We’ve seen politicians with “plans” before. Remember Jean Chrétien and his “red book?”

In the case of Fontana, his promise was an easy one to keep. Not doing something is an easier promise to keep than action. Personally, I want politicians to do as little as possible. In most things they do, they typically use too much time, too much money and accomplish too little. It would be best for the city if they would just step out of the way and let hard working people work.

Should Fontana take a leave from the mayor’s chair? Innocent or guilty, he obviously has a stressful time ahead of him and carrying the job of mayor at the same time might be too much. Pay is likely a concern. I don’t know if he could continue to receive a paycheque or not. Most of us couldn’t leave our jobs with no pay for even as little as a month. If he could arrange to take leave with at least reduced pay, I would make that move if I were him. Perhaps moving to a consulting role in city hall, still showing up for work each day but not an active participant on the council.

I wonder what the next discovery will bring. Whatever it is, I know we’ll get to figure it out en masse. That’s beyond neat.

I don’t believe that everything and anything in organizations or politics should be on display for public viewing. Much information is private or confidential. Many topics are complicated and – frankly – can’t be fully understood by many people who would simply pick up the easiest items of open information that support what they want and yell about them at their top of their voices. In addition, sometimes politicians need to be able to talk and discuss in private when the conversation is not suitable or ready for the public.

What I do believe needs to be more a part of politics (and in people generally) is personal responsibility. We need to be able to trust that the people we elect will (try to) do what they said they would, will stick to the principles they were elected on and will vote according to the interests of the people who put them there. If this could be counted on from all people, concepts like “transparency” would be moot. We wouldn’t need to waste time scrutinizing every detail of every agenda of every meeting if we knew that people we elected had high enough standards of personal responsibility to not require such inspection.