Editorial: Elected officials need to work civilly

Elected officials are only human. They make mistakes. They have disagreements. They can get angry, just like anybody else.

But representing their communities is a job they all sign up to do and, like any job, it should be done with respect for co-workers.

So the proposed censure of Allegheny County Councilman Thomas Duerr, D-Bethel Park, for an incident that occurred after the March 22 meeting shines a spotlight on behavior that has no place in any workplace, much less the halls of power. The motion will be discussed today.

The meeting in question was unexpectedly contentious, with council voting down three appointments of County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, with some comments made about nominations being awarded as political favors. Duerr supported the nominations and criticized those “no” votes — and the fact that reservations were not raised in an earlier committee meeting.

According to the motion presented by Council President Pat Catena, Duerr approached Vice President John Palmiere, D-Pleasant Hills, after the meeting and hostilely said “I always knew you were a (expletive) coward.”

Is this the worst thing one elected official has ever done to another? Not by a long shot.

Philadelphia’s city council has erupted in violence akin to a bar brawl. The Pennsylvania Senate’s shouting matches in recent years have been embarrassing. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have been the scenes of bench-clearing free-for-alls. In 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated by resigned supervisor Dan White.

These don’t excuse Duerr’s behavior. They justify the proposed censure — perhaps all the more because the violent fights are frequently a party line problem and in Allegheny County’s case, everyone is on the same political team.

From the federal level to the smallest municipalities, ugly disputes have been getting uglier. Sides are becoming more fractured as the Democrats break down into moderates versus progressives and the GOP cracks between traditional Reagan Republicans and the very vocal libertarian right.

The constant fighting creates an atmosphere where the battles are the point and accomplishing goals takes a backseat. That is never good for anyone.

Whether Duerr’s censure goes through or not, government as a whole needs to learn how to work together civilly, respectfully and with animosity left at the door.