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Cities Protect Our Quality of Life

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By FRANK C. ORTIS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 16, 2008

As Floridians gear up to vote in this November's presidential election, everyone is talking about how Iraq, Afghanistan, energy prices and health care will affect our nation over the next four years.

Hundreds of millions of Americans will flock to the polls to help decide these national and international issues. Yet smaller, more personal issues that directly affect our quality of life are decided much closer to home, determined by only thousands, and sometimes dozens, of votes.

That's because, for most Floridians - more than Congress, and more than the president - it is our cities that exercise the most direct influence over our quality of life.

Consider how we spend our days: Taking out the trash in the morning, commuting to work, returning library books, taking the kids to soccer practice, walking the dog, locking the door at night.

Consider the rhythm of summer weekends: junior-league summer baseball, cooling off in the city pool, barbecuing in the park. Almost every activity that we engage in as average American citizens - down to the fireworks on Fourth of July - is affected by our cities and how they are run.

The efficiency of our police, the maintenance of our roads, the cleaning of our streets, the protection of parks and recreation programs for our children - all these are city responsibilities.

And when our cities decline, we face the consequences alone: drug dealers on street corners, potholes in our roads, trash on our sidewalks, and children languishing in idleness or drawn into mischief.

When neighborhoods face problems like these, most citizens can't get in to see the president. The average citizen can't testify before Congress. You can barely get through to your state Legislature without the help of high-priced lobbyists.

But you can all speak at a city council meeting. Citizens can contact their mayor or city commissioner. You can even run for office yourselves, and your advocacy matters more in competitive local elections.

That's why self-government is the keystone of democracy. The principle of home rule states that local citizens should enjoy the right to determine their own taxes and set their own priorities.

Well-run cities show dynamism and innovation in solving problems, from community policing strategies that keep our streets safe to energy audits that lower our power bills and reduce our consumption of energy.

That's why each year, the Florida League of Cities publishes its City Innovations Showcase, featuring the policy and program innovations that have delivered results for citizens across our state.

These programs don't only improve our local quality of life - they represent local progress in combating national problems. For example, traffic-light timing improves our commute and reduces our use of gasoline. Housing rehabilitation programs spruce up our neighborhoods and mitigate foreclosures and home price declines. Youth sports programs provide fun activities for our children while fighting youth obesity and diabetes.

citizens who participate in local civic life. As state and national politicians crisscross Florida speaking about national problems that seem outside our control, remember that the greatest power we possess as citizens is the ability to influence events in our own cities.

Frank C. Ortis is mayor of Pembroke Pines and president of the Florida League of Cities.

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