What are those principles? There are four I always go back to;
• The obvious
• Integrity (and ethics)
• Common Sense
• Transparency
Like tying your shoe, good government is easy. The problem is partisan hacks and people with ‘ideals’ often want to wreck a good thing. Nothing ever comes from new ideas about how people are governed. What do I mean by that? I often tell people that the toaster has never really been re-invented since it’s inception. Why? Because it works. Why mess up a good thing? Philosophers, including my favorite, Plato has laid a road map that works. Anytime we sway from that map, it turns out badly.
So let’s review’
• The obvious. Like a toaster, if something works, and works well, why change it? If history teaches us something that is effective, let’s keep doing it until it is not.
• Integrity. Having a moral compass that says helping yourself really means helping others in an honest method can only result in trust. Unethical people are not trusted. To that I say ‘duh’.
• Common Sense. Some call this No nonsense, but it really doesn’t matter how you frame it. If a commonly held idea works, run with it. There is no reason to change something based on simply wanting change. If something works, you roll with it. I have been mostly going to the same barber for almost 20 years. Why? Because she cuts my hair the I want her to.
• Transparency. And while I leave this as my last point, it is the most important. Nothing for the common good can happen in darkness. Mark Twain says it best;
“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.â€
Giving truthful information to the public in a timely manner will never bite you in the ass. You can always say later, ‘I told you so.’
I know I am wishful thinking right now that our elected officials will do the right thing, but they won’t unless they apply simple rules. Now excuse me while I enjoy some peanut butter and toast.
The sewage issues in Sioux Falls, the flooding at Dakota Dunes, the ’13 ice storm, massive rain falls, flooding, three tornadoes in a town in one night, and now the virus. With all of this, it will be interesting to see how these events will impact the interest of individuals to become political leaders in the future in our city and state.
Former mayor, Mike Huether, mentioned in his last appearance before Democratic Forum, that weather was the new challenge for mayors. I am not sure if there is a link between the current virus and global warming other than it might postpone the worst of the warming, but it appears that our politics are changing, the challenges for our political leaders are changing, and as a result, I wonder if such changes will impact the willingness of many to enter into politics in the future?
Many are also now contemplating how this virus will change us individually. What the new normal will look like. One of the things that could come from this current crisis is both a deficit in political leadership interest, but also the potential for a greater maturity among those who do choose politics as a career in the future. It is this latter possibility, which I think is a possible plus or outcome of this current tragic crisis. We can only hope.
I say this, because our current leadership in this state seems bothered, frustrated, and scared. They often have a look like a deer in front of a MAC truck, when talking about the virus at news conferences. But this a quality that I do not see in other political leaders in this country, like Andrew Cuomo. And why is it? I think this discrepancy in leadership, or quality of leadership, comes from the seriousness that different political leaders take from their jobs. Cuomo comes from a family of leadership. Like his father, Mario, Andrew is demonstrating a confidence and a calmness in his approach to government, which are qualities of those political leaders who understand their job, its responsibilities, capabilities, and the duties of government, especially in a time like this. These qualities, however, seem to be lacking with our current South Dakota leaders at this time.
What we need now are leaders who do not use the word “heated,” or spend their time in a basement telling school kids that there are a 100 senators, and governors who do not immediately recognize that confined work environments, with 80 languages in use, are a breeding ground for a virus. But then again, this is the type of leadership you get when you vote in height, good looks, savy social media gurus, and brand names to political office.
However, I am afraid that these qualities are no match for a pandemic, for a virus, and let us hope the one great and good by-product of this current pandemic is the ushering in of a whole new form of political leadership, which is competent, proactive, and never says, that they “didn’t sign up for this”.
I make my toast in a fry pan – pre-buttered. Woks great – gets the pan ready for the eggs. I never have a toaster full of year-old crumbs for cockroaches to munch on. Just sayin’.
Using my memory for a moment. In yesterday’s press event the Governor said:
1) There are 2-3 other virus hot spots but refused to reveal them. Apparently you need to have 80 people ill before it becomes worthy of mention.
2) She had not talked to the Union (UFCW 304A) at Smithfield. Corporate leaders know best. Heck they got us here didn’t they?
3) She blamed the press for not telling the “whole story” but could not explain what the Press left out. Or what they had reported that was inaccurate. Good old “Beat the Press” Washington DC’s favorites solution.
4) When it was pointed out that people in her Administration would not respond to inquiries she seemed unaware though my sources tell me they are under a gag order.
Leaders now are doing what they can. It’s leadership by default. Gone are the days of snuggling up to a developer. Gone are the days of pushing something through because of a political contribution. The economy stopped. There’s no budget from sales tax revenue. People are unemployed. It will compound. There will be crime without enforcement. Elections are stalled. You’re stuck in office. We need someone to blame. It’s the politicians and oligarchs. I wouldn’t sign on for it.