TYRANNY OF THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

Mayors, Township Officials, and County Commissioners are elected by the majority of the people. The voters give their representatives the authority and the public trust to make decisions influencing the greater good of their communities. Sadly, after the election is over, the majority of voters, especially at the local government level, go into hibernation until the next election.

The voters essentially cocoon themselves back into the "Silent Majority" leaving the public affairs of local public policy making to their elected officials. However, these mostly part-time elected officials are exposed to sub-sets of the community adept at playing politics as the squeaky wheel. They claim to represent what's best for the community, often getting the political grease, at the expense of the greater good of their communities.

Now I'm not suggesting with Plato's quote that those who oppose real estate development are evil. They have a right to be heard in the public square, which makes us our Republic. What I'm saying here is when the Silent Majority of voters become indifferent to public affairs, their government officials can be influenced by a small, angry, and loud sub-set of self-serving citizens who represent less than 1 percent of the municipal population.

In the context of NIMBY controversies, we see active sub-sets of citizens advancing their self-interests, while effectively challenging elected officials who must weigh the needs of the many with the angst of the few crying Not-In-My-Backyard, often getting the most attention and political grease.

Public discourse is only productive when there's debate between concerned citizens of the community, not between the developer and the sub-set of the community carrying the NIMBY flag. A developer must engage, recruit, and activate community leaders who are reputable voices, speaking on behalf of the Silent Majority. They can be found in business, civic, and charitable organizations, as well as former public officials.

An absence of any citizen engagement by the developer enables NIMBY opposition to define, demonize, and defeat projects. Their unchallenged narratives become political reality as evidenced by the recent ballot box NIMBYism seen in Denver (See Story of the Week).

NIMBY CRISIS MASTERCLASS: FLYING BEYOND THE RADAR

The Academy of Citizen Engagement is excited to preannounce our upcoming online course titled, NIMBY Crisis Masterclass: Flying BEYOND the Radar coming out soon. As a valued NIMBY Matrix™ Newsletter subscriber, you'll be the first to know about the online course, promotions, and other cool stuff coming down the pike. Share this newsletter with friend/colleagues who you believe may be interested in learning more. They subscribe, they'll be in the NIMBY Matrix™ loop. More to come.

♦♦ NIMBY MATRIX™ STORY OF THE WEEK ♦♦

DENVER VOTERS REJECTED REDEVELOPMENT OF AN ABANDONED 155 ACRE GOLF COURSE

Fortune Magazine reports on the city of Denver rejecting the redevelopment of an abandoned golf course located near a train station. Ballot Box NIMBYism continues to rise across America. In this clash between NIMBY and YIMBY forces, it appears the YIMBYs lost at the ballot box.

Click HERE for the rest of the story ✔✔✔✔✔

CALL FOR PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES

We hear too often about NIMBY opposition defeating good projects. Let's flip it. We're looking for success stories in overcoming, neutralizing or even pre-empting community concerns and/or NIMBY opposition. Who were the opponents (neighbors, professional activists, political opportunists)? What did you do to prevail? What public affairs or community outreach tools did you implement? What was the defining moment of your engagement efforts? What was the vote count? What did your coalition of advocates look like?

Please email me, Patrick Slevin at P.SL7@patrickslevin.com with your success story. Happy to schedule a call as well. My goal is to share these stories with a growing community of successful professionals who don't want to settle for second best when it comes to winning project support in the public square. This community includes you of course.

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Copyright (c) 2023 Patrick Slevin