A common question one hears around New Brighton these days is why is Bob Benke running for public office again? Good question.
One would think that 22 years as a councilman and mayor, followed by years of influencing city government from appointed positions on city commissions and boards would be more than adequate to satisfy any legitimate sense of civic duty as well as a normal ego. Apparently this is not the case.
Benke's quest to return to elected office goes far beyond political tone-deafness considering his pathetic record of support for policies and decisions that have led to almost all of the serious problems the city has faced over the last several years. Many of these problems originated on his watch as mayor (bloated budgets, significant annual levy increases, excessive staffing at city hall, eminent domain abuse, and the seriously flawed redevelopment vision for the Northwest Quadrant immediately come to mind). Even after his departure from office he has often fought against efforts to clean up the mess he left from his positions as a professional lobbyist and appointed positions on city commissions.
Bob Benke has no substantive issues to run on. He throws out a few vague and nebulous platitudes about city government needing more "openness" and "vision", yet cannot state any credible specifics as to where Mayor Jacobsen falls short. In the candidate forums Benke begrudgingly admitted that the city is in pretty good financial shape under two years of Jacobsen's leadership, although he did not elaborate on how remarkable a feat this was considering the mess he and his politically allied successor had left after their terms in office.
Benke's implication that Mayor Jacobsen lacks openness is laughable, especially considering that it is coming from a long time professional lobbyist (it’s interesting to note that he euphemistically refers to this activity as "consulting"). The influence of lobbyists on public policy is the antithesis of open government. Deals are cut at private meetings and behind closed doors where political favors and influence are bought, sold, and bartered with little, if any, tangible accountability. Are we to believe that, if elected Mayor, Mr. Benke is just going to abandon his vast store of political capital and connections he has built up over his many years of lobbying and political activism? The huge potential conflicts of interest alone qualify as a major deal breaker as far as I’m concerned.
As far as Benke’s "vision" for the city is concerned, all one has to do is look at the vast wasteland of the Northwest Quadrant and compare it to what was sold to the public (see the link in Part 2.). Benke’s policies led to the destruction of the area tax base instead of the significant financial benefits that were promised. Although there are still lots of problems to deal with, the area is finally starting to show signs of financial viability after only two years of responsible management by Mayor Jacobsen and his allies on the council.
The bottom line for this election is pretty simple: in his two years as Mayor, Dave Jacobsen has delivered on his campaign promises of effectively addressing the difficult issues the city faces, many of which were caused by the policies of the Benke years of city government. He clearly has earned the chance for a second term. In contrast, Bob Benke has a very tangible record of failure with respect to running city government and cannot make a credible case that Mayor Jacobsen needs to be replaced or that he is even capable of doing a better job for the people of New Brighton.
It seems to me that if Mr. Benke could not get his ideas implemented to his satisfaction after 22 years in office it indicates that he is either very ineffective as a leader or that his ideas do not reflect the views of the people. In either case he is the wrong man for the job, especially during difficult times. On the other hand Dave Jacobsen’s record of quiet competence, kept promises, and successful results indicates the he is the right man at the right time for this important position.
Please join me in voting for Dave Jacobsen for New Brighton Mayor on next Tuesday.
