Aptissimi

Governments are at a philosophical cross-roads. The cynical politician withholds those services that taxpayers expect; police and fire, road maintenance, and basic administration whilst lavishing upon the preferred.

The city's leaders are facing tough and unpopular choices - return government to core functions and stop the free ride ... or ... Most are just performing accounting tricks and kicking the can down the road. The problems get worse. More reaction. Then worse again.

The man who handed me an application to join police service over a decade ago had a dream of assembling the very best he could find, the Aptissimi, and enabling them to dream big, to dare, to challenge convention, and to succeed in building an amazing enterprise. He knew, as others like Henry Ford have known, that you don't have to know everything or be the best yourself. He wanted to surround himself with those kinds of people - the Aptissimi. Bring them together, enable them with the best tools, and get out of the way so that they could succeed. Their success became the enterprise's success - and the City's success.

Many around the country attempted the same experiment. Together, in groups like LEVA, NATIA, the IAI, and the SWGs, we dreamed and dared and came up with some amazingly innovative solutions to very complex problems. Refusing no one of talent, privateers joined the cause.

At the very time in history where the National Academy is demanding scientific standards and practices, and Senator Leahy attempts to put teeth to their recommendations, governments big and small are allowing expediency to dictate, for good or ill - mostly ill. Budgets are being cut. Aptissimi are being let go, or repurposed to other less suitable tasks. The politician says to the Aptissimi, your services are no longer needed. Yet the courts demand that standards be maintained.

Winston Churchill said, "a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." It is my hope that the Aptissimi remain optimistic and engaged. The work still needs to be done.

Who will assist the Trier of Fact? Those with the training and experience to know the difference between truth and fact, the difference between what you know in your heart to be true and what you can prove. Proof requires facts. Proof requires valid processes. Validity and expediency don't always play well together.

So chin up. Soldier on. Let's help each other get through this rough patch. If you need me, I'll be here.

Enjoy.