November/December 2018

Leading Insight
The Problem of Our Unhinged Public Discourse

Michigan PEs want to be part of the solution.

By Scott Conners, P.E.

These days, it seems like debates of all kinds are becoming more and more contentious. The focus is on being red or blue and putting issues into a black or white context. As engineers, we are trained to do the opposite: think objectively, be professional, and look for solutions, no matter who brings the idea forward.

As professional engineers, we also fight to maintain the regulations that are in place to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, and we are charged with upholding those standards, regardless of our political affiliations. In every legislative session in Lansing, we Michigan PEs work with senators and representatives on both sides of the aisle. We strive to raise awareness of our issues, move our legislation forward, and, when necessary, fight legislation that we feel is detrimental to our profession and, in turn, the public health, safety, and welfare. For Michigan engineers, the political tensions are running hot, with high-profile issues like documented high lead levels in drinking water, increasing awareness of PFAS in aquifers tapped by drinking water wells, and the increasingly divisive Line 5 oil and gas pipeline that traverses the Mackinaw Straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Debates can be very strong from both sides with all of these issues.

We, as professional engineers, need to be very careful to remain objective and professional and listen to all sides when we are asked to weigh in on an issue. We should always be gathering and evaluating data to make the best recommendations we can. Good listening skills have been slowly eroding in our profession and around the country. The importance of listening with an open mind needs to be highlighted from time to time. At the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers, we are lucky to have an outstanding Legislative and Governmental Affairs Committee chaired by former president Leanne Panduren, P.E., F.NSPE, of Rowe Professional Services Company. Often, the greatest leaders are also the greatest listeners. This is one of Leanne’s many strengths, and that trait is very evident in the DNA of MSPE.

Recently, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who has publicly stated he does not like the divisive nature of political debate, has been encouraging more open discussions and promoting listening over ranting. He comes from a technical background with experience in the private sector working for computer company Gateway Inc., and he ran his first campaign with the motto “One Tough Nerd.” At MSPE, we were very excited in 2017 when the governor proposed an open letter to our state, calling for greater civility in how we interact. The governor noted in his letter: “With increasing frequency across all political spectrums, we are seeing a complete decline in decorum within public discourse. We’ve witnessed threats and calls for violence against those that simply have a differing opinion on public policy matters.” Governor Snyder later called on state leaders to sign the letter as a show of support.

The response was outstanding. Leaders from across the state signed up to support this effort. Of significance was the number of signatures from politically unaffiliated organizations. It was our chance to stand up for more civility on issues that were dividing us as a state. The signatories agreed that “Michigan can show the world how we can disagree without being disagreeable, how we can debate without personal attacks, and how we can solve more problems together than we can apart.”

In my professional life, I’m employed as a city engineer. I can tell you dozens of stories from various commission and public meetings that would be textbook examples of uncivil public discourse. I’ve been threatened, stalked, and intimidated in a variety of ways. I’ve seen first-hand how things can get out of control as we reach out to the local stakeholders to talk about both improvements and deficiencies in our public infrastructure. Too often residents or business owners will show up to talk about an issue and be scared off by an angry crowd or a handful of folks who oppose an issue with a general lack of civility. Unfortunately, those good folks often walk away without ever getting to speak on an issue. Based on my experience, I believe that it is of paramount importance for us to provide a forum for all voices.

The public health, safety, and welfare is not a partisan issue and neither is the work that we do every day as professional engineers. The only way to solve the infrastructure crisis we find ourselves in across this country is to work together toward a solution. Finger pointing and name calling will not solve the problem. When the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers was asked about our willingness to sign this petition, I was very excited to help lead MSPE toward this movement. I’m proud to proclaim that our organization is fully committed to the goals of Governor Snyder’s Open Letter Regarding Civility in Public Discourse.

Scott Conners, P.E., is 2018–19 president of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers.