{"id":2601,"date":"2013-04-03T11:28:44","date_gmt":"2013-04-03T18:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/?post_type=article&p=2601"},"modified":"2013-04-04T10:13:31","modified_gmt":"2013-04-04T17:13:31","slug":"good-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/good-government\/","title":{"rendered":"GOOD GOVERNMENT"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/a>

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE<\/strong>\u00a0OF POLITICS
\n<\/strong>All politics is local,\u201d said Speaker of the House Thomas Phillip (\u201cTip\u201d) O\u2019Neill, Jr. His 34-year success as a politician was tied to his ability to understand and influence the issues of his constituents.\u00a0 Rather than rely on lofty ideals about governance, the Speaker knew from experience that by addressing the concrete needs of those who had elected him, he\u2019d remain in office.\u00a0 Some politicians and would-be politicians tend to lose sight of this rather simplistic observation about the government\u2019s real function: to perform tasks for the benefit of the people. Fortunately for politicians in Miami-Dade County, there is a program, the Good Government Initiative that will reinforce for them why they were elected to office in the first place.<\/p>\nKaty Sorenson (R) with Mia & Joe Corradino at the Chamber South Chairman\u2019s Gala held last fall. Corradino is Immediate Past Chairman (2011-12) of the chamber. At the Gala held in October 2010, he was the recipient of the Stephen J. Cranman Professional Public Service Award. The award acknowledges public servants whose accomplishments demonstrate their superior ability to use their position to find innovative solutions that benefit the community.
In 2005, Katy Sorenson was similarly recognized.\n

The Good Government Initiative, developed by former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson, is a training program for newly elected officials in good governing practices. Its mission is to cultivate leaders of excellence in South Florida through the development and training of elected officials as well as those aspiring to run for office, and to engage the community in its governance through outreach and education.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is good training for what I see as an \u2018entry-level\u2019 job,\u201d said Joe Corradino, Class II graduate and Councilmember for the Village
\nof Pinecrest.<\/p>\n

For Sorenson, President and CEO of the program (with sponsorship from the University of Miami), good government is the key to creating a community of lasting value for all residents. This basic belief, at a time when many Americans are a little less than sanguine about the ethics and abilities of those holding national office, is the rallying point for the program. Her inspiration was the Senior Executives in State and Local Government, a program presented by Harvard\u2019s Kennedy School of Government for which she was selected to attend. The Harvard program emphasizes the need\u00a0for elected officials and executives to become more effective public managers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Harvard experience got me thinking about a program that would benefit those just coming into politics. Frankly, it is a course that I wish had been available to me when I was first elected,\u201d\u00a0said Sorenson.<\/p>\n

Like many of her contemporaries, Katy Sorenson\u2019s interest in governance arose from her participation in civil rights demonstrations in the mid-1960s. Her activism was one hallmark\u00a0of her service as an elected official. In 1994, she began representing District 8 on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. Her 16-year tenure as commissioner is notable for a host of accomplishments; her advocacy for human rights, the environment and managed growth; and her integrity and commitment to\u00a0her constituency.<\/p>\n

The Good Government Initiative offers elected officials the \u201cLeaders of Excellence\u201d program that is in session from August to November, running about 64 hours in total. Admission is competitive and based on a prospective applicant\u2019s integrity, the way in which he or she answers mandatory essay questions and how well he or she interviews with a panel of community leaders.\u00a0 The curriculum is extensive and includes ethics, budget and finance, media relations, economic development, constituent services, land use, and working with community organizations among other topics.<\/p>\nVice-Mayor Josh Liebman presenting\u00a0a proclamation to NFL free agent\u00a0Kennard Cox at the Fountainbleu Hilton cocktail reception inaugurating his Outside the Huddle Foundation. Cox is pictured with cousin Jeremy Martin and Tiffany Morris, foundation director.\n

\u201cI would say that one of the most valuable experiences in the program was the information we gained from the speakers,\u201d\u00a0said Corradino.<\/p>\n

Participating speakers come from academia, government and the private sector. In keeping with Sorenson\u2019s aim to steer clear of one party or one ideology, she was able to recruit both Senator Bob Graham (Democrat) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican) to share their knowledge and experiences with\u00a0the class.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a lot from the exchange of ideas that these speakers sparked among the people enrolled in my class,\u201d said Josh Liebman, Class II graduate and Vice Mayor of the City of South Miami.<\/p>\n

