September 12, 2017
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would comment on Hatcher Hurd’s op-ed about incivility in the Milton Herald. (Click on link for op-ed: Milton Herald Op-Ed on Civility in Politics) However, as often happens with our Milton City Council, material presented itself that I could not ignore. Specifically, Milton’s citizens were shocked by Councilman Matt Kunz’s out-of-control rage that resulted in “near violence” . . . Councilman Longoria’s words, not mine. I was the only citizen to witness the event and I agree with Longoria’s assessment; he was right to disengage from Kunz. The subsequent council meeting was equaling appalling, as what should have been a perfunctory council meeting was hijacked for political purposes.
The August 28th events are a good segue to my response to Mr. Hurd’s op-ed in the Milton Herald. Mr. Hurd was non-specific about the sources and causes of incivility in our community. I was puzzled that Mr. Hurd did not mention the extreme misbehavior of some council members not only in Milton, but also in Roswell and Johns Creek. In Milton, council members’ tirades and attacks on citizens in the audience have become routine to the point of tedium. In Johns Creek, a councilor stormed out of a town hall meeting, spewing invective as she went.
Let’s not forget who establishes the threshold for civility in Milton: our elected leaders. To the extent a culture of incivility exists, Council Members are largely responsible for it, a point Mr. Hurd overlooks. My Navy and business experience (and volumes of leadership books back me up) tells me that leaders establish the culture of an entity, including government. And it is abundantly clear that some of Milton’s elected leaders have set the bar very low for civility in Milton. Citizens have now been witness to no less than six singularly uncivil temper tantrums from council members in council meetings. On one occasion, these outbursts included overt threats to stop doing business with the Milton Herald. Council members have screamed at citizens and used incendiary words like “hate” and “lynch.” And unfortunately, the nastiness of some Council members has percolated to their appointees on committees. In one incident, a committee chairman had to be gently removed from a confrontation with the mayor by the City Manager, while police converged on the scene.
In contrast to some council members, citizens have been relatively restrained in their behavior. Milton’s citizens are polite—perhaps to a fault. However, politeness can only be stretched so far. About two years ago, when the strong influence of Special Interests became painfully obvious, a handful of citizens began to push back on City Council. Over time, more and more citizens joined the movement (one Councilman’s descriptor) for accountable government. This resulted in over 1800 citizens signing (in less than 4 weeks) an 8-point petition on smart land use and good governance. And it also resulted in an overflow crowd at a rezoning hearing—a first in Milton’s history.
Certainly, the passion of citizens is sometimes intense . . . Milton’s citizens care about their community. However, what some might describe as citizen incivility is better described as righteous indignation. And it has led to a citizen awakening in Milton that has encouraged candidates to finally step forward and challenge the status quo. This is a positive development. Milton has not had competitive elections since 2011, and it shows. Elections provide clarity about issues facing the community. Choice is good. We, including Mr. Hurd, should be celebrating a return to competitive politics in Milton. Let’s exult in the vigorous exercise of citizens’ First Amendment political liberties: free speech, free assembly, and the right to petition. Let’s have vicious debate among friends about the issues that matter most in Milton! Let’s celebrate democracy in Milton, with all of the messiness that might entail!
Tim Becker
Milton Coalition 