Which cabinet minister would you vote onto your building’s tenants’ committee?

Which of our cabinet ministers would you choose to be a member of your building’s residents’ committee? The question isn’t meant to belittle the committees — I’m a member myself. For readers who live in private houses or in large towers with full (and invisible) management services, and might not be fully familiar with the concept, let me explain. The issues that occupy the tenants’ committee may seem trivial — lighting, parking, checking the roof’s condition ahead of the rains– yet they demand time and effort to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Otherwise, life becomes unbearable. It takes some know-how, awareness of one’s limits, and willingness to seek advice and to act accordingly.

We see ourselves as public servants, albeit on a miniature scale, and take seriously the responsibility entrusted to us by our neighbors. They put a portion of their money in our hands, and we must safeguard their well-being. If we misuse the budget, neglect matters like stairwell cleaning, or make decisions that favor ourselves or close friends rather than everyone, we’ll soon find ourselves voted out, and rightly so. In turn, residents must pay their dues on time so that the committee — and the building– can function. Reciprocity, fairness, and efficiency: that is how any system ought to operate.

Ought to, yes, but that is not always the case. Consider another system encountered by every citizen — young and old, rich and poor, Jew and Arab: The Government of Israel. The citizen dutifully pays multiple taxes, and what is the benefit? Shall we review, ministry by ministry, what value the taxpayer receives in return?

Transportation is the easiest place to start, because its failure is visible, as we sit and wait in traffic. For the record, the full name of that office is the “Ministry of Transport and Road Safety.” The Hebrew root b‑t‑ch (related to “security” or “safety”) appears in the names of five ministries: besides Transport and Defense, we have Agriculture and Food Security, National Security, and Welfare and Social Security. Add to those the Ministry of Environmental Protection and a ministry that focuses on National Resilience, and we have clearly never been safer, more protected, or more secure.

Shall we move on to Education? Where would we even begin? Classroom overcrowding, teachers leaving the profession, the brain drain? Or perhaps personal security? Maybe social equality? Israel-Diaspora relations could warrant an entire article, as could the cost of living. And let’s not forget the twin ministries, Heritage and Tradition.

Which of the ministers heading these offices can truly point to a project undertaken for the public good and not for headlines, coalition partners, or party loyalists? Personally, when neighbors compliment our building’s modest landscaping, I am as proud as if I had planted every shrub myself. And to our credit, the residents are grateful — we made the elevator of our small building accessible, a project carried out by our small management company.

Government ministers also have “management companies.” Theirs are large and well-funded — entire ministries are at their command. So, what achievements for the common good can they boast of? What has actually improved since each took office, with chauffeur, staff, and prestige? Based on their performance, would you trust any of them with your monthly building fees? Be honest, which of them would you elect to serve on your residents’ committee?