Ward Stone & Principles Before Personality

"Hey, who let all these people into my room? But seriously, folks..." (Photo credit: Cindy Schultz/Times Union)

By now you’ve most likely read the revelations regarding Ward Stone’s personal and professional conduct, including but not limited to the verbal abuse of underlings and his taking up residence on-site at the DEC.

Boy, it hasn’t been a good year for the State, has it? Fallout from the Senate coup, indictments, financial mismanagement, furloughs, misappropriation of resources and taxpayer dollars, and a Governor who I swear is like the Bizarro Superman of State Executives. If you propend every statement Paterson states with “Me Bizarro,” his statements and actions all make perfect sense. The list goes on. So really, conduct like that of Ward Stone coming to light shouldn’t surprise anyone, right?

This case is a bit different, though, because Stone’s reputation wasn’t that he was your typical politician or state official. We thought he was one of us. We thought he was one of the good guys.

Environmental conservation lies at the forefront of issues that should be vital to the general public, but too often isn’t. In that sense Ward Stone seemed to be something more than an advocate. He was our man on the inside for those concerned with issues of environmental health and safety that would take the stand that needed to be taken. And by “our” man I mean not environmentalists, but the people of New York; those for whom the State Government often seems an untouchable monolith whose daunting bureaucracy all but ensures our voice will be lost no matter how hard we shout.

Unfortunately, we had no idea just how inside he was. Now we have to ask: do these revelations undo all the good that was done?

I won’t ask if the ends justify the means, since the issue at hand is a bit more complicated than that, but I worry that too many people are eager to put the personality before the principles and use this as an indictment against those involved in the environmental movement and, on a much larger scale, any of those who view environmental conservation as a priority for the State.

What I’m saying is that we shouldn’t let this discourage those that are in a position to do some good. If anything, it should encourage more people within the system to take a stand when the State and its leaders are in the wrong. I mean, Hell, Ward Stone did it and yet he still got away with living at work, abusing subordinates, and shooting poor defenseless woodland creatures. What’s the worst they can do to you?

So, State officials and administrators, I urge you: be more like Ward Stone was to the public for so many years. Just don’t be like Ward Stone was to everyone else.