Opinion | You can’t just do away with facts you don’t like

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Before social media platforms were contaminated with disinformation and propaganda, Americans engaged in the quaint practice of debating each other over government policy solutions while making arguments based on the same sets of facts.

The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan is famous for uttering “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”

Within the past few days, there’s been an alarming disregard for facts and an unwillingness by some people in important public sector roles to aggressively pursue facts and the truth.

Will we tolerate politicians who present an alternative reality because they ignore facts and hope that an inevitable disaster or intractable problem surfaces on somebody else’s watch? If people are public servants, can we allow them to take a cowardly approach and minimize or overlook inconvenient facts at the local, state or federal levels?

It’s in our common interests to have a strong economy, successful businesses, well-paying jobs, good education, transportation and public safety systems and high-functioning and accountable government programs. We can only achieve healthy private, public and nonprofit sectors if we deal with reality and face facts.

But Trump has spent the past several weeks — at home and abroad — saying that the U.S. is the “hottest” country in the world. The anemic job growth didn’t fit Trump’s narrative, so he blamed McEntarfer for a “rigged” jobs report. He fired her, even though he had zero evidence of wrongdoing.

Beginning July 30, the National Transportation Safety Board held three days of hearings to gather more facts about the human error, systemic problems, mechanical issues and/or other factors that led to a regional jet and Black Hawk helicopter colliding over the Potomac River in January and killing 67 people.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a relatively small airport with a high flight volume, which has been exacerbated by members of Congress insisting that airlines operate direct flights from Reagan National to their home states. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, the lead factfinder, spotlighted the dangerous practice of Army helicopters flying under commercial planes with little separation between them.

For years, air-traffic controllers pointed out the safety hazards of allowing helicopters to fly near Reagan National runway approach corridors for commercial planes. A control tower manager testified those concerns were ignored “due to continuity of government operations or security.” Translation: Politicians and military officials wanted to preserve the VIP helicopter taxi service that was operated by the Army pilots. After the NTSB exposed key facts, the flying public and American citizens may finally get safety changes that should have been implemented years ago.

This summer in Minnesota, we’re also taking a hard look at government fraud. State government programs beset with fraud — from Feeding Our Future to autism to housing stabilization — raise disturbing concerns about ignored or undiscovered facts.

It’s a fact that some people and nonprofits view government dollars as a bonanza to create wealth for themselves. Many government managers have wonderful intent to help people in need. But if they are providing tremendous flexibility, minuscule checks on eligibility and program implementation and primarily trust in those administering programs funded by government dollars, they’re offering a climate for potential fraud. It’s imperative to closely track activities and verify relevant facts throughout the funding process.

Clearly, the fraudsters make life more burdensome for talented and ethical people who simply want to provide high quality services. But in 2025, taxpayers and voters need to insist on better management of government funds, so fraud doesn’t happen in the first place. It’s a failure when the fraud occurs and Joe Thompson, acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, is once again called in to lead a fraud investigation.