-- LEWIS BILLINGS

I believe Lewis Billings is a good man. I respect him for the service he gives and for the competent manner in which he gives it.

Lewis is at his best when he lays all his goals, plans and methods out on the table and tries to help people understand them. I have seen him do this, at a Council retreat once, and at an impromptu meeting with the residents of Grandview hill. He can be open, forthcoming, and totally candid. It's a great thing to watch.

Unfortunately, Lewis doesn't always take that approach.

Lewis is a master at lining up ducks -- getting each small detail in place in order to accomplish a much bigger goal. And he lines those ducks up years before any of the rest of us are even aware of needing a line of ducks. And he doesn't always foreclose why he's putting those ducks into such a carefully constructed line.

Lewis associates with other duck herders -- men with their own visions of what Provo should look like in say, 20, 30, or 50 years. These men are way ahead of us, people.
And if we are not attentive, they will get all the little ducks to line up, just the way they want them. They are good men, too. But how Provo proceeds is not their decision. It's a decision all of us must make.

I understand why Lewis chooses to work on his goals without disclosing everything he intends. There are lou-lous out there, who hate ducks just on principle. Lewis may be trying to avoid conflict, sidestep public clamour, and protect his city.

But here's my problem with that particular form of confidentiality. It's disrespectful. It implies that we are not trustworthy enough to know his plans, OR not capable of understanding his plans, or irrelevent to his plans. I am not suggesting that he does not respect the right of the public to weigh in on important issues, I'm just saying that when he finally has to put his plans out on the table, he ladles on a whole lot of sauce-- public relations campaigns, expert studies, hand-picked advisory committees,, etc. I always get suspicious when I see that much sauce; maybe what is underneath it isn't all that tasty.

I don't fault Lewis for holding his cards close to the vest. Politics is brutal, and maybe he figures it's the only way to get anything done. Or maybe he's overly avoidant of contention. Or maybe he is just one defensive puppy.

I am mixing my metaphors, now; ducks,food service, poker and puppies. Let's add one more--slings and arrows. It is true that no arrow or stone that anyone ever shoots at you can possibly hit you. You must choose to pluck it out of the air and stab it into your own heart. You can choose to let it fly harmlessly past. The disadvantage of letting the arrow go by is that you never get to stop it and check it out, to see if the arrow has any validity, truth, or merit. In other words, if you ignore the opposition, (by leaving them out of the loop), you miss what the opposition has to offer.

Politicians cannot avoid opposition; the system was designed to include it. Paul Warner often said, when he was on the City Council, "We're all on the same team, here." No, Paul, we're not. Our form of government specifies two teams, separate and equal. If Lewis feels that he must keep his plans confidential from the public, then he must disclose early, openly, and fully to the City Council.

What I would say to Lewis is, trust somebody, buddy. We may surprise you.