Principled Government.
By Jim Conley • Dec 26th, 2006 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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Here’s a point worth making. Many pixels on this site have been given over to the incompetence of Brookline Town Government. But the incompetence of which I speak is a preference for political expediency over well-reasoned policy. That rests with those operating from the sixth floor of Brookline Town Hall…and the pursuit of self-interest by many in elected positions.
All too often those who raise issues of competence are branded as anti-government, or of a view that government is inherently incompetent (offered mostly from the Radical Right). I don’t share that view. I see government as a forceful instrument for change, particularly in matters of economic justice.
It is through government that we have virtually eliminated extreme poverty in this country, though there’s still a lot of work to do in addressing relative poverty. It’s through the institutions of government that Civil Rights are advanced and equal opportunity is provided (though again, more work needs to be done).
It’s because I believe that a government ought to be responsive to the needs of those who have difficulty standing on their own that I lash out at the current system (and the posers who label themselves Progressives). A principled and competent government would attend less to the needs of the wealthy and focus its considerable resources on those who might achieve gains with the right amount of help.
All of this can be done within the means given by taxpayers. The corruption of modern government is the redistribution of wealth from those on the margin to the top 1% of earners. That’s why, as a matter of principle, all attempts to increase taxes ought to be resisted…the same goal can be achieved through a fair distribution of the burden.
Those with deep pockets have no trouble making their voices heard, as is evident with the fundraising in support of the Patrick inauguration. I still don’t get how you can be all “Together We Can” and then cash $50,000 checks from corporations that have an interest in (preventing) housing, health care and tax reform.
A competent government is more than a slogan. It’s a system guided by a few defining principles. And reaching out to big money signals a pursuit of the least virtuous principle of all.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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Transparency is critical to a well run open and democratic government. Here in Brookline, at the local level, the open meeting and public records laws provide for transparency, provided that these laws are complied with by Town officials and enforced by the appropriate agencies (Norfolk DA and Secretary of State). In addition to complying with the letter of these laws, there is compliance with their spirit which seems to be lacking in Brookline, as elected and appointed officials play it close to the vest. In a few weeks some Brookline employees can expect to received a description of the Town’s recently adopted “Anti-Retaliation Policy” under a statute that has been in place 13 years. This statute and the Policy are part of the transparency that should permit residents to know what is going on in Town with its boards and agencies. This statute and Policy not only provide protection to Town employees but should provide a benefit to residents when a conscientious Town employee blows the whistle on certain bad actions by a Town superior. Unfortunately, the statute is not that broad on bad actions permitting whistleblowing. This is where the spirit of these laws comes into play: we should expect our elected and appointed officials to be transparent in matters that come before them in their officials capacities - no secret understandings, cards on the table for all to see. The statute on whistleblowing requires the Town to adopt a policy. It took the Selectmen 13 years to do so. Why? Perhaps during this long period without such a policy some Town employees bit their tongues; some may have quit; some may have been fired. 13 years! The Selectmen knew of the statute and its requirements. But the Selectmen failed during that time to provide to conscientious Town employees the protections and benefits of the statute. And residents lost out as well. What do the Selectmen have as an excuse for this failure of 13 years? By the way, the enactment of the policy finally came about only because of a public records request.