This is a simple example of one that was easy for me to describe.  I think I can go through this in many different ways and many different areas with concerns or priorities that people have in this city.  I was just trying to give you an example of what I mean by "Balkanization" because it's really been on my mind.  I think that we get very narrow about how we make solutions and then forget what our responsibilities are.  Someone asked me, "Are you saying that it is in the nature of an administration to pass a budget by offering aldermen certain things for their ward in exchange for a yes vote?"  Yes.  That's always been the case, and it's not only true for this administration - it's been true consistently since I've been alderman.

But it has also been true that there need to be attention and a response to that.  People expect that we will represent them as well as we can.  This is what I was referring to initially - we have to go beyond this one vote from the point of view of making it so narrow that it only relates to one thing or maybe ten things in our ward.  Instead we need to look at how it impacts the entire city - what policies impact the city and what that means to the entire city.  My policy is that in so doing, you get what you need where you are, and you get what you need for the improvement of the quality of life of the people that you represent.

Now I want to talk a little about priorities.  As you know, I go to budget hearing and ask many questions.  This year I asked questions of most every department. There were three or four that I did not.  I have received answers from a total of eighteen departments for a total of forty-eight full or partial answers.  I have seven outstanding pages of questions representing twenty-eight departments and 130 questions.  This is not an improvement over last year.  Today is November 13th.  Legislatively, we are required to have a budget passed by December 31st.  Why is it when there are so many outstanding questions that we are making such a rush to judgment in terms of evaluating and voting on a budget?  I think I probably already answered that, but it's a question I have and one that I will continue to have and one that makes it very difficult for me to vote positively.