Missouri’s outsider is now on the inside.
Don’t read too deeply into that statement. It’s just that Gov. Eric Greitens, who ran on the “outsider” platform, is now working in a political office. He’s on the inside of the capitol to make tough decisions, meet with lawmakers and constituents, and handle the business of our state.
But more than that, the early operations of his administration don’t seem that different.
Some would say it’s worse – “in a cloak of secrecy” as columnist Phill Brooks wrote in a recent opinion-editorial published on SBJ.net. Brooks warns of an “arrogance of power or fear of reporters” that poses a threat to our country’s founding amendment, and he notes Greitens hadn’t conducted an open-question news conference in the statehouse since his election.
Springfield Business Journal’s experience isn’t far off.
I’ve sent emails and made phone calls about coverage to Greitens’ press manager. Crickets. Not a single reply. Granted, it was the week of inauguration. I get that. But I have a calendar and they have a calendar, and we can sync up.
Another in our newsroom experienced the same thing after me. SBJ reporter Jana Bounds pursued a sit-down interview with Greitens following his appearance in Springfield to announce Sarah Steelman’s appointment as director of the Office of Administration. Same thing. No responses from his press team.
But what about outside the press?
I understand from Springfield community leaders who have met with Greitens at the capital that he did more talking than listening – and these are constituents in economic development, education and industry where one could learn about the inner workings of southwest Missouri and how it impacts the rest of the state.
With all of this talk, I wanted to find out for myself. Greitens came to Nixa – of all places – to announce his fiscal 2018 budget proposal.
The speech was pretty typical, painting previous political officials as the bad guys and his team as the rescue plan. There’s always some truth to that when enacting change, but this was over the top. It sounded more like a stump speech than a disclosure of a spending plan.
My main interest was how he would address the media. I was told not to expect him to take reporters’ questions.
To my surprise, he did, and he handled the Q&A well. He was respectful in his replies, being sure to address by first name or a “Mr. Olson” as he did with me.
Two attendees not in the working press interjected questions. He patiently answered them, stressing he wanted to give reporters enough time, but I know they weren’t satisfied with his answers.
Given his outsider rhetoric and distancing himself from special interests, one thing I expected to see was greater transparency and authenticity about policies and issues. So far, it appears it’s still political rhetoric, just in a different cloak.
In Greitens’ nearly 20-minute budget announcement, he did not state the proposed budget total. It’s $27.6 billion, as we reported afterward.
One of the questions from the public inquired about the campaign contributions by the owner of TAMKO Building Products Inc. The questioner stated the amount was $11 million.
“We had lots of people who invested in our campaign. Your numbers are inaccurate,” Greitens said, without offering to correct the number. “If you want to see who we’re fighting for, look at what we’re doing. I invite you to judge us by our actions.”
She replied, “Thank you for not answering my question,” and Greitens moved on to the questions from the press.
He closed offering to answer additional questions briefly afterward, but his exit seemed too hurried to allow for that.
In another visit to Springfield – just two business days after the Nixa stop – Greitens ceremonially signed a hard-earned right-to-work bill. This time, he did not open the floor to questions.
It might not seem like a big deal. But dialogue is a key part of building trust. I don’t perceive this as a Republican or Democratic issue. Greitens, a Republican, shouldn’t only have dialogue with those in his party or those perceivably on his side, just like his predecessor, Democrat Jay Nixon, shouldn’t have done the same.
Trust me, I’m all for a fresh look in government. Political lifers can hurt our systems, simply because of the temptations that come with such power.
Maybe it’s Greitens’ style; maybe he leads by leaving the fine details to those working more closely to them. To be sure, he’s charismatic, commands an audience and generally remains composed. But the governor is a mouthpiece, and what he says – or doesn’t say – matters.
What he’s saying so far sounds too filtered to be outsider talk. And it leaves questions unanswered.
Here’s one of them: When will he remove the cloak and step forward?
Springfield Business Journal Editorial Director Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net.
