In a representative democracy, we primarily accomplish that through our elected officials, but the city council will also have a citizen advisory committee giving input on economic development funds. We need to ask our representatives where the half-cent nick on our purchases is going and what has been the result. Equal standing Recruiting and keeping companies is a tough league to play in these days. So is demanding that we get a good return on any investment we decide to make in bringing those businesses here or keeping them after they have arrived. But none of that happens if we continually have to fold when others our size and situation have more money to play with.
Nobody is interested in giving away the store.
Let's just see if we can stay in the game long enough to get better cards, though. Being safe is implicit in the social contract. But catching bad guys requires more technology and science than it did when I was pushing over outhouses. That costs money. Expanding our abilities for leisure and play may not generate the drama or glamour that crime or economics will, but parks and rec need to be an equal partner when it comes to who gets the moola after the cash registers close.