Many people try to speak for Columbia, but no one really does. Columbia needs a spokesperson.

I don't mean someone just to deal with the press and the public. I mean the person who expresses the vision of Columbia, who gives voice to changes that should or shouldn't be made.

Columbia needs a representative in negotiations with General Growth Properties, other developers, the county and the state. Those organizations are represented by full-time paid professionals, we by part-time amateurs. A spokesperson might have enabled us to have vital village centers and kept downtown parcels from being sold off piecemeal without a coherent plan.

When Columbia was a vision in Jim Rouse's head, he was the only possible spokesperson for Columbia. With Rouse's retirement there were others, but over time The Rouse Co. became more focused on making money -- not that there is anything wrong with that -- and finally it sold itself to GGP. General Growth's focus in Columbia is on its own properties. General Growth doesn't speak for Columbia.

Three of the five County Council members represent significant pieces of Columbia, but they also represent many non-Columbians and their focus has to be the county. Our council members can't speak for Columbia.

The Columbia Association board doesn't represent any non-Columbians, but each member represents only a small piece of Columbia. Moreover, the board operates as a legislative body. It can't respond quickly or speak in a single voice.

An unelected CA president shouldn't speak for Columbia. The village boards are focused on village issues and are not organized as a group to represent Columbia.

The Columbia Association could create a spokesperson by establishing a powerful position elected by all Columbians. There could be an empowered and elected president or board chair. Or the residents of Columbia could create an independent institution to represent Columbia.

Or we could remain a company town even after the company leaves.

Stephen Meskin

Town Center

user comments (2)

user milton says...

Columbia has 100,000 citizens with wide and diverse interests. No single person, elected or not, can speak for all of these people with any sort of authority. Anyone who says otherwise is fooling themselves. As a county resident, I can say that Ken Ulman does not speak for me. As a Maryland resident, I can say that Martin O'Malley does not speak for me. As resident of the United States, I can say that George W. Bush does not speak for me. A Columbia spokesperson would be no different.

Posted 1:10 PM, 06.26.08

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user brussell says...

Although I would LOVE to be the spokesperson (and even though I believe I could do a good job), I have to agree with user milton. Having a varied group of "spokespeople" (including our Columbia Council reps, our County Council reps and the CA president, as well as Village Boards, activists, and, of course, a loud and vocal press with solid open letters and blogs. It is also my impression that GGP has been pretty darned good at listening to the voices of the varied spokespeople and caring as much about the city and its people as the "bottom line." Thanks, GGP for caring about the arts, community, and much, much more than your bottom line (although you should not be afraid to talk about your bottom line and its importance). Thanks also to the many other caring voices for participating in this new and exciting era that will ultimately create a "Columbia" that will surely thrive, grow and, yes, change even more.

Posted 2:59 PM, 06.27.08

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