Steering government in the right Realistic, sensible recommendations offer new hope for democratic process Reinventing Government by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler, Penguin Books Canada Ltd., $14.99 SBORNE AND Gaebler’s Reinven- wu ting Government offers exciting new ideas about the role of govern- ment, how to reform entren- ched and impersonal bureaucracies, and how to involve communities in decision making. Ernie Crist NOW REPORT The authors, after an exhaustive study of new experiments in gov- ernance in a growing number of American communities, have come up with a series of realistic and sensible recommendations in- volving a whole new approach and offering new hope for the demacratic process. The authors are not social reformers or advocates of fun- damental social change. They just wantto make our present eco- nomic'and political system work - better in the interest of the people. “We do not need another New Deal nor another Reagan Revolu- tion,” they explain: ‘We need an American perestroika.”’ , Their recommendations do not deal with the policies of govern- ments, but rather with how -. policies are applied in practice. The book is replete with exam- - ples of how these’ new ideas have been’successfully applied in many American communities — in dealing with crime and the role of the police, affordable housing,.im- proved health care, budget con- siderations, adverse neighborhood development and environmental protection. , __- They start off with the proposi- : tion that the role of government is to steer the boat, not do the row- ing. : Government should lay down policies but, once that is dene, it should encourage the greatest possible initiative in the staff charged with implementing policies, free of interference from above. ae In other words, the government ~ should not be directly involved in the delivery of services — it should “steer, not row. They strongly advocate com- munity involvement and com- munity participation in the deci- | HALLOWEEN | ‘ip Sat. Oct. 30\ 9 pm-lam Eagles Hall - 170 West 3rd St. Music by Cat!!! Door prizes Prizes for the best costumes! Tickets only $5.00 Come for a frightfully good time! Proceeds to Muscular Dystropy sion-making process up to and in- cluding community control. They advocate “institutions that em- power citizens, rather than simply serving them.” Listen to the voice of the con- sumer, they urge, they know what's needed and where changes should be made. They would encourage competi- tion between government depart- ments and between the public and private sectors over who can deliver the best quality of service, most efficiently and at the lowest cost. They hasten to assure their readers that they do not advocate layoffs or lower wages for public employees. Their approach is that, without competition in new ideas and new practices, society withers. They cite hidebound and in- grained bureaucratic practices in their own country as well as the command, top-down practices of the Soviet state as examples of what not to do. They want forms of governance that are flexible and responsive to the big changes taking place in society today. They believe every government THOUGH YOU likely wouldn't want to be caught dead clad in a Picasso, the Wearable Art Fashion Show at Deep Cove's ‘Shaw Theatre, Sunday, Oct. 31 will -be offering items con- siderably more functional than ‘its title might suggest. ; Ten textile artists — most of them graduates of the Capilano College Clay and ..Textile pro- department and public agency should work out a ‘mission statement” in discussions with all concerned, clearly outlining its fundamental purpose and what it should do and what it should stop doing. It would include a method of accountability and performance measurement. They want governments to be consciously “results-oriented’’ with built-in mechanisms to measure performance. “If you don’t measure results,’’ they point out, “you can’t tell success from failure.’ They follow this up with the rec- ommiendation that departments and institutions that develop initia- tives that lead to new and better ways of delivering services should be given monetary rewards. They emphasize that providing incen- tives, which open the gates of creativity, is essential to all human progress. !t is human nature to seek recognition and reward for commendable results and positive changes. Government practices should be “customer-driven,” they stress, and meet public needs, not the inherent need of bureaucracy to gram — have designed all manner. of coats, vests, hats, loungewear and accessories to raise funds for the Seymour Art Gallery, located in the Deep Cove Cultural Centre. The sale begins at 1:30 p.m. with wine and appetizers and runs until 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available by callin 929-5744, : > AT'S SEW EASY ¢ AVOIDING THE MISFIT >. QUICK QUILTING TIDBITS protect its own turf. They would decentralize public bodies through teamwork and participatory management. While they are strong advocates of making government services meet the criteria of the marketp!- ace, they also recognize that the rule of the market can lead to in- equitable outcomes that must be modified by community input and control. Of course, in Canada, we can’t mechanically copy what is being done in the U.S. Their laws, forms of democracy, traditions and culture are different from ours. We direct ion have, for example, different con- ceptions about public schools and public non-profit health-care systems. But we can and should Jearn from positive experiences in the U.S. — if fer no other reason than that the harmonization of our two sucieties required by free-trade agreements will inevitably cause Canada to become more and more integrated with the U.S. This stimulating and thought- provoking book should be studied in all local levels of government. Ernie Crist is a North Vancouver District councillor. Locally Crafted Pine Furniture! & Christmas Gifts Galore: : candlesticks picture frames mirrors key racks. umbrella stands firetools walls and handbells a plenty planters lamp bases CRAFTIN © SEWING SHORTCUTS ° DRESSFORM DETAILS ° SEWING UP HOLIDAY ITTER ° RACING THROUGH INTERFACING AND MANY MORE! Country: pine shelves _ pine CD hoiders Pine peg racks © “pigbookends animal chalkboards terra cotta planters weathervanes .. verdigris candle holders & cow items galore . aa -420 Richards St. “ : 669-8024.