Privacy vs. Secrecy

Why is ECA governance given the cult of secrecy? It is expected by ECA governance that ECA members will trust volunteers and governance members. It is implied by governance that ECA members ought not to trust non-governance ECA members.

Recently we requested that our Special Place Chair provide us with the mailing and/or email addresses for Special Place members in order to discuss with all SP members, not just the ones who go to a meeting, their views on Eastman governance practices as well as input for consideration of running as a Council candidate. Recently in a mailing from our Special Place Chair we found the following statement:

"lastly a reminder that in order to sustain member privacy, special place  members, their home addresses, telephone numbers call or email addresses will not be distributed or otherwise made publicly accessible.”

Is a fellow member of a special place “the public”? Is this "policy" being used to prevent us from communicating with our fellow neighbors and constituency?

Whether you agree or disagree with anyone’s views on governance, it is clear that the policy stated above is used to withhold from Eastman Members the information they would need to communicate directly with their neighbors and with each other. Only those in power can communicate with all members and constituents. There are many ways to opt out of communications if that is what one wishes, rather than a unilateral decision by a Special Place Chair.

To paraphrase Daniel Ellsburg of Pentagon Papers fame:

“I think we have to change the culture of secrecy (at Eastman)… the cult of secrecy … change the benefit of the doubt that’s given quite wrongly to (ECA Governance members) politicians and the (Board) president (and General Manager) in terms of what the public (ECA members) should know and should not know. … To even think of thinking, for example, [Chair of Council] Bob Parker or [General Manager] Ken Ryder or Board president (Maynard Goldman) should be the last word on what the public (ECA members) should know about what they’re doing in our name represents a kind of culpable ignorance at this point unless you’re 16 years old. … These people do not deserve the benefit of the doubt at this point. Behind the veil of secrecy, extremely bad, disastrous policy-making goes on without accountability.”

Members of ECA Governance advocate that “what goes on at Eastman stays at Eastman” as a community motto. The only people who benefit from this are the people in power. We heard at the Board Candidate Forum Saturday morning that all the questions about the Center had been answered either by Phil Webber and/or Ken Ryder at Special Place meetings—not in writing easily available to all members. Why hasn’t the community had the benefit of these answers? Are they private? Are they secret? Apparently.