Grappling with the Gray #132: White House (East Wing) Down?

How many of the issues we fight about are worth fighting about?

That’s the question that drives the conversation when Krista Crawford, Ph.D., MBA, SPHR, Josh Green, and Jolanta Pomiotlo join the ethics panel to Grapple with the Gray.

Here is our topic:

In a recent article, Politico quoted former First Lady Betty Ford as saying that if the White House West Wing is the “mind” of the nation, then the East Wing — the traditional power center for first ladies — is the “heart.”

The implication seems to be that Donald Trump’s tearing down of the East Wing to build a new ballroom is an assault on history.

The president argues that the tents currently used for big events are unsightly, expensive, and cause damage to the White House lawn. Critics condemn the project as a “symbolic blow” to the East Wing’s legacy as a place where women made history.

In 1948, Harry Truman was widely criticized for constructing the now-famous balcony. Truman explained that the awnings that shaded the White House facade were unsightly, and that the balconies would pay for themselves in a few years through reduced electricity consumption. (He also had the entire interior of the building gutted and rebuilt.)

Before that, Thomas Jefferson was castigated for installing eastern and western colonnades, which were later replaced by Teddy Roosevelt.

Are these past and present cases comparable? Is the president’s failure to navigate the standard public review process an act of imperial disregard for the law of merely cutting through red tape?

In short, is this issue just the latest partisan bickering blown out of proportion, or is it really a subject worthy of debate?

Meet the panel:

Krista Crawford is a human resource consultant, adjunct instructor at Virginia Tech and Champlain College, and Group Chair with Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

Josh Green is a keynote speaker and TEDx speaker. He advises leaders in business strategy, business growth, and leadership development.

Jolanta Pomiotlo is Vice President of Information Technology for EXSIF Worldwide who manages innovative initiatives aimed at reducing operating costs, improving profit, and growing revenue.

#ethics #leadership #integrity #accountability #culture