This is a great oversight focus for the Council of Elders, and simultaneously a responsibility of all of us. As mayor, I will be the most active listening in the community. It’s important we develop a culture of full transparency and accountability as quickly and as adaptively as possible.
One example of my commitment to listening is the pledge to conduct a Listening Tour for the first 90- 180+ days of being mayor, spending 6 days of every week, 6-8 hours per day, listening to people in locations all across the city. This is to establish a deep connection with the community and embody the art of service through listening. This, to me, is a re-prioritization of the mayor’s duties.
The result of this new culture of listening, in conjunction with more efficient and innovative engagement software, will result in a more accountable culture overall. The more I know about something, which happens by sitting and listening with people, the quicker we can address it. We should treat this like an opportunity to always have a mayor who will champion the every-day person, the voiceless locals who deserve their power to be recognized. All people are of sacred authority as a Being on Earth. All people deserve the maximum respect. Every life is a magical miracle.
The more we look out for each other, the more we can avoid risk. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. We are who we are because of each other. We are united in our shared experience.