opinion

Burgoyne: Riprapping Democracy

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A recent article authored by Jose Ocha of Voice of OC regarding the use of rock riprap along the banks of the Santa Ana River once again raises concerns over government transparency, this time regarding public debate over treatment of the homeless.

Many reading Mr. Ocha’s article will likely jump immediately into a debate about treatment of the homeless — a very justifiable debate to hold. In the process, we must not overlook a more fundamental debate. The debate concerning potential efforts by county officials to stop us not just from holding the homeless debate, but also other debates on other issues regarding county operations.

Ultimately the citizens of a representative democracy have ownership responsibility for the operation of their government. It’s a responsibility government officials undermine should they engage in any efforts to obscure information from the citizen-owners of our government.

While by no means absolute and in all cases, we do regularly discover instances of government officials trying to take actions “in secret” to varying degrees. They wish to avoid accountability to the citizen-owners of our government for taking those actions. Yet we must understand and appreciate as citizen-owners of our government, we have ultimate responsibility for our government.

Did the officials attempt to hide the homeless aspect of the riprap work from the citizen-owners of our government? While intent is often difficult to establish, the officials now suffer from taking actions suggesting the possibility.

Should such actions be taken against the homeless? Many citizen-owners of our government may wish to debate the issues from both sides. Shared by both sides of all such debates is officials potentially denying the citizen-owners the right to hold those debates about their own government through varying efforts to obscure information.

Within a representative democracy we are the citizen-owners of our government and thus we have the ultimate responsibility for our government. If we are to live up to our responsibility, then we must insist no one deny us the information we require to fulfill our responsibility.

Keith Burgoyne is a resident of Westminster

Opinions expressed in editorials belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.

Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please contact Voice of OC Involvement Editor Theresa Sears at TSears@voiceofoc.org

  • verifiedsane

    Apathy and blind ignorance prevails in OC. The without home population problem pails in comparison to the criminal corruption operating behind closed doors throughout OC government and their subordinate agencies…after all, there is no real transparency or actual oversight by purposeful design…if the citizens really know what was going on, and learned how badly the ruling oligarchy has rigged the game…there would be a citizen revolt…but as they say…ignorance is cruelest from of quiet bliss…OC citizens appear to be just fine playing their role as herded blind sheep that are being lead over a cliff by the government wolves of their own creation.

  • LFOldTimer

    As long as the “citizen-owners” continue to elect total party-endorsed losers who are unethical and don’t give a damn about the common man – nothing will change.

    In most elections only about 20% of the “citizen-owners” bother to vote. lol.

    And those who do vote think that once they send in their absentee ballot that their job is done for another 2 years and they can go back to sleep. lol.

    Few “citizen-owners” show up to a council meeting or a supervisor’s meeting to participate in the political process.

    Most “citizen-owners” get the government that they deserve.