I get asked all the time: "What would you do? What would you say?" I'm usually loathe to advance my own thoughts under the guise of "if I was in charge, I'd do it this way."
But we are in the final 60 days of the primary election season, and the state will decide soon who they want to have serve as the Chief Executive of the great State of Alabama. We've just come through an incredibly trying time as the state was subjected to the COVID pandemic, a vastly overreaching federal government, heightening inflation and poorly executed state-level responses.
In light of all that Alabamians have been through together these past 24+ months, I find myself asking, "What should a state's governor say or do in a crisis?" Honestly, I have a checklist that is based on principles, beliefs and experiences shared by many in this wonderful state. And God has given me this amazing platform from which to share thoughts and insights, so let me run down a few thoughts for you.
I told Rick Perry once when he was running for president that I want a "God-fearing gunslinger". Someone who is not faint of heart but who has a heart. Someone who can care about people and direct traffic with the authority of their position, all at the same time. Someone who operates decisively while also listening to wise and carefully selected counsel. Someone who personally studies the issues deeply but will still hear the presentation of others and ask pointed questions. Someone who will admit mistakes and tell you what it will take to ensure they never happen again. There's not much of that available in Alabama's public arena right now.
What do we want to see and hear from a governor in any crisis management situation? How should we feel after we've heard that person speak to the matters at hand?
Based on a life of watching and participating in crisis management, here's my list.
In a crisis, we need a leader who will stand up quickly in the presence of the people they were elected to lead and start off saying with steely-eyed confidence to the people of the state, "We will get through this. We will be here tomorrow."
We need a leader who will say, "I don't know it all but there are people in my administration who do … and if they don't, I will find those that can join our team."
In a crisis, Alabama needs a Governor who knows how to immediately direct the establishment of a "war room" – an interagency public/private coalition of senior representatives whose sole mission in life, until the crisis abates, is to bring every aspect of their various departments to bear. A room for more than just photo ops and worthless conference calls. A war room with senior-level staff management from the military and private sector – no bureaucrats - with full authority to whiteboard every option, turn over every rock and pull from every corner. A single point of authority in that room would meet with the governor daily and present actual measurable, achievable metrics by which to measure success so that the people of the state would know what the goals are.
Alabamians want a governor who will not long suffer any fool who lets state departmental turf wars prevent their assets from being of good use and would be willing to replace a person of any stature who impeded joint capability in a crisis.
In a true crisis, we would want this governor to meet with the press in person to answer any questions candidly on a weekly basis and direct their attention to the good, the bad and the ugly, never holding back for appearances or poll numbers.
We deserve a governor who would make known that "following the science" is only one aspect of decision-making in crisis management and that considerations of culture, faith, liberty and law will always play into each and every option on the table.
The governor we deserve would make clear that the government is not the end-all, be-all and call for, incentivize and galvanize the voluntary support and cooperation of the private sector and the vast resources and capabilities that exist outside of the walls of government.
This governor would refuse to allow politics to play into decisions that affect life, limb or property; politics would not be a part of any discussion on decisions that affect education and the economy. This governor would openly say that they did not get elected to get reelected and that doing right ain't that hard.
This governor would make clear that fear and shame are not tools of their administration. If a behavior is believed best (like getting a vaccine shot), then this leader would point people to the successes and the increasing numbers and not blame the people for deaths and destruction for which they had no part.
The governor we all want would not subject their citizens to the whims of international organizations and government bureaucrats whose advice changes with the winds. Stability must be a hallmark of such outside influence and they would be called out hard if their agencies and organizations are in constant flux.
A strong governor in a crisis would mandate that government hiring would freeze and no expansion of government would be tolerated while the private sector is in crisis mode. Such a governor would also direct that at least 65% of any relief funds made available to the state that were not otherwise earmarked must be given liberally to the private sector in a manner that does not have the government picking winners and losers, by enacting blanket tax cuts; sales tax holidays; hiring/retention incentives for small businesses; state-level matching grants to accompany any federal dollars with ease of transfer. Those monies should not just feed the government, as we've seen in the last year.
This governor would make known that any crisis-induced excuse to commit a violation of civil liberties would not be tolerated and would make the preservation of our individual and corporate rights a priority, evidenced by advancing collaborative work with the state legislature and the attorney general regardless of party affiliation.
We also deserve a governor who would walk among the people – eat at their restaurants, frequent their parks, visit their churches, hug their necks and shake their hands and, if necessary, visit them at the hospital. It is not enough to simply speak confidently. A good leader must walk out under fire and exude confidence to those they lead.
We've all known leaders who exhibited these traits - some in full and some in part - but have we had such leadership recently in any governor of Alabama? Times being what they are, we Alabamians deserve – really, need - a leader who can and will do all of the above.
Look back on the last two years and decide honestly if you believe that our current governor met those pure leadership standards. I don't see it… Not by a stretch.
Show us a governor who will do those things and I guarantee we will be their champion! Alabamians will donate funds, knock on doors and extoll their virtues.
Is there a God-fearing gunslinger in our future? I hope so. We need them for such a time as this.
Phil Williams is a former State Senator, retired Army Colonel and combat veteran, and a practicing Attorney. He has served with the leadership of the Alabama Policy Institute and currently hosts Rightside Radio M-F 2-5 pm on WVNN. His column appears every Monday in 1819 News. To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engagement go to www.rightsideradio.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commetnary@1819News.com.
