[BCNnet] FPDCC Public Land Use (incl. DFAs)

[Ryan Chew]

By way of reconciling these two points of view, a metaphor:

The discussion has proceeded as if politics was like a battlefield, and you 
had to argue with your allies about where the high ground was, what terrain 
was best to defend or to lauch an attack from

In my experience, politics is more like a long, drawn-out game of 
tug-of-war.  There's a flag on a rope, somewhere between the two parties who 
are pulling, and it doesn't really matter where that flag is exactly, 
because if you get a few more people on your side, pulling a little harder, 
you'll pull the flag further in your direction.

It doesn't really matter whether 'the train has left the station' nor 
whether the forest preserve 'has lost sight of its mission.'  That flag is 
somewhere between us and the dog park people.

-- If we get a lot of polite, well-meaning voters to say 'we think there 
shouldn't be a single-dog park, and we'll vote accordingly' the 
commissioners will pay a lot of attention, even if there's already a dog 
park and we're not exactly right on facts.

-- If we get lots of polite, well-meaning voters to say, 'we think the 
commissioners should be very wary of expanding dog parks and other overly 
active uses of FPD land, and we'll vote accordingly' then they'll listen, 
even if there are no existing dog parks to be expanded.

It's about pulling the commissioners in our direction, not about determining 
exactly where the flag rests at this particular moment.

I don't think we should waste much time debating the fine points.  Let the 
board know how you feel - in general.  As someone said a day or two ago, 
don't call so often or talk so long that you seem like a crank.  Hold of on 
calling for a month or two if you think that will be more effective, or call 
now and then hold off for a couple months.

More important anyway is to let sympathetic neighbors know what's up.  Your 
call is only effective if a commissioner thinks it represents some larger 
body of informed voters who might vote accordingly.  Do your stuff, and 
let's not argue too much about strategy here.

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