Thursday, March 5, 2009

What are the numbers?

As a new citizen of our lovely city, I've stopped urinating off of the front porch, started paying more attention to personal hygiene, and begun inserting myself into the debate going on at the municipal level. At council meetings I listen to the serious problems facing our community such as dogs being tethered while unsupervised, children under 16 volunteering at the animal adoption clinic, and "sign pollution." I hear about the grave danger associated with the allowance of these activities, but I miss the answer to my most important question: What are the numbers?

You know, the statistics, the data, the probability based on historical evidence. Where is the measurable evidence that there is a real threat to safety or a threat of liability to the city? I'm not saying that it doesn't exist, because I'm sure it does to an extent, but the debate needs to center around objective data. I'm sure a lot of people are afraid of a lot of things, but I need to be able to measure the cost against the benefit. The threat to safety caused by my driving across the Metroplex for work undeniably exists, but when I weigh it against my family going hungry I jump in the truck.

If there's a real, measurable problem, let's find it, weigh it, and base our actions, if any, on the results of our analysis. I'm plenty paranoid by myself, so I don't need someone to create problems for me just because they got appointed to some board and feel the need to conceive a problem in order to "fix" it. Don't get me wrong; I think it's great to look ahead to foresee potential issues and work to avoid problems. But I'm concerned that our leaders at every level may be seeing the demon behind every tree just so they can exorcise it.

It's a shame that I have to involve myself now, but the city brought it upon themselves when they just couldn't leave me alone...

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