Archive: Opinions

I think about clarity a lot.  In the rush of weekly deadlines I probably don't actually achieve it, but I do think about it.  Lately I have been thinking about it in the sense that it will be the key to the success or failure of the Lansing sewer project.  If some kind of 'Sewer For Dummies' document or graphic can show people that the benefits are worth the cost we'll probably have a sewer in South Lansing in the next couple of years.

But it's going to have to be something people can look at and instantly 'get it'.  Even if it is convincing, if it's not intuitively accessible it's not going to work.  It has to spark an 'aha! moment'.  Aha!  This thing is going to save money AND make life better!  Yay sewer!

The trap is that government people think in terms of government speak.  Engineers are all about the details.  Anybody who tries to explain something they know or care about is likely to spout too much information.  It's very hard to get an idea like 'the sewer will benefit me in reduced taxes and many other ways' across clearly.

I don't know if it's Facebook, texting, or what, but people today want to look at an 'infographic' and instantly understand complex issues.  The Town of Lansing is going to have to provide an infographic to win the sewer vote.  Sure, they are also going to have to produce endless pages of information, technical data, statistics, and everything else.

But if I look at a chart or graphic of some kind and see that my $50 of tier two sewer payment is offset by $50 or more of school tax savings, gas savings, whatever savings... I'm going to vote yes for sewer, because I am all about the intangible benefits that don't directly impact my wallet.  Like a small village-like walking place where I can buy groceries, or hike a trail, or just enjoy an attractive small community area.

Otherwise I'm going to think about how high our taxes are in New York and wonder whether I can afford to add even $50 to that way-too-big check I keep having to write every year.

Just over a week ago Lansing School Business Administrator Mary June King gave a presentation to about 50 people that showed how school taxes will be impacted if the power plant goes under, and we don't have sewer.  And the impact on taxes if we do have sewer.  Some people who may have been against sewer or on the fence left thinking that sewer would be beneficial.  That was a good presentation.  It laid out the consequences of the different paths.  Clearly.

I have used this example before: years ago Subway had a loyalty card made of paper.  Every time you bought a sandwich they would punch a hole along an edge of the card.  When you had enough holes you got a new sandwich.  It wasn't pretty, but you could look at it and instantly see how close to a free sandwich you were.

Their current program uses attractive plastic cards with a magnetic stripe that records the number of sandwiches you have bought.  But when you look at it all you see is an attractive plastic card.  You need to have a Subway employee swipe the card in a reader device and tell you how close you are to a free sandwich.

Which one is better?  The old card was uglier, but functional.  The purpose is to encourage you to buy more sandwiches, and as you got closer to your free sandwich, who knows?  Maybe you had a Subway sandwich for lunch more often because you could see how close you were.

The new card is pretty, but the reason for having it is clear as mud.  You have no idea how close you are to your reward.  It doesn't motivate me to eat there more often.  In fact I got so frustrated that I took it out of my wallet.  One free sandwich isn't worth the hassle.

The Town is currently working on a clear explanation of sewer benefits.  It's going to have to make them obvious at a glance if sewer is to pass.  It's going to show me how close to a free sandwich I am, in this case in how many years the benefits will match the cost, and when the benefits will exceed it.

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