Guerilla gardening and civic action

Guerilla garden photos from Ping.

DC1974/Inaudible Noise sends us notice of this piece from Ping (online) Magazine about "Design and Making Things," "Guerilla Flowerpots in Tokyo’s Public Spaces."

I am all for self-help, rather than expecting the government to take care of us. Speaking of Arlington, I was talking with someone there vis-a-vis DC's transportation planning, and this person avered that DC is so focused on "what the federal government wants" and is reactive, rather than telling the US DOT and its various agencies (FHWA and FTA and FRA) what it intends to do, being proactive.

I think that's a good point. Compare the Transportation Plan from Arlington vs. the Transportation Element in the DC Comprehensive Plan and you'll see a world of difference.

It's the difference between leading and following.

In DC, more and more I think that our problem is around how big government -- the federal government -- has shaped the thinking and responsiveness and vision of the little government -- the local government, the District of Columbia government, at all levels.

So in DC, the first response is to create some law or regulation to do something, rather than to encourage that something, especially something of excellence or "world class" be done, and figure out how to do it first.

The perfect example is the hullabaloo over the DC Attorney General. After the AG resigned because of interference from the Mayor's Chief Counsel (who is now serving as Acting Attorney General), the first response by DC City Council was to craft legislation putting strictures on how the Mayor's Office could deal with the AG's Office.

LAW IS "OWNED" BY THE PEOPLE.

You want an open, transparent, fair Attorney General?

Convert the AG into an elected position, just as it is in most states across the country, and in many many counties across the country.

I noticed that Councilmember Catania picked up on this idea, according to a recent Post article, "Attorney General's Role Is Debated: D.C. Council Questions Independence of Office."