Accountability

Perhaps more disturbing than the seriously flawed, over-budget, yet-to-be-opened, $120+ million Silver Spring Transit Center itself are the public statements of Montgomery County politicians, the failure of the media to report the story “in-depth” and the failure of the taxpaying public to hold Montgomery County, the media and themselves accountable for their failures.

Hundreds of stories have been written about the ill-fated SSTC since we learned a year ago that it is severely flawed, over-budget and in need of millions of dollars in repairs before it even opens. Numerous press releases and public statements by Montgomery County officials regarding the safety of the SSTC, and absolving Montgomery County of any responsibility for the disaster, have gone unchallenged by the media. Montgomery County presses ahead with millions of dollars in repairs to the brand new transit center without explaining to the public what they are doing and why, and the media and the public sit idly by.

We have no one to blame but ourselves if Montgomery County officials succeed in “spinning” the facts and diverting responsibility for the ill-fated SSTC from themselves. Likewise, we have no one to blame but ourselves if the media fails to provide “in-depth coverage” and to ask “probing questions”, that the media so highly touts.

We are to blame if public money is wasted, if the media fails to report the story “in-depth” and to ask "probing questions", and if Montgomery County remains unaccountable for its actions, because we let them get away with it.

"All that is needed for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing."

Edmund Burke