Simple Rules Still Apply
Rick Outzen
Newspaper Publisher, Investigative reporter, Creator of Rick's Blog, author of Walker Holmes books, and podcaster.
For this week's issue, I interviewed Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry. Only 39, Barry talked candidly about his approach to the Board of County Commissioners and what he has learned in first two years on the board.
He uses many of the principles that Robert Fulghum wrote about his popular book, "All I Ever Needed to Learn in Life I Learned in Kindergarten."
Barry said those basic principles are: “Is it fair? Be nice. Do what you say you’re going to do. Treat people as you would want to be treated. Don’t interrupt.”
Imagine how much better all government would be if all elected officials used those five principles and how much more would get done.
Barry will become the new chairman of the BCC on Tuesday, November 18. He will follow in the footsteps of another rookie politician, Lumon May. His approach will be very similar to how Commissioner May did the job.
“My goal is to have every citizen that comes to a meeting leave with an impression of a board that cares about them and wants to do the best that we possibly can for them,” he said. “Whether the vote went the way that they had hoped or not, I hope that they leave feeling like they were heard and understood, and their thoughts and their concerns were genuinely vetted by us.”
I look forward to the next year of Escambia County government.
Read "The Education of Steven Barry."
Registered Nurse & Educator
10 年Great post spotlighting Steven Barry. He sounds like a geniune person that is unafraid to show a softer side. What a remarkable attirude for a public servant.