But if we are to engage in an exercise of solving problems and serving people, we should be doing so in a manner that is as in depth, inclusive and effective as we can humanly manage.  In politics it is often conventional wisdom to pit the ability and need to garner votes to win re-election against common sense and in depth problem solving that considers a broader vision and impact.  The two however are not inherently incompatible.  The notion that they are is the worst disservice that our acceptance of cynicism about politics has afforded us.

In very concrete ways anger, frustration and inequality of service, and for some varying degrees of isolation from mainstream institutions, result.  Recently an inspector for the City’s Department of Streets and Sanitation harassed a local businessperson.  My office was called for assistance and a member of my staff went over to the business to attempt to clarify the situation, determine the problem and find a solution.  What she found was an inspector sent from downtown who was not interested in any communication or problem solving.  Instead, in her presence, he went to the back of a restaurant, opened the lid of their grease container and took a picture of it open.  As he was taking a picture of the grease container with its lid up (a ticketable offense) the owner of the restaurant came though the back door with garbage in her hand.  On her way to the dumpster to deposit the garbage, she stopped, temporarily put the garbage down and inquired of the inspector as to what he was doing.  His response was to turn around and take a picture of the garbage she had just put down.  He then gave her two tickets.  One was for an open lid on a grease container and the second was for garbage outside her back door.

Having witnessed this entire series of events, my staff assistant accompanied me to the hearing for these citations.  Unavoidably, we were 15 minutes late to the hearing.  We immediately saw the owner’s sister, a young Vietnamese woman of Chinese descent, with limited English speaking skills, standing on line with her 4-year-old son at her side.  She had a determination notice in her hand and was waiting to pay a $175 fine.