Note To Legislators: Do Your Damn Job

Here is a nice article from the Indianapolis Star: Just vote no, don't obstruct the legislative process

At the Indiana Statehouse, Democratic House members walked off the job on a crucial deadline day, sabotaging about 130 bills that had made it far enough through the process to be eligible for a floor vote. The measures -- including a key piece of Gov. Mitch Daniels' economic development agenda -- were sent to the dustbin.

In Washington, Democrats said they wouldn't discuss Social Security reform unless and until President Bush took privatization off the table. "That's the only way to start a good-faith negotiation," insisted Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Those are just two examples of political interest trumping public interest in the course of a single week. It's incidental that both involved Democrats refusing to debate Republican policy initiatives. If Democrats were in charge of the legislative process, the roles would be reversed. The problem is bipartisan: Obstructionism is taking the place of reasoned policy discussion on issues that are critical to state and national interests. Leaders of both parties hold hostage the ideas of the opposition rather than admit the ideas are valid or take a position (for or against) that might later cost them votes.

Why do so many legislators have such a problem with democracy? It's perfectly simple; have a debate; have a vote; some votes you will win, some you will lose. Period. What's the difficulty? It seems that many Democrats and Republicans only want to play the game if the rules are "Heads I win, tails you lose." You cannot tell me that all 130 bills in the Indiana State House were Republican pocket lining. At least some of them had to be directed towards the public good. But I guess the Indiana Democrats were only representing, well, Indiana Democrats. By their very actions they have forfeited any moral right to speak for "the people."

Among the bills that couldn't be voted on for lack of a quorum: daylight-saving time, moving the ISTEP test to spring, the Colts stadium financing deal and creation of a state inspector general with prosecutorial powers.

Walkouts are nothing new, but this one lacked any principle or higher purpose other than obstructionism. The bills had been through the public hearing process, passed out of committee, in some cases been amended on the floor and deserved what the democratic process promises: an up or down vote.

Good lawmakers vote "no" all the time. They have differing ideas over how to build the economy and improve schools and different opinions as to whether the Colts football team is an asset worth saving. Democrats who don't want daylight-saving time should vote against it. Democrats who think an inspector general is unconstitutional can and should vote no -- and can even go to court if they lose the legislative debate.

I'll bet the Republicans in Indiana are secretly hoping that the Colts will be spirited away in the middle of the night again. "Look what the Democrats have wrought," they could say, and with good reason (for a change.)

I guess I've never warmed up to an outlook in domestic politics that sees it as a war waged against our fellow citizens who don't have the common decency to believe as *we* believe. Since both parties function with that mentality I've often wondered how anyone of conscience would want to get mixed up with them. Maybe there are fewer people of conscience than one might hope.

I did enjoy this quote from an outraged Hoosier:

These are supposed to be educated adults who we trusted to represent our best interests. Well, it's not in my best interest for my legislator to throw a hissy fit because he/she wasn't getting his/her way and walk off the floor causing 132 bills to die.

Sadly they are not "educated adults". They are Democrats and Republicans.