Why 'Better Together' Needed Billy Joel's Advice

It was a privilege to end the 2018 Southwest Regional Economic Summit last October at Sunset Country Club with a few simple sentences. Along with the Kirkwood and Crestwood-Sunset Hills Chamber of Commerce, we provided a forum for representatives of "Better Together" and "Cities Strong" to discuss the future of our region and a potential city-county merger.
​"Communication.
"Collaboration.
"Developing a shared vision.
"Those are three things (our region) needs to work on. Relationships are a huge part of processes.
"I'm an Eagle Scout, my sons are Eagle Scouts and I worked for the Boy Scouts of America for 21 years. There are many in this room who know the first point of the Scout Law and it is this: Trustworthy.
And we can't go on as a region without trusting one another."
When "Better Together" on Monday announced withdrawal of a city-county consolidation proposal, those sentences came to mind. So did the lyrics of the Billy Joel song, "A Matter Of Trust," from 30 years ago:
...I can’t offer you proof
But you’re gonna face a moment of truth
It’s hard when you’re always afraid
You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart if you must
It’s a matter of trust...
The words from the Summit and Mr. Joel aren't repeated here as an, "I told you so." (The Fenton Area Chamber of Commerce, through the leadership of its Board of Directors, doesn't advocate for or against various ballot initiatives.)
But events of the last few weeks and months damaged the trust in government and in some business leaders. Better Together failed to be open, transparent, collaborative and communicative.
During the October Summit, Pat Kelly of Cities Strong asked David Leipholtz of Better Together if his organization would not pursue a statewide vote on the city-county merger. Leipholtz didn't verbally respond but his non-verbal gestures suggested the question was irrelevant.
When Better Together revealed their plan, the statewide vote was a cornerstone.
Another element of Better Together's plan was making the St. Louis County Executive the first leader of the merged city and county. Last week, former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger pleaded guilty to three counts of public corruption for steering county contracts to campaign donors.
​"The corruption in St. Louis County government also disrupted Unite STL’s efforts," wrote Mark Wrighton, chairman of Unite STL, the organization promoting the Better Together initiative, in an email on Monday. "Some people viewed it as proof that local government must change, while others believe the former county executive’s involvement tainted the process."
More from Mr. Joel:
...I’m sure you’re aware love
We’ve both had our share of
Believing too long
When the whole situation was wrong...
The Fenton Area Chamber of Commerce will continue its efforts to support businesses and communities throughout our region. Our work requires transparency, collaboration and communication in order to continually maintain or enhance trust. We hope Wrighton, civic and government leaders adopt a similar approach. Unfortunately, Wrighton, scheduled to retire as Chancellor of Washington University in June, didn't reach out to opponents on Monday. Defeated and disillusioned, Wrighton condescendingly threw stones.
“The self-interested forces fighting change should not cheer today," Wrighton wrote in the email. "They should know that we are more committed than ever to fighting for the changes needed to modernize our government so everyone in our region has a local government that keeps them safe, responds to their needs and holds down their taxes.”
To the poet, Mr. Joel, for final words: 
...It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world
I can’t offer you proof
But you’re gonna face a moment of truth
It’s hard when you’re always afraid
You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart if you must
It’s a matter of trust