A city council can sometimes get distracted by an agenda that has little to do with the immediate needs of its populace. I saw this firsthand when I attended graduate school in Bloomington, Indiana, the home of Indiana University and without a doubt one of the most livable cities in the country: The people who helped create an incredibly fecund music and arts community that made the town so much fun also often begot a city council that would debate things well outside of its mission.
For instance, during my school days the council spent an inordinate amount of time debating a resolution supporting the nuclear weapons freeze movement, and each new council felt obligated to fight the battle anew. (the town continues to fight this battle, incidentally). The Bloomington Council’s extended machinations over what it perceived as the country’s wanton militarism often led it to put the real issues of its residents—sewer upgrades and road paving—on a back burner.
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