CONDESCENDING PUBLIC OFFICIALS? IN LITTLETON?
I recently received a phone call from a citizen complaining about the demeanor of one of our town officials toward them. Oddly, it came after someone else remarked to me about a public official speaking to one of our senior citizens with the same condescending tone. I have witnessed this myself, those public officials who don’t like to be questioned, and are then intolerant with their answers, or worse, belittling. So, let’s poke at this behavior a little.
CONDESCENDING: behaving toward other people in a way that shows you consider yourself socially or intellectually superior to them; snobby, and those equally negative words like patronizing, disdainful, pompous and lofty.
I wonder why an elected or an appointed official would do such a thing? Well, sometimes it’s a bad day, we are after all human and those days come when the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back just happens. We aren’t perfect and just as human as anyone else. But I am concerned when I see a condescending attitude in the public sector especially if it becomes a pattern.
I think sometimes, the condescending act is connected to a feeling of power: the authority to act or do something according to a law or rule. However, when the other uses of power occur: influence over other people and their actions; the ability to influence people's judgment or emotions, in a public official, that official has lost sight of why they are in office. They’re in office for something called service: a system or organization that provides people with something that they need, e.g. public transportation or a utility; a body of people who carry out work for the public benefit within an organization run by local or national government; things that are provided by national or local government and paid for by taxation, e.g. education, health care and roads.
Those of us in government must understand that our power is derived by the public and that we are serving on behalf of the public. Sometimes, we have to do the unpopular thing, not always desirable, but often mandated by circumstances or law. But, the premise should remain this: we are servants by nature; we must remember that we are here to be of service and benefit to the public and for the public. Our work in government can be frustratingly inefficient and cumbersome and we can’t please all of the people all of the time.
What I would say to myself and my fellow officials is, try. Tough decisions can be made with professionalism and humbleness, fairness and equity. And did I say respect?
I suppose it works both ways. A citizen who refuses to treat public officials with dignity and respect is not acting responsibly either. We have seen a lot of that. Radio talk shows and other media outlets are a blatant example as they rip mercilessly at public officials. A few public officials may deserve this, but the vast majority do not. So how about this: we all can do better, be more dignified, a bit less negative and generally more respectful. There is always time go negative but I am not sure the citizen who complained to me and the senior citizen mentioned above will feel receptive to go the other way with one official anyway.
We can be firm and we can maintain an expectation for conduct among ourselves and those citizens who come before us. In the end, we are in office by the good graces of the citizens of this Town and we best not forget that!
posted by Alex McCurdy at
11:18 AM
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