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On days when people aren’t held accountable for their actions, you may feel that it’s not worth trying to make things better.
Over the last five years or so, I’ve seen the bar for elected representatives drop far more than I ever could have imagined.
#yeg #yegcc #ableg #cdnpoli
Over the last five years or so, I’ve seen the bar for elected representatives drop far more than I ever could have imagined.
#yeg #yegcc #ableg #cdnpoli
Disrespectful behaviour towards other elected representatives, public servants, and the general public has become more common. The sharing of misleading or false information by those serving the public is an extremely troubling trend.
There are days I feel like giving up because I believe it’s getting worse, not better. But then I talk to other people in our city and I’m reminded that the vast majority of people are kind and honest. They want to make our city a better place for everyone.
A few years ago, council unanimously approve a Code of Conduct to raise the bar in how we interact with each other and the public. While new for council, documents like this are not uncommon in our places of work, community leagues, etc.
Of course most people would act with integrity without documents like this but they exist to help guide us during challenging times. We all make mistakes, it’s how we respond when mistakes happen that determines what kind of people we are.
In rare occasions, people choose not to take responsibility for their actions and then it’s up to the employer, family, courts, governing body, etc. to hold people accountable. That’s never a comfortable situation but it’s necessary in our society.
“But politics is different.” Some people believe that the only time an elected representative should be held accountable is during an election. My question for you is why are you comfortable with a lower standard for those who serve you in elected office?
Most people expect more of their elected representatives. Those high expectations motivate me to keep working every day to raise the bar. It’s not always easy but the alternative is not even worth considering.
Please continue to set those high expectations for us. Don’t accept anything less just because this is ‘politics.’ When people show they have no desire to hold themselves to a basic standard of decency and truthfulness, remember that you have all the power.
