It’s unfortunate that Mr. Fox’s political education runs about as deep as the pixels on this screen; that he feels a need to distinguish local issues of public policy with state and national issues. Why? We will never know.

Fox recites the basic tenets of each party’s ideology, but does he know WHY the Republicans are for limited government? Or WHY the Democrats want free health care? I have to assume that he does not. He only sees Republicans and Democrats opposing each other simply because they are registered opponents.

Or maybe he is one of those political opportunists who came up with the partisan-politics-has-no-place-in-municipal-elections idea and decided to run with it. As a slogan, it may be novel, but does he really believe that party ideology has no place in local elections?

So partisanship has a place in state and national affairs, but when we serve on the City Council or as Mayor, we must shed our party affiliation in favor of what is best for the residents and businesses of Annapolis. What do we use as a guide? If not ideology, then what? Perhaps an eye for the bottom line? Moral values? Whose morals? Personal interests and patronage are probably the only true bipartisan approaches to governance.

So where does Mr. Cox stand when it does come to affairs of state? It’s ok. Pretend you are running for Governor instead of Mayor.

Mike Netherland’s last blog post..How Do You Do Efficiency?