Returning Integrity and Ethics to Our Choices

In the last couple of decades we’ve done a lot of talking about ethics, honesty and integrity in government. We’ve basically talked about it until we are blue in the face, but in my opinion, we’ve made very little headway in holding officials’ feet to the fire. 

The old adage spoken by Thomas Jefferson is as true today as when he uttered the words, “The government you elect is the government you deserve.” I believe Jefferson was quoting French philosopher Joseph de Maistre, so it appears that this flaw wasn’t only encountered here within our fledgling nation’s DNA, but throughout other nations as well. 

That really is a shame. Our forefathers must be rolling over in their graves and looking down upon us with disgust. We do a good job talking about holding our office holders accountable, but in many cases, we only apply lip service to the problem.

The character flaws found in those we elect to office may well manifest themselves first within ourselves, therefore reflecting our own weaknesses. It could also be a reflection on how familiar we are with the person who is seeking elected office. Perhaps our kids go to school with his/her kids, or maybe we attend the same church or belong to the same clubs. Familiarity sometimes clouds or distorts our view of a person and what his or her true intentions are.

The other evening I was honored to speak to delightful group of folks here on Marco Island. They belong to one of the wonderful service clubs that does so much good for our community. As part of our discussion, I spoke about what I saw as the root cause of some of our problems.

I spoke about “fear,” and how it is used by those seeking votes to sway the opinions of an uninformed electorate who are dealing with the issues before them. Becoming educated about the issues, and the truth, is the best protection against being misled and disappointed in the future.

Recently, we reported on a legal battle that the City of Marco Island had with two residents who alleged that their First Amendment Rights to Free Speech had been violated. The incident occurred when the then-Council Chair attempted to maintain decorum during a City Council meeting in January 2020.  At that meeting, these two citizens had come forward to confront a sitting member of council. 

The issue these two citizens sought to address with the councilor concerned an anonymous website, which many community members found to be vulgar and disgusting. The website was used to attack community members who were running for City Council in the 2018 election, as well as residents of the community, sitting councilors and the Coastal Breeze News. As time went on, it came to light that a sitting councilor may be behind the website, despite the fact that this councilor, from his seat on the dais, had disavowed knowledge or involvement in the website content. 

When the facts were finally disclosed to the public, it was revealed that the sitting councilor was indeed the website’s owner, and an ethics complaint was lodged with the State of Florida. 

In response to that complaint, and under oath, the councilor in question finally revealed that he was, in fact, the owner of the website and the sole contributor of its content. The State Ethics Board dismissed the complaint, but the facts about ownership and content creator were uncovered. Two of the citizens who had been disparaged on the website came forward to speak about those attacks and the councilor’s actions. 

The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court in Fort Myers against the City of Marco Island and the then-Council Chair has come to an end, with the Judge ruling in favor of the defendant (Council Chair), whose efforts were to maintain decorum and not allow the citizens (plaintiffs) to confront the councilor. (Note that the councilor in question is no longer serving on council).

The court, in its Opinion and Order, did not offer a ruling based upon the councilor’s actions, as that would be outside the scope of the complaint filed. The court was limited to the allegations of First Amendment Rights violations, as set forth in the plaintiffs’ complaint. The judge in this case cited reams of court decisions that supported both the city’s position and the Council Chairman’s actions. I, too, find this to be in the best interest of ensuring orderly and efficient council meetings, now and in the future.

However, this matter is not a bright spot in our history as a community. It reflected poorly on the councilor involved with the website, and represented a disgusting assault on Marco citizens and the integrity of our process. 

We should stand strongly behind providing our community with an open, free and honest debate about issues, and not personal attacks, misinformation and fear. I find those tactics disgusting and reject them and those who support such schemes to mislead and manipulate our discussions. 

If we are to turn this nation around and deal with the great challenges we have before us, we must return to a time when citizens put the needs of the greater good ahead of the self-interest of those seeking to benefit themselves and special interests. 

We must start here, on the local level. We must return to a time when there was integrity and a high standard of ethical behavior by those who serve us, and throughout our communities. Let’s lead by example and start moving in the right direction.