Mary Hamway and Jini Simpson | Paradise Valley former vice mayors
The time has come for Ms. Pace to cease her continued hostility toward fellow Councilmember Thomasson. Enough is enough. As expressed by letters to the editor and calls to council, we expect – No, we demand – more of our elected officials. Councilmember Liepmann suggested a Code of Civility to this council, adapted from this newspaper’s own policy. Why was it ignored by most of our council members? Let’s get this enacted. Mayor, stop the nonsense now. Demand professional behavior. We need leadership now.
Obviously, the existing code is insufficient for you to act. Ms. Liepmann has provided the following:
This applies to spoken and written communication.
1) Take the high road: Respond to the topic, not the person. Assume everyone is interested in improving the community.
2) Be respectful: Bullying, public humiliation, insults and harassment have no place in civil discussions. Respectfully disagree without questioning motives.
3) Be truthful: Base opinions on facts. Value honesty. Site sources, if questioned.
4) Don’t misrepresent: Identify if opinion and quote sources.
5) Listen and learn: Respectful listening, seeking out new views.
6) Look for common ground: Find areas of agreement. This can be a gateway to working together.
7) Respect privacy: Revealing private information about another is rude, unethical, potentially harmful and may be illegal.
8) Set a good example: Practice civil behavior online as well as in public interactions with others. When challenging disrespectful behavior, be courteous and respectful.
Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
