My Coffee with the Mayor

This morning I had coffee with the mayor of Salinas -- and he was buying. I am just a regular person who likes to talk about local issues, so imagine my delight to have nearly-exclusive time with the mayor to discuss the issues, challenges, and future prospects of the City of Salinas. Once a month, Mayor Dennis Donohue sets aside an hour of his time for "Meet the Mayor Coffee" to talk informally with constituents.

Although I live in Seaside, I know that there are not very many chances to have such direct contact with elected officials, so I made the trip to Salinas to check it out. When I walked in to the coffee shop, Mr. Donohue was seated casually speaking with the only other person who showed up for Meet the Mayor Coffee. He greeted me heartily and offered me coffee cakes and drinks. "You can't beat the price" he joked.

We spoke about issues small and large, from the inconvenience of temporarily dismantling a bus stop for construction purposes, to the rather highly contested issue of a possible Wal-Mart in Salinas. The mayor was thoughtful and articulate as he responded to our comments, and often he spoke of the importance of focusing on the city's long-term interests. Although he said he likes to be pragmatic, he also expressed his interest in dealing with tough issues by having open, healthy debate and addressing multiple interests through compromise. It had seemed to me that he has a pretty good approach to governance.

When I mentioned one of my topics of interest, sustainability, he lamented that whenever he mentions environmental issues, it is assumed (by some) that he is somehow rigidly environmentalist or anti-business. He doesn't like that, and you know what, neither do I! This is something that I can relate with. I think that protecting our environment and ensuring our planet's future is a cause that has been callously demonized, and I don't understand why. Hopefully our society will discard this stigma so that we can focus on the best way forward instead of twisting the issue for political gain. I expressed to Mr. Donohue my sympathy and understanding. We continued on chatting about other things.

There are not many chances to have such an open discussion with one's government, so I am pretty impressed that the mayor takes the time for his constituents with his Meet the Mayor Coffee. County Supervisor Jane Parker does an even more impressive feat with once a week Sunday meetings -- her Board Agenda Review With Jane Parker. Keep your eyes open for the next one -- you can get information and sign up at http://montereycountydemocrats.org/event.