Editorials

2008 TPA Better Newspaper Contest

First Place D10

Overton Press

A horse needs water, it also needs to think: advice for leaders

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him ask, "Hey, what's IN this water?! Should I be drinking this stuff? And why exactly are you leading me to this anyway: What's in it for you? Or better yet, what's in it for the horses I represent?"

Someone has to say it: the governing body of a county, school, city or even a church congregation is not required to take action simply because an item is listed on the meeting agenda.

All too often, few — if any — questions are asked before an agenda item is approved. One need not be an expert on parliamentary procedure in order to ask a question at a meeting. It seems, though, questioning minds are in somewhat short supply.

Why else would our nation be saddled with a huge deficit, a border control problem, the failure of Social Security to adequately care for our elderly or infirm, and all amid a huge tax burden for the working middle class?

Granted, those national challenges require more than just an inquiring mind; they necessitate both political parties working together for the good of the entire country. Ironically, that team philosophy in such short supply on the national stage can sometimes be a drawback in small towns.

In order to get along, some representatives on the local level go along even if they privately do not agree or do not understand what it is they are approving.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the way to effect positive, constructive change is not to keep doing things the way they've always been done. Asking questions does not make one a troublemaker; it simply aids in that person's — and sometimes the entire group's — edification.

After reading about it in The Press last week, someone commented that an involved discussion during a West Rusk school board meeting made him believe "they're in trouble." Actually, the reverse is probably true: because leadership has made some s mistakes — mainly whom they've hired and trusted to capably lead and supervises — trustees now question more than ever before.

They have learned this is a good thing. A profitable discussion does not necessarily include all "sound bite" material. If it does, perhaps it is staged or has been discussed prior to the meeting, which could constitute a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

We can disagree without being disagreeable, but if no one asks a question or makes a comment nothing changes and everyone loses... Except the incumbent who is probably re-elected for "not making waves."

Changing the way business is done is not necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, sometimes folks want to appear as if they are doing something (job security, you know), so they make changes willy-nilly or they tweak a few programs or services and take credit for it.

What would be a credit to leaders — local, state and national — is a questioning nature, a watch dog demeanor if you will. Yes, the press has a duty to serve as a watch dog, but media cannot vote during a meeting. Really, we should not even ask a question during most meetings, but someone has to.

In more than 15 years of covering meetings, one of the best questions we heard a newly-elected school trustee ask: "How will this affect the kids or the teachers?" This may be modified to specify "our residents" or "our employees.”

If a church member, alderman, or school trustee does not believe he has sufficient information at the meeting, a motion to table the item may be made. This option should not be misused, but it often goes unused. And that's a shame.

We teach our children there are no dumb questions, yet we occasionally hesitate to ask because we fear appearing ignorant. To borrow and adapt that famous quotation it is better to be thought a fool than to vote something and remove all doubt.