memorial Day to reflect on the sacrifice made by them; many not older than their early twenties, who performed extraordinary service with bravery and resolve under circumstances most of us can’t even imagine. Hopefully, we will always keep their sacrifice in our minds eye by not taking our freedom for granted and never abusing the freedom which has been entrusted to us.

Our freedom and way of life has come and continues to come at a very high price. It must always be respected and in today’s times, it must always be defended.

So, as the unofficial start of the summer begins, let us take a break from our work or school routine and enjoy the company of family and friends at picnics and barbeques and of course the wonderful parade down Main Street. We have a great deal to be proud of in our Nation. We owe it to the fallen not only to never forget them for their sacrifice, but also to celebrate the freedom that they so selflessly and so ultimately defended for our sake.  Thank you.

Outlined in the Constitution of the United States, “The Congress shall have the Power to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization throughout the United States” (Madison 1787, Article I, Section 8, clause 4). This sets the stage for a need to regulate the entrance of non-citizens into the United States and establish a path to citizenship. As the desired objectives of the United States change over time so have the policies that affect immigration. Immigration policy in the United States dates back to its founding. The Naturalization Act of 1790 established the first rules for becoming a citizen of the United States of America.

Immigration policy reform has been used to manage the amount and type of people entering the U.S. It has been used to import agricultural and non-agricultural workers. Also, numeric limits have been set, and were reset multiple times, to manage refugees the U.S. is willing to accept.

Laws have been passed to provide citizenship or residency status to certain classes of people. Current law is being enforced to discourage an influx of aliens. It has never been lawful to come into the U.S. and stay without proper declaration. Registration and evaluation have been the law in some form throughout the history of the United States.

Incremental policy changes have gotten the U.S. to this point by excluding a specific class of people and specific countries while at the same time limiting the annual amount of immigrants who can enter the country. The U.S. is still a protectionist country. The policy makers want the U.S. to be a country of assimilation, not colonization. People with specific education or job skills are shown preference by policy over those who would be a burden to the system.

As administrations come and go and conditions around the world change, immigration policy has been continuously changing. The U.S. has found that as incremental change occurs surrounding immigration, the policy enacted as a result may need monumental reform to achieve its desired objectives. Introduce quotas here; exclude specific people there. Immigration policy is continuously under reconsideration because the two sides want slightly different outcomes. Examples include open borders versus regulated borders, amnesty versus deportation, colonization versus assimilation, and anonymity versus registration. Both sides want to have people be able to enter and leave the country. The task at hand is deciding which set of rules will we follow.

The civil rights revolutionary Martin Luther King Jr. referred to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the “Second Emancipation.” This act was introduced by John F. Kennedy who famously stated, “And this nation, for all of its hopes and all its boasts, will not fully be free until all its citizens are free.”

Freedom. On the land where this televised address echoed, the hauntingly melodic lyrics of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” wove for the listener a tapestry of racial bondage. Against all odds there remained a push for equality, unity, peace, and freedom. The courage of Rosa Parks ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Governor of Arkansas summoned the national guard to prevent the Little Rock Nine from integrating into Central High School. Four black students initiated the Greensboro, NC, sit-ins. Dr. King marched on Washington accompanied by approximately 250,000 people. Four African American girls were killed in the 16^thStreet Baptist Church bombing. The Selma to Montgomery marches travelled through police unleashing dogs, high pressure water hoses, and beatings of peaceful protesters. Amidst the turmoil continued the push for equality, unity, peace, and freedom.

Resistance from supremacists and politicians were painful contractions as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was birthed as the most sweeping civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction. The sacrifices during the Civil Rights Movement have born significant legislative fruit, providing equal protections for African Americans while drastically crippling legalized segregation and discrimination. The experience of Rosa Parks was covered under Title II, Injunctive Relief Against Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation, “All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment … of any place of public accommodation… without discrimination or segregation…” During his march on Washington, Dr. King’s iconic speech highlighted the need for social and economic justice: “Now we realize that dislocations in the market operation of our economy and the prevalence of discrimination thrust people into idleness and bind them in constant or frequent unemployment against their will.” The Civil Rights Act of 1964 established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual….”

I ponder the immeasurable sacrifices of those who birthed this law into to existence with enormous gratitude, pride, and a desire to strive for greater. Greater equality, unity, peace, and freedom.

Being a parks and recreation director for over six years prepared me for being a city administrator in ways most people wouldn’t imagine.  In all honesty, at their core, the mission is quite similar. Areas of focus in parks and recreation, such as program development and risk assessment, transfer very easily into the world of city administration, only on a larger scale.  I’ve always told people when they ask about the transition from parks and recreation to municipal administration, if you are able to resolve issues with parents during youth programs, you can deal with anything.  No one is more passionate or volatile than a parent that is advocating for their child’s best interest.  In comparison, a city council meeting is typically less tense, but not always.  The list of skills that are interchangeable between the two positions is extremely long. I’m going to only touch on a few that I feel convey my point.

Working in parks and recreation you are constantly solving problems and dealing with conflict resolution.  As a city administrator, problem solving is second nature and conflict resolution is a commodity that is used almost daily. I learned early on that you will not please everyone, but your goal should be to achieve a win-win outcome – this is essential to problem solving and conflict resolution. Working in parks and recreation helped instill approaching every situation with the goal of a positive resolution.

When I first became the parks and recreation director, I had to convince the community that I was capable of providing a safe and enjoyable environment for the youth sports programs.  Gaining community trust was one of the most important and difficult actions I encountered.  At the time I was promoted to city administrator, the very same issue of community trust and support had to be addressed again, on a larger scale. It is paramount that the community feels a sense of trust and good will in both the parks and recreation and city administrator positions.  Citizens need to know that you are capable of providing for their needs and safety concerns.

Prior to my promotion, I was under the impression that it was uncommon to transition from parks and recreation to city administration, but that is untrue.  It is more common than you would think.  From small towns to large cities, parks and recreation directors transitioning to city administrators are common.  In my opinion, the transition is common because parks and recreation is the perfect field to hone many skills that are needed to become a successful city administrator.