When you consider what it’s like to be a municipal council member, you realize quite quickly that this isn’t a role for the faint of heart. It’s a tough and unforgiving position. Most “simple” decisions are actually quite complex, and at any given time there’s going to be people out there who think you’re an idiot.
 

I’ve always appreciated Mark Twain’s advice of not allowing school to get in the way of your education. This isn’t to knock the benefits of our school curriculum but rather to acknowledge that the courses offered by our fine institutions provide only part of the skills and knowledge our students need to succeed in this world. Not only to succeed, actually, but to make impacts and advance our society beyond where we are today.

Our government procedures have been structured around rules of order and procedure—all with the noblest of intentions. Through this order, we can achieve a consistency of process and ensure that people and policy receive consistency in expectations and deliberation. An inconsistent process could easily lead to inequality.

Mark Twain once said, “I shall never use profanity except in discussing house rent and taxes.” As a satirist, he understood the special level of frustration that taxation can bring to the masses. Raise the price of anything, and you will invoke people’s ire; raise or create a tax and the ire will turn to loathing.

The temperature is warming, and grass is peeking out from long-unseen lawns, bringing on grateful thoughts of spring as those of us in the True North bid au revoir to a long winter. 

The business of government is a ruthless taskmaster. Those who serve must face the daunting task of governing for the good of all people—the voices loud and quiet, those who lobby and those who don’t. They must consider the full scope of each decision, including all consequences, whether intended or otherwise. Economic decisions may have social consequences, and environmental decisions may have economic ones.