Faust: How can we solve Dover’s ongoing troubles?

I strongly suggest and urge the mayor and City Council to have a town hall/citizen workshop, so concerns, fears and suggestions can be brought forward to address the social issues facing our great city.”

William G. Faust Jr. is a resident of Dover.

These are troubling times in the city of Dover. Every time we turn around, the citizens are hit with another issue that needs immediate addressing and correction.

It seems that our family members who lived through the Great Depression and during economic hard times knew the value of a dollar and how to stretch it to its breaking point.

To me, it appears that our city leaders need to go back to the hard school of life. One point is, they need to learn the value of a dollar and know how to get our money’s worth on every dollar that is spent. I was taught at a very young age that nothing in life is free, and sometimes, life can and will be unfair. However, I was also taught that, with hard work, anything is possible.

There are no such things as quick fixes, if the city’s social ills are not addressed and fixed. Items like Councilmember David Anderson’s ordinance on street safety and bringing an Alderman’s Court to Dover will not improve the city’s issues.

There’s a rationale for my opinions: You cannot make laws on common sense. Humans are flawed individuals. You cannot make laws or ordinances to stop individuals from doing stupid things. Humans will continue to jaywalk, speed, drive under the influence and use phones while driving, among other foolish actions. The fact is, tragedies will and do occur, but an ordinance trying to curb/stop panhandling will not be practical with our limited police resources. We need grassroots efforts and practical solutions that will work in the short and long term, and not potentially violate someone’s civil rights.

The Alderman’s Court does not seem to be practical from my limited research. Have we considered the following?

1. Parking issues.
2. The salaries of staff to run the court.
3. Office space/availability and the cost to set up a new court.
4. Will the new court bring in enough revenue to break even?
5. This court deals with minor offenses and really will not make the city safer.
6. This court is a waste of money if you can appeal to a higher court when you believe the verdict is wrong.
7. Many citizens who I spoke to about this new court believe that it’s another way for the city to nickel and dime the residents to bring in more revenue.

I strongly suggest and urge the mayor and City Council to have a town hall/citizen workshop, so concerns, fears and suggestions can be brought forward to address the social issues facing our great city.

Lastly, I am encouraging all the citizens of Dover to get involved in our city’s daily operations. Do your homework. Come to council meetings or watch the meetings from home.

We need to stem the tide of any wasteful spending and try to bring deeply needed revenue sources into the city limits. We need to work together if we want positive changes in our city. Please get involved!

This is submitted by a concerned citizen.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.