It’s tough when stark raving reality bites one in the lower posterior. House Republicans are learning that the hard way. Yesterday’s vote on the Legislature’s feed bill has to have more than a few of them slapping themselves upside the head. Already the Governor and the Democrat party and the lapdog media are pummeling them with their own words and gleefully hoisting the petards bearing unsuspecting political neophytes. [Ed. note – I’m not providing links to the liberal blogs – they can generate their own traffic. You know how to find them if you want.]
Well-intentioned attempts to reconcile legitimate expenditures and tax increases with catchy campaign promises are suddenly proving to be frustrating at best. All those catchy sound-bites about cutting spending and smaller government, no matter how sincerely meant during the election cycle are quickly becoming the victims of real governance. If the other guy can frame the attack on a bumper sticker, and you need a whole page to defend your position, you lose.
Our new Republican legislative majority is caught firmly between a rock and a hard place. And there are 80 more days left to go.
Now we know what “tyranny of the minority” really means.
Bummer.
Rebuilding Trust in Our Government (R)
One of Americas statesmen stated “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.†His presidency ushered in an era of disdain for government and a widespread cynicism that government could be effective in addressing our challenges.
Today, as we confront a crisis that has shaken confidence in our financial system and economy, we have an opportunity to restore public trust and confidence in the legitimate role of government. Indeed, to effectively tackle our economic challenges and to implement the reforms we need in our healthcare, education, energy, and environmental policies, our government will need to garner strong public support.
However, rebuilding public trust will not happen in the face of a pervasive perception that government is not transparent and accountable, cronyism is rampant, and public officials are more interested in helping themselves than in serving the public good.
Taking strong, swift, and decisive action to address abuses and begin to rebuild public trust should be the first priority for our city, state and federal government in the new legislative session.
Create a Task Force on Public Integrity with a mission to develop a comprehensive proposal for ethics and lobbying reform in our city and state. Which addresses reforms in three areas: (1) strengthening enforcement of ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws; (2) strengthening civil and criminal penalties for abuses; and (3) improving awareness and education for public officials.
Reinforce honesty, integrity and transparency by government officials as the core requirement to be and stay in office, any violations of these core tenets will cause the removal of the public official and the loss of “all benefits” retroactive. I think we should consider putting public official on a base salary plus commission based on performance.
While the many of our elected officials and government employees are honest, dedicated public servants, the actions of a few create a dark cloud over all.
Taking strong, swift, and decisive action to address these abuses and begin to rebuild public trust should be the first priority for our city, state and federal government in the new legislative session.
“The benchmark of a civilized society is the quality of its justice”
Compiled by: YJ Draiman
PS
We need honest government with integrity.
“Good leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completionâ€
Public confidence in the integrity of the Government is indispensable to faith in democracy; and when we lose faith in the system, we have lost faith in everything we fight and spend for.
As citizens of this democracy, you are the rulers and the ruled, the law-givers and the law-abiding, the beginning and the end.
Change is inevitable. Change for the better is a full-time job.
Action speaks louder than words.
Every age needs men who will redeem the time by living with a vision of the things that are to be.
Freedom is not an ideal; it is not even a protection, if it means nothing more than the freedom to stagnate.
Action speaks louder than words.
An Independent is someone who wants to take the politics out of politics, a person with principles.
“The benchmark of a civilized society is the quality of its justice”