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Compromise is NOT a dirty word
Contributed by: David Wiechman on 11/1/2007

I must respectfully take exception with Mr. Ferega's recent analysis of political decision-making styles. While I concede compromises don't always win popularity contests, I contend a properly crafted compromise is the best way to come up with solutions that work. Real compromise is far more than just splitting the difference. It involving incorporating the best ideas from each side and melding them together into a conherent third option.

Mr. Ferega referred to my suggestion a couple years ago for a tax proposal (somewhere between a half cent and a full cent) that was based upon raising the revenue we actually needed to provide city services rather than simply rounding up to a full cent. Since we didn't try a compromise proposal we will never know how well it would have worked.

However, we do have many examples of where compromises did work well. Mr. Ferega mentioned the first project we worked on together - Union Square. The city originally proposed allowing the construction of 400 apartments on the little remaining open space in that neighborhood. After months of hard negotiations we came up with a compromise that stopped all further apartments and provided for three city parks in the neighborhood in return for the residents' acceptance of an office building (Dept of Veterans Affaris) at 2nd and Van Gordon.

Another good compromise was the way Green Mountain Water was able to support the proposed developments in Rooney Valley and the Denver Federal Center. In return for having the developers fund the upfront costs of building the infrastructure the developments will need to get started, Green Mountain Water will later reimburse their costs through future "rebates".

Finally, a compromise on the Rooney Valley land exchange could have yielded a far better outcome than the results we ended up with. If we had exchanged 17 acres of city land to Carma for their 22 acres connecting the two parks (Green Mountain and Bear Creek Lake), it would have clear to the voters that a trade would be in the best interests of the people. Since the city would be getting more land than it was giving, we could have avoided the disagreements over land value and saved the quarter million dollars spend on a special election.

While it is easy to "listen" to all sides and then choose a side, it takes real intestinal fortitude (COMBINDED WITH WISDOM) to work with all parties to devise a compromise that combines all the good elements into the best solution.


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Submitted By: Shawn Hannick
posted on 11/1/2007 @ 12:51:38 PM
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there is no compromising in open space parkland when a man has a wish for hi land to be a park then let be a park or do you even know what that word 'parkland' means
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Submitted By: Colfax Cruiser
posted on 11/1/2007 @ 11:25:54 AM
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Thanks Dave - I enjoy your reports (even up in Ward 1)! Good story, re compromise with wisdom. The results should be not just "growth" - but "quality growth"! I'm relatively new to Lakewood (from the foothills). It's true - Lakewood is great! - but I'd like to learn about what is (or can be) done re quality growth. Blight, condemned properties, and the like. Just thinking: Cherry Hills Village (also something of an "inner ring" suburb) does a pretty good job of keeping all those influences out. Funny how Colorado Blvd just ends right there at 285 - maybe we can do the same to Colfax at Sheridan?! Maybe we can compromise with neighboring communities - trade some of our Payday Loans and pawnshops for something a bit more upscale? Keep up the good work!
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Submitted By: Kaleb Young
posted on 11/1/2007 @ 10:47:09 AM
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Mr. Koller- With respect to both parties, I don't think that there has been any bad mouthing, just open dialogue?
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Submitted By: Paul Koller
posted on 11/1/2007 @ 10:23:15 AM
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Dave -- Yes, compromise is usually the best solution. It works at the micro level, as in the relationship between two individuals, and it also works at the macro level, as in two political parties running a whole country. It also appears to serve as an issue to badmouth someone.
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Submitted By: Shawn Hannick
posted on 11/1/2007 @ 10:16:49 AM
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Mr.wiechman there was a man who was dying and all he wanted was that his land was to remain an open space park, I guests you dont know what "OPEN SPACE PARK" means
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Showing 1-5 of 5 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

David Wiechman

Lakewood , CO

David Wiechman has posted 31 stories and 14 comments since joining on 9/16/2005. David Wiechman 's average story rating is 4.34.
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