Letter: Restoring Civics and Civility

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A first step in recovery from politics of outrage is to agree we got here together. Whether overt or passive aggressive, we all contributed to the mess we’re in.

We can’t control what happens in Sacramento or Washington, but starting bottom up, we can do better in our town.

Politics of outrage thrive when people believe they are 100 percent right, and anyone who disagrees is 100 percent wrong.

Recently, I concurred with a young friend’s explanation of all that outraged him. But when I tried to help him understand there also was some merit in opinions different than our own, he was unable to give one inch to the enemy.

To begin reversing this abject blinding outrage, we need to restore ownership that the city council and school board are us. These non-partisan bodies represent the community in the local civic governance process.

Under state law, the elected leaders exercise full legislative and executive powers. The city manager and school superintendent exercise delegated powers for which elected officials retain full authority. Staff does not exercise independent, much less co-equal powers.

We pay public employees to serve with professional skill and merit-based judgment. City staff does not provide political leadership, and senior educators provide academic leadership but do not govern.

Relations between public employees and elected leaders is about accountability with fairness, respect, appreciation and shared purpose, not politicized institutional co-dependence.

Restoring civics and civility is not about splitting the difference or trade-offs. A wrong that is set off by a right does not make a right. Only two rights make a right. Reward success, but don’t hide failure, and make it safe to admit and fix mistakes.

The more robust the debate, the more elected leaders need to master the merits on both sides, and persuade a working majority a preponderance of greater good lies in one course of action over another.

“Unity” is only sustainable when all goes well. Real teamwork is when harmony can be sustained even when it’s going wrong.

Tolerance, fairness and decency not just when it’s going your way, but also in the face of adversity. That requires a “deep bench” with diversity of skills, talents, and strengths that offset weaknesses.

In local governance, it takes civic literacy and confidence to act collectively or individually on the merits. My hope is we exploit every opportunity in 2020 to make local governance less about the politics of outrage suffocating our state and nation.

 

Howard Hills, Laguna Beach

 

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1 COMMENT

  1. Thank you Mr. Hill. I appreciate you bringing attention to the importance and need for a return to civility in our town. I’ll add another critical need; our local officials and city manager must work on transparency. It’s been an ongoing problem for decades but particularly now when so many serious changes are being proposed for our city. If they don’t, they will continue to not be trusted and thus be second guessed by residents and their actions heavily monitored.

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