Caution: You Get the Government You Vote For
The filing period for candidates running for public
office is approaching, and it’s time to take a look at some people with overt
or latent political aspirations. That’s what I did at the Cheyenne City Council
first reading of PlanCheyenne, paying attention to the governing attitudes of
the people who came to comment.
What kind of informed discussion and deliberation could
we expect from them and the candidates who would represent them, I wondered,
because I expect members of this group will be on our ballot come August and perhaps
November.
I deduced following attitudes of governance from the folks
I watched during that PlanCheyenne public comment period:
1. It’s
my way or the highway.
2. If
you disagree with me, shut up.
3. If
you contradict me, shut up. If you point out a contradiction in my position,
shut up.
4. If
we show up to meetings in greater numbers than others do, we win. If I ask for
a show of hands in the room during that meeting, and it favors my position, I
win.
5. We
show disagreement to comments with audible scorn – grunts and sneers, mostly.
6. We
use name-calling, epithets and ridicule in the place of discussion and strength
of argument.
7. If
we are loud and insistent, the decision must go our way.
8. If
I pay taxes, I get to control decisions.
9. If
my copy of the Wyoming State Constitution is well-worn, my position is superior.
10. We
misrepresent your position (a straw dog) and then proceed to ridicule and disprove
it, to the sneers of our members.
11. The
world revolves around me and what I want. I don’t have to discuss short- or
long-term consequences. Give me simple. Don’t give me complex.
12. We believe that removal of
regulation will yield an ideal world -- for ourselves and our posterity -- that
has jobs for our kids but doesn't attract businesses with infrastructure and
amenities.
13. If I don’t need some thing, then
there is no need for that thing.
The man sitting next to me illustrated some of these
traits in one exchange:
“A bunch of Nazis!”
“Nazis? Conducting a public
hearing?” (You know how Adolph Hitler opened up his policies to public
comment.)
“You must be a Democrat!” (He
spat out that last word.)
“I am a registered Independent.”
“Shut up.”
By contrast, consider the attitude and behavior of
another kind of public official who, I suggest, is a better choice for good
governance:
1. I
listen to table-thumping individuals, but I don’t let the loud comment weigh
more than others.
2. I
do my homework instead of reacting to simplistic slogans and “bogeymen.”
3. I
try to appreciate complexities of problems and different viewpoints and
interests, in order to find solutions. I understand that some solutions require
balancing competing interests and compromises.
4. I consider the input of people who show up to
meetings, as well as those who don’t.
5. After
I listen to everyone and do my homework, I base my vote on what I think is
best, and I can explain my vote to the public. I don’t take direction from an individual
or group. I am not controlled by ideology.
6. If
I disagree with a fellow official or member of the public, I disagree civilly
and with respect.
7. I
understand that some regulation is necessary to ensure rights and
responsibilities, but I am careful to consider the negative consequences of
over-regulation.
8. I
try to consider the welfare of the whole community, for people who live here
now and who will live here in the future.
9. I
am a public servant, which means I am not in this office for grandstanding and
self-aggrandizement. I approach my job with humility and true interest in
understanding the concerns of others. I know I don’t have all the answers, but
I will do my best.
Your critique of PlanCheyenne is a separate issue. The
question I raise is what kind of person you want in elected office and what
kind of government do you want? Because you will get the government that you
elect. Be informed - and then vote.
