The grass is always greener...

...on the other side of the fence. Well, not really.  I had a visit recently from Chip Cooper, who writes an occasional column for the Columbia (Missouri) Tribune. His observations about the trials and tribulations of his local police department are contrasted with Lincoln, in this article which ran over the weekend.

I can't imagine a place where it would be better to be the public safety director than here. Good employees, good community support, good civic culture, all combine to make Lincoln a pretty nice place if you are a firefighter, police officer, dispatcher, or a member of the support staff at our public safety agencies. Sometimes we don't stop to think about how good we actually have it.  

I've always said that a city gets the kind of municipal services it deserves: if you expect excellence, and do the kinds of things necessary to achieve it, that's exactly what you end up with. If the expectations and the support are mediocre, you shouldn't be surprised with the results.