Arrogance in high (?) places

In recent months, those of us living in the Roanoke Valley have witnessed some startling examples of official arrogance from our elected officials. It seems as though a number of these officials, most of them Democrats, need a refresher course in who is working for whom.

Starting at the top, let us quickly revisit the attitude of Gov. Mark Warner toward the proposal that his massive tax increases be made subject to a referendum. Warner dismissed the idea, as though he could not imagine a worse plan than giving taxpayers a say over tax policy. The arrogant subtext of his public statements was that we, the taxpayers, aren’t bright enough or well informed enough to make decisions about our own tax burden.

It is only sheer arrogance that would convince Warner that taxpayers ought to be cut from the decision making loop, while still left holding the bill. As it happens, Warner’s arrogance won the day. And perhaps this is why we’re seeing similar, and much more petty, forms of arrogance right here in the Roanoke Valley.

In Roanoke, we had the spectacle of several members of City Council choosing a fellow member using methods more appropriate to a college fraternity than a purportedly representative body of public servants. Four of the Democrat members of council, without telling the other two Democrats on council, chose a fifth Democrat (like many Democrats, new Council member Brenda McDaniel is described as an “independent”).

There were no public hearings, no requests from the community for suggestions, no discernible process for coming to a decision, and, evidently, no serious consideration given to Republican Wendy Jones, who received 6,071 votes from the people of Roanoke. The four kingmakers were evidently so proud of their decision that they kept it a dark secret until it was a done deal.

Then there was the Salem sign flap. In this case, a store owner came to his place of business to find the letters from his sign removed under cover of darkness by a Salem government official. The reason: the sign was critical of Salem’s government. The stated reason: the sign’s message was “unrelated to business actually conducted on the premises.” By this standard, every business owner who puts the words, “God Bless America,” or “Support our Troops,” or “Good luck, Hokies,” on a sign should also have the letters removed. Were there any business signs in Salem that said “Re-elect Mayor Tarpley?” Were those letters removed?

Instead of respecting the store owner’s right to express himself, and instead of asking that the sign be removed, and instead of putting up his own sign, a Salem city official went to the store while it was closed and confiscated the letters. More imaginative city officials might have re-arranged the letters to say something clever. More respectful, and less arrogant, city officials would have borne the sign’s criticism, especially after the city election, without panic.

Salem officials reversed course after the store owner contacted a lawyer and the ACLU got involved. However, the case generated enough publicity that tens of thousands of Roanokers who would never have driven past the sign now know what it says. Virtue its own reward; arrogance is often its own punishment.

All three of these examples of official arrogance have one thing in common: fear. Warner feared letting the people have a say on taxes. We know that the governor has nothing against referenda per se because he supported regional referenda on road taxes. This, however, was when he thought he would win. Add the fear of losing, and suddenly asking the people is a stupid idea.

The Democrats on City Council who chose McDaniel have an evident fear of a strong and independent voice on council, especially if that voice belongs to an independent woman. (A woman chosen by the council majority, and who did not get 1,100 more votes than the mayor, however, is acceptable.) Mayor Harris made his contempt for his female opponent plain even in his victory speech on Election Night. How insecure and fearful do you have to be that a 6-1 Democratic majority on City Council is not enough?

In Salem, we got to see fear of criticism first, and then fear of any criticism of the fear on display next, as city officials quickly backed down in the face of publicity and the possibility of legal action.

Arrogance is not the same thing as leadership. In fact, they are mutually exclusive. Perhaps some of our elected officials will learn the difference, someday.