Codes of ethics, conduct and the untidy part of governing | Editorial

My friend and colleague Dean Radford, editor of the Renton Reporter, wrote a story recently that attracted my attention.

Apparently, some of the Valley Medical Center board members decided a code of ethics, or how to act like mom said, was a good item.

After covering the board meetings last year when the Covington emergency department was causing sparks to fly, I’m not surprised to see an act nice code being floated once again.

Codes of ethics and conducts are very common on commissions, councils and just about anywhere people gather to talk and come to an agreement.

That is nut of the problem – coming to an agreement.

If the issue is puppies are cute or kittens are cuddly you may be on fairly safe ground for consensus … maybe… but beyond that forget it.

I cannot tell you how many folks I have seen serving on boards, committees, commissions and councils, who get absolutely wringing wet with wrath over some issue I know God doesn’t even understand.

The most common thought is these politicians must be nuts to get whacked out over this or that because they are getting no real money for this job, no glory and no bronze plaque when they get voted out of office or finally quit.

But aren’t those the kind of folks we want serving us. People who get excited about the dry day-to-day operations of the government for no money and little or no attention. No one will mistake a council member or commissioner as the most recent American Idol star. In fact, I’d bet a fair amount of cash most couldn’t pick their city council representatives out in a lineup if the members had an arrow over their heads.

I cover many city councils and commissions, and it is not unusual for politicians at every level of American government to get very passionate, at times unreasonable, belligerent, bombastic and downright hostile. What they say is often stuff their mothers would yell at them about – and at times they are uncomfortably correct.

It is those uncomfortable statements that are part and parcel of the American process of government. Our form of government is not very neat and tidy. There are a many potholes on the road to governing, and one of the most dangerous is suppression of speech.

I have seen a code of ethics and conduct used to coerce and cudgel speech and opinion that one side doesn’t like in the name of acting nice.

There was one political body I covered where the leader always wanted an unanimous decision and used a code of conduct like a hammer to force dissenters in line.

A governing body is not a football team that slaps hands together and yells yippee after votes.

Dissent is part of governing and if a governing body is always holding hands and agreeing they are probably participating in a cozy club rather than a governing body.

I understand why folks want a code of ethics and conduct. On the surface it does make sense. We are supposed to play nice, listen and wait our turn to yell, according to our kindergarten teacher.

But governing is not kindergarten. There are no naps or juice breaks. It is serious stuff. It is true people have conflicting, complicated motives for their behavior and opinions, but that is the untidy part of governing. It is what makes us who we are as Americans.

The Valley Medical Center board has had very serious disagreements among the board members. Governing bodies go through this process at times and it can be difficult to watch.

These are all good people who have conflicting concerns and motivations, and they are all passionate in what they believe. That should be the type of people we want serving in public office.

Our system is strong enough to withstand dissent and disagreement, even if it gets unpleasant.

Beware of codes of ethics and conduct, especially when the enforcement is that one group gets to vote to say we don’t like the other guys.

We have a code of conduct, it is called the U.S. Constitution. I doubt anyone on a council, board or other governing body can write anything to match it.