Posted by Helen on: 04.25.2007 /
I always hope leaders will lead by example and not publically betray the principles their role indicates they uphold.
I’m very disappointed in Wolfowitz for arranging an excessive raise for his girlfriend while leading an institution which exists to alleviate world poverty:
Call for Wolfowitz resignation grows louder
The pressure on Paul Wolfowitz, the President of the World Bank, grew today as Germany’s governor to the global financial institution added her voice to calls for his resignation.
Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, who is also the German Development Minister, said that the credibility of Mr Wolfowitz and of the World Bank itself had been “thrown into doubt” following the controversy over disclosures that he engineered a promotion and a pay rise of nearly $200,000 (£100,000) for his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, in 2005.
I’m also disappointed in the Governor of New Jersey, Jon Corzine, for not complying with his state’s mandatory seatbelt law (although I’m sorry he got in an accident while not wearing one and hence was seriously hurt). It doesn’t speak well of him what his chief of staff says about him being ‘not always amenable to suggestion’ either.
Aides: Corzine not wearing seatbelt
Corzine’s chief of staff, Tom Shea, said he believed the governor’s belt was off when the crash occurred. “If he was not, he certainly should have been” wearing his seat belt, Shea said, “and we would encourage the state police to issue a citation.”
Shea said Corzine usually wears his seat belt. When asked why the trooper who was driving would not have asked Corzine to put on his seat belt, Shea said the governor was “not always amenable to suggestion.”
read the whole article
Comment by: benjamin ady
1oh dear. I greatly fear I see myself in all 3 instances. I would totally be into getting Meg an excessive raise. And I greatly fear I’m … too often “not super amenable to suggestion”, although this is a lot less true than it was five years ago. I do wear my seat belt, but sometimes I forget at first.
Comment by: Helen
2Benjamin, I find your humility and honesty inspiring.
I think if you tried to give Meg a raise that was excessive and inappropriate she’d love that you wanted to give her a gift out of your love for her - but she wouldn’t let you do it.
Comment by: Doreen
3Oh my, I’m no longer disappointed in leaders. I’m not sure if that makes me cynical, realistic, or forgiving, or some combination thereof….
poetcomic.blogspot.com
Comment by: benjamin.ady
4Meg and I occasionally have this arguement where I say “All leaders are evil”, and she says “oh no they’re not” and I say, “Oh yeah, name one leader who isn’t evil”, and she says something like “Jesus, or … what have you” and I try to point out how that person is evil.
It’s just a little ritual we have.
Comment by: Helen
5Doreen wrote:
Doreen - I’m not sure either!
I guess I’m still disappointed when visible leaders fail in visible ways.
Benjamin, that sounds like an interesting ritual :). So what were your reasons for Jesus being evil? Or was that just a hypothetical example?
Comment by: Rachel
6Honestly, I’m not disappointed in Wolfowitz since I already had no respect for him because of his key role in leading us into the Iraq War. I was outraged that a man like him would have been put in charge of the world’s largest development bank and I’m glad he did this because I hope it will get him fired.
As for Corzine, he has already received more than enough punishment for his bad example. According to news reports, he was screaming in pain at the scene of the accident.