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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)
A Few More Wellness-Oriented And Really Basic Campaign Pledges
No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. Helen Keller
Running for mayor of Tampa cannot be compared with discovering the "secret of the stars" (do the stars keep secrets?) or "sailing to an uncharted land" (are there any of those left to sail to?) but doing so does require a bit of optimism!
I have to be an optimist to run against two candidates for the office who have been in the limelight of city politics since Roosevelt was in office and another who has the backing of the current mayor, the endorsement of nearly every powerful interest group in town AND a war chest that could be used to pay off the deficit, fund the war on terror and meet the payroll of the New York Yankees for the next several years. I recall the line credited to Donald Robert Perry Marquis: "An optimist is a guy that has never had much experience." This certainly fits my situation as a candidate for public office. Except for my election as student council president at George Washington University in the early sixties, I have sought no elective offices, I have no ties to powerful interest group blocs and I have not been involved in any political campaigns. Despite these realities, I'm running for mayor of a major American city -- now that's optimism, informed by inexperience.
Of course, sometimes what looks like a weakness can be turned into strength, and that's my strategy! George Bernard Shaw said that a government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. My job is to alert Peter to what's going on! If I can convince Peter that the special interests do not necessarily have the PUBLIC interest foremost in mind, I figure I have a chance. After all, there are 10,000 Peters (in other words, those whose interests are not foremost in the minds of the powerful) for every Paul (special interest groups that contributed to the war chests of the professional politicians).
As an optimist, I have many wellness-oriented ideas that all the Peters of Tampa should find attractive. Some of these campaign issues might seem idealistic, but I favor them anyway. I do have dozens of very specific, issue-based campaign ideas, so if these seem too mellow and broad, have a look at the rest.
I want to promote the following five values as part of my run for and, if elected, service as mayor of Tampa.
- WELLNESS AS A QUALITY OF LIFE, NOT JUST A HEALTH ISSUE. We can do more than cope; citizens can be encouraged to ponder lives truly worth living. By encouraging service to others that improves life quality, the mayor can motivate citizens to seek quality in their lives. A mayor can do a lot of little things every day to promote the dignity and intrinsic worth of all citizens, particularly those who have seldom had occasion to ponder such possibilities or to sufficiently appreciate themselves and the beauty that is in the world.
- INVOLVEMENT IN THE WORKINGS OF GOVERNMENT. As mayor, I will help citizens have a greater say in decisions that affect their lives. I will do my daily exercise in the neighborhoods and meet with those who reside there before and after such workouts to discuss the minutiae of municipal functioning. I will seek practical ways to increase participation in departmental functioning that affects them and ways to make city hall more accountable and responsive.
- EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.The major can do much to overcome latent resistance to full participation in city life of every racial, class, and other distinct group and, in the process, encourage citizens to adopt the spirit, as well as the letter, of laws against discrimination that inhibit fair treatment and equal justice for any group, including Visigoths.
- PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT. The mayor can and should teach fundamentals of a good society as part of his public role, and in so doing make the case for safeguarding the treasures of nature, the importance of clean air and fresh water and the importance of respecting an ecological balance on a regional level. Just as death is the editor of nature's follies, so is economic stagnation the fate of cities whose people do not actively replenish the soils, become energy efficient and respect the integrity of natural systems.
- ECONOMIC VIABILITY FOR ALL. While the mayor can do little on his own, he can promote ideas and policies such as the importance of taking steps to develop programs that create training opportunities and jobs for the disadvantaged. A goal of all public officials should be advances toward a decent standard of living for everyone. Worker rights, broad citizen participation in planning, encouragement of socially responsible companies and co-operatives that distribute resources and control to more people are examples of increased democratic participation that a mayor can encourage.
What do you think? Can a mayor play a constructive and effective role in these matters, identifying the value of such concerns and encouraging public and private interests to address them? I hope so, because all are part of my mission as a candidate and my passion if elected.
All the best. Be well, enjoy and look on the bright side of life.
Domain: purposeSubdomain: applied wellness
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