Speakers also included Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, council and school board members, mayors, and newly elected state representatives. One truly memorable experience for the class was hearing from former Palm Beach County Commissioner Mary McCarty. McCarty, who was fined and convicted of fraud, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. This was the first
\ntime she had appeared in public since leaving prison.<\/p>\n

The course, into which about 18 participants are accepted, features two overnight retreats and four days of classes and activities. The course kicked off with an opening dinner at the Little Haiti Cultural Center and closed with a dinner at the Kampong, Dr. David Fairchild\u2019s Florida home and gardens in Coconut Grove.<\/p>\n

One off campus visit was to the Chapman Homeless Assistance Center. Here the students learned how this private\/public partnership reintegrated people who were once homeless via a successful job-training program (Chapman Partnership is the private-sector partner of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust).<\/p>\n

Josh Liebman was elected South Miami\u2019s Vice Mayor in February 2012; this is his first elected office. His interest in the program was\u00a0to learn what he didn\u2019t know about the complex world of politics.\u00a0He wanted to learn from Sorenson chiefly because of what he calls her \u201cstellar reputation\u201d while in office. Liebman highly recommends the program to others in office and said that one of its major benefits was the ability to network with other public officials who come from all over South Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlorida\u2019s Sunshine law makes it impossible for me to discuss issues facing our city with other South Miami Commissioners outside of a public meeting. Now, I have a group of people to call on who are essentially in the same boat, but we can mentor and advise each other without breaking the law,\u201d said Liebman.<\/p>\n

Joe Corradino is another civic-minded individual who appreciates the lessons learned at the Good Government Initiative. A City Planner by profession, Corradino operates on both sides of the governmental system. He is the Town Planner for the City of Homestead and he serves on Pinecrest\u2019s Council. Recognizing the fragile nature of political office, Corradino said, \u201cRunning a government is a\u00a0lot about trust; without it you have\u00a0bad government.\u201d<\/p>\n

He encourages people to take advantage of Sorenson\u2019s program. He believes that present and future graduates of the class will raise the quality level for governance across South Florida. And he is certain that the class will help recruit more good people into politics.<\/p>\n

Corradino noted that there are over 30 cities in Miami-Dade County. This means that each time an unincorporated section of the county decides in favor of forming a local government, rather than relying strictly on the county, they are closer to their city or town and have much more immediate access for their needs and concerns.\u00a0 He sees the class as helping to build a cohesive team of knowledgeable people who can best serve those municipalities.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the classes were always interesting. I find that every day\u00a0I use what I learned in the Good Government Initiative,\u201d\u00a0said Corradino.<\/p>\n

Josh Liebman, too, extolled the benefits of the Initiative, \u201cI never missed a class. As far as I am concerned, the program should
\nhave Katy\u2019s name on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sorenson reported that there are some programs similar to the Initiative in other parts of the country and that her model has the potential to be franchised. But in the final analysis, the program boils down to a few truisms: honesty and forthrightness are essential in a good leader, that knowing the rules will help you to correctly follow and apply them, and that in order for the community to understand your decisions, you must learn to effectively communicate your reasons for doing so.<\/p>\n

And if you are considering a run for office, there is a workshop to help you decide if you have the right stuff to wade through the intricacies of land development codes, the patience for the cone of silence, and the steely nerves needed to properly assess a multi-million dollar budget. It is called \u201cThinking About Running?\u201d which is now underway.\u00a0 But chances are there will be another opportunity to take advantage of this offering by the Good Government Initiative. To learn more about this and the Initiative, go to their website: http:\/\/goodgov.net\/<\/p>\n

And if you feel compelled to blame the \u201cgovernment\u201d for what\u2019s wrong with the United States, keep in mind that our system is indeed one that relies on the participation of the people for its success.<\/p>\n

As Katy Sorenson said, \u201cIt\u2019s important for citizens to understand the quality of their elected officials. If you don\u2019t do for government,
\nthen government gets done to you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE\u00a0OF POLITICS All politics is local,\u201d said Speaker of the House Thomas Phillip (\u201cTip\u201d) O\u2019Neill, Jr. His 34-year success as a politician was tied to his ability to understand and influence the issues of his constituents.\u00a0 Rather than rely on lofty ideals about governance, the Speaker knew from experience that by addressing<\/p>\n

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