I find it appalling and dumbfounding that an elected official, in a democratic society, would deem it appropriate to sign a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA, an agreement that by its very definition is antithetical to free and open democratic governance. Some of our St. Louis County Commissioners recently signed NDAs with a shell company for a big tech data center in Hermantown. The NDAs allowed the company to operate outside of public scrutiny for over a year.
Companies claim that NDAs are necessary to protect “trade secrets.” Who really believes that these big companies are going to reveal “trade secrets” to anyone outside of their inner sanctum, let alone a county board? This is just another corporate flim-flam, another corporate technique aimed at pitting communities and counties against each other as big business tries to cram through projects while avoiding public scrutiny. Some of our county commissioners claim that NDAs allow them to discuss the county services that may be available to prospective businesses. What?!? Are they not already able to discuss county services with prospective businesses? Or are they suggesting that there is a secret stash of services that the general public is not privy to? Does this mean some businesses receive taxpayer funded services that occur outside of the public process and without taxpayer knowledge? How are we to know when there are NDAs involved? A clarity conundrum to be sure.
This smacks of shady back room dealing. No elected official should be allowed to sign an NDA unless it is to protect the identity of victims or vulnerable citizens. It’s time to ask our elected officials where they stand on the issue of open and free governance. But then maybe the disdain that these elected officials have for the process of government is summed up by the hubris of Commissioner Keith Nelson’s response when questioned by a Duluth Monitor journalist, “I don’t give a sh_t what you think.” That’s pretty clear.
Don’t fall for it, people! TELL them what you THINK!
Louise Curnow
Duluth