COVID Dims Democracy by Howard Freedlander

Covid has disrupted all of our lives. Family gatherings have become infrequent. Weddings have been cancelled. Visits to sick or dying family members ceased.

The impact has been drastic. Most of us understand the reasons for caution and the rationale for restrictions. We live with our displeasure, if not our impatience and Covid fatigue.

Not until last week did I take in the effect of the stubborn coronavirus on our democracy. When the Maryland Assembly convenes on Jan. 13, 2021, no member of the public can attend a committee hearing, except by zoom. Absorb that fact, readers.

State legislators, whose actions affect all of us in ways big and small, will have little or no public input, other than by the ubiquitous zoom. Simply, sunshine will lose out to partial darkness.

While some might consider public hearings a charade to satisfy those who believe their voices matter—and they do if noisy and massive enough, backed by political savvy and access—the trained advocates, as symbolized by lobbyists and passionate citizens, will be shut out.

One-on-one chats with legislators during or after a hearing will be a thing of the past—until a vaccine vanquishes this awfully persistent disease. Particularly hurt will be lobbyists unable to conduct close up and personal conversations. Expensive dinners financed by lobbyists and corporations for entire committees will be forbidden this session.

Even the chummy legislators will be literally walled off, at least in the State Senate. Their desk space, surrounded by plexiglass, will look like sterile cubicles. Communication between and among state senators will be severely limited.

Democracy is precious and prized. It’s imperfect even under the best of circumstances. Creation and passage of a bill is often an ugly process, resembling nothing described in a civics textbook. It defies easy understanding. The results vary in quality, as we all know, and usefulness.

The value of public input and oversight cannot be underestimated. When your constituents and members of interest groups are watching and judging, more good things happen than not.  Zoom seems cold and detached. It’s the best alternative under present conditions.

Saying all this, I realize that Senate President Bill Ferguson and House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne Jones must protect the public, the legislators and staff from the insidious spread of Covid-19. Democracy must yield to serious and possibly deadly health concerns.

Strict adherence to wearing masks and socially distancing  have far-flung consequences beyond constant and aggravating inconvenience. It determines the practical impact on our lives of unaccountable actions by our legislative bodies. We may not know. That’s unsettling.

When Gov. Larry Hogan calls for responsible behavior in combating Covid, we should listen and behave better. We should think about the serious health consequences of ignoring the current surge and pretending our nation has vanquished the viral enemy, and all is well. It surely isn’t.

Our political health in Maryland too is suffering. I fear the loss of sunshine and participation.

Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. In retirement, Howard serves on the boards of several non-profits on the Eastern Shore, Annapolis and Philadelphia.

A good vaccine for now is a large dosage of common sense and continued selflessness.

Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. In retirement, Howard serves on the boards of several non-profits on the Eastern Shore, Annapolis and Philadelphia.