Open Topic: Take a S.W.O.T. at Amsterdam

By request, I’ve created an open topic where anyone may post their own S.W.O.T. analysis of the City of Amsterdam. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the concept of S.W.O.T. by looking at the graphic below. Please try to be as objective as possible. Let’s see what ideas are out there!

Half And Half: Perspective on the Amsterdam Mayoral Election Results

The result of the mayoral election presents supporters of both candidates with a classic “glass half empty/half full” situation. Regardless of which direction the scales tip once all the votes have been counted, and even factoring in speculation as to how many votes Bill Wills took from either candidate, the fact remains that the numbers [...]

Bent Or Broken?

CNN  recently ran a series of articles based on the theme “Why is our government so broken?”.  The articles are generally well balanced and contain some thought provoking ideas. Some of these ideas can also be applied to our local government situation. Here’s a few of the articles that started my wheels turning, if you [...]

Who Needs a Neighborhood Anymore?

The events of the past week have got me thinking a lot about the subject of neighborhood communities.  In the aftermath of the flood, it’s been truly inspiring for me to see neighbors helping neighbors to clean out their flood drenched garages and basements.  What gives me pause to think, however, is how very rarely [...]

What Makes Amsterdam Tick?

I’ve often pondered what really drives the issues that are debated on and fought over in Amsterdam. Some thoughts… Republican vs Democrat – It’s been said that party differences don’t come into play that often in local politics, but on the national level, there is a “big game” being played.  Local party leaders from both [...]