Americans are obsessed with insurance. We carry policies for
health, home, automobiles and disabilities. We purchase life
insurance and credit card insurance. But have you ever heard of
insurance to protect democracy?
Every time you vote for an elected official you are casting a
vote for democracy. Every time you study the candidates, their
voting records and manner of conducting business with the public
you are paying a premium on your democracy insurance. If we happen
to vote in someone who prefers to have meetings behind closed
doors, overlooks government statutes about freedom of information
or claims stupidity and violates open meetings law, then, as
Americans, we will pay high premiums for our neglect.
Have you ever let your car insurance policy lapse, been in an
accident and had to pay for the consequences?
We might be a country obsessed with “what ifs.” We might be
spending a large percentage of our incomes to protect ourselves
from some “what if” catastrophes, but we do so because all of us
have at one time or another had one of those “what if”
experiences.
Rarely do Americans think about “what if” we were no longer a
democracy. We take our coveted form of government for granted, and
one way we do so is to not pay attention to the practices of our
officials.
No politician would ever deny the importance of open government
in principle. But does your candidate support open government in
practice? How many of our local school board members challenge
their colleagues who try to conduct public business behind closed
doors? Do your elected officials embrace openness and err on the
side of disclosure or do they put up road blocks to public access
of information?
The Elbert Board of County Commissioners and the Elizabeth Board
of Trustees tape their meetings and record minutes. While it is
always better to be at a meeting in person to observe the body
language and subtle nuances of board members, these are excellent
ways to get your hands on public information. Do these and other
local boards also take notes during executive sessions, not for
public use, but for scrutiny of a judge, if the need arises? Do
local boards abuse and overuse executive sessions? Such things are
very hard to know until after-the-fact.
We know that the Elizabeth C-1 School Board did not take notes
in executive sessions during the term of superintendent Bruce
Bartlett. By not doing so they effectively let the democracy
insurance policy lapse for all taxpayers and employees. Had they
followed state statute and taken notes, the end results of Bruce
Bartlett’s trial might have been very different. He might not be
facing prison or the practices and words of the school board might
have been found to be above reproach. As it is, neither is the
case.
In the next few weeks, Americans will be paying their premiums
to ensure democracy. Just as you would “shop around” for the best
deal on auto and home insurance, compare the value the candidates
place on freedom of speech, freedom of information and the freedom
to know how public business is being conducted.
When the threat of terrorism, unemployment, rising health care
costs, high taxes, a failing Social Security System, bad roads,
poor services and more play an important part in your choice of
candidates, keep in mind that if those candidates do not support
the fundamental principles of democracy, no insurance policy in the
world can replace what we will have lost.