Sunshine and the perils of leadership

In the May 16 Gazette story regarding the latest developments in our Sports Complex saga, I was stopped short by the words, “The project was initially shrouded in secrecy….” The article centered around an effort by City Manager Nate Schneider to dispel misconceptions regarding the project. His statement was candid, factual, and appreciated. I have not had the exposure to City Council happenings in recent years as I did when the 2001 EPA arsenic rule led us to our last memorable land purchase, so clarification from a reliable source was welcomed.

Despite all the excellent information provided, I found myself returning to the phrase “shrouded in secrecy.” As much as I try to remind myself that good people are careful to do their homework before raising public expectations—and the general recognition that loose lips sink ships—the words were chilling.

I can’t help but recall when friends and neighbors who wholeheartedly supported the pool project were distressed by the last-minute piggybacking of the ballpark project onto the pool-funding ballot question. They felt cheated. They felt deceived. They viewed it as a “bait and switch” tactic, which would have been less likely to happen if there had been less secrecy and more transparency. I know it’s a tired, hackneyed cliche, but I still subscribe to the notion that “sunshine is the best disinfectant.”

Whether secretive or otherwise, it has not been a good week for leaders on the world and national stages. On Wednesday, May 15, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico survived five bullet wounds sustained in an assassination attempt allegedly (but recorded on video) made by the self-described author and poet Juraj Cintula.

Cintula is known to have ties with the pro-Russian group “Slovački branci.” That organization is now under investigation for possible collusion in the incident, but it’s hard to ignore Fico’s record of supporting Russia himself. Fico’s greater offense may have been his announced intention to place the country’s public media service under government control, posing an argument familiar to us—that the public service has become a politically biased news source.

The following day, on Thursday, May 16, any remaining esteem for members of Congress reached a new low when verbal fisticuffs broke out between Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York).

The exchange occurred in a hearing regarding attempts to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for not releasing recordings associated with Joe Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. A clash among titans it was not, as the ill-tempered political extremists traded barbs about false eyelashes and bleached hair.

On Friday, May 17, former New York Mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was served with papers for an Arizona indictment related to what’s being called the “fake elector” case by some and “alternate electors” by others. The papers were served at Giuliani’s 80th birthday party and followed a December judgment of $146 million in Georgia. Ouch.

On Saturday, May 19, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi perished in what was initially described as a “hard landing” of his Bell 212 helicopter (AKA civilian Huey) in the rugged terrain of Iran’s Dismar Forest. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other government officials were on board with the President. Iranian officials have attributed the accident to severe weather, aging aircraft, and “the Jews.”

The news of Monday, May 20, included the announcement that the International Criminal Court had applied for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity in the war against Hamas. By being charged with war crimes, Mr. Netanyahu joins the ranks of historical villains like George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln—all of whom have been accused of war crimes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the ongoing trial of a particular former President. Most folks know by now that I am no fan of Mr. Trump, but in this instance, the political motivations of the prosecution couldn’t be much more transparent. The charges are awkwardly contrived, and the timing of the trial, intentionally or not, keeps Trump off the campaign trail and conveniently includes a gag order.

I have no idea how the trial will turn out, nor do I know how it will affect the election. What I am certain of is that even the perception of weaponizing criminal justice for political purposes delegitimizes our judicial system and degrades our reputation on the world stage—almost as much as arguments over false eyelashes and bleached hair.