March 4, 2012
Representing
By Bill Kraus
Representative government is an endangered species.
Many states--most of which are in the western and mountain time zones and are relative newcomers to what is now the United States--have long ago expressed their distrust in the idea of fully empowering the representatives they elect by incorporating the populist idea of initiative and referendum in their constitutions.
Other signs that states have misgivings about the idea are the enactment of term limits for representatives and/or by keeping the pay for them so low that only the super rich or super abstemious could keep body and soul together on their legislative stipends. These measures militate against lifelong and fulltime representation.
Wisconsin has joined the list of doubters by using its loose recall process to threaten its representatives with as little as one-year terms of office if they should happen to vote in ways that ignite a movement large enough to make them run for the office they had already won again, and again, and again.
The vision of representatives threatened or cowed by a mideast kind of street protest expressed by lots of people, with blessedly fewer firearms so far anyway, has been widespread recently.
The Tea Party and Occupy movements come from different places, but have in common a clearly expressed disdain for the people who claim to represent them.
Whatever else they want, and it is not entirely clear what that may be, it is obvious that they want the people they elected to pay attention to them.
If anyone has asked the participants in these leaderless movements who they think their so-called representatives are really representing I am not aware of any cohesive or even coherent response.
It is going to be difficult for representative government to function in a world with all this static and with an electorate whose mood can best be characterized as “throw all the rascals out.”
Governing was never simple. Governing with representatives who are widely viewed as no longer responsive or even legitimate or cannot be trusted with something as basic as funding the public sector through taxes is somewhere between unwieldy and impossible. Proposition 13 in California is the poster child for the “starving the beast” school of fiscal responsibility. TABOR, wherever it shows up, is another. The Wisconsin Legislature is being asked to enact a kind of “We trust you, but not really” constitutional amendment. These come in several flavors. Vanilla says that it takes more than a majority to rule on taxes. Chocolate says that neither a majority or a super majority can rule; that tax increases must be approved by the people in a referendum.
As for me, I’m in favor of representative government. I’m in favor of the people participating by recruiting and electing the best among them to deal fully with all the matters that have devolved to the public sector, including defining what those matters are and paying for them.
If the people they elected don’t do this or do this badly, the people can resort to the classic remedy embodied in the system of representative government. They can elect someone else at the next election.
post a letter about this blog »
Kraus babbles:
"Wisconsin has joined the list of doubters by using its loose recall process to threaten its representatives with as little as one-year terms of office if they should happen to vote in ways that ignite a movement large enough to make them run for the office they had already won again, and again, and again."
Perhaps if Walker and Fitzgeralds had actually run their campaigns saying exactly the type of extremist actions they had in mind, perhaps they would not face recall, perhaps because the election would have turned differently if the truth had been presented.
As long as there is no "truth in campaigning," there is no justice without recall. No, Kraus, I'm all for the "Lemon Law." They sell you a "lemon" you get to take it back. Now THAT is good government.
-Tim | Barron WI | March 4, 2012
We vote people into office to represent us and our needs. Elected representatives have the obligation to listen to all constituents even to those who did not support them. Getting into office is not a done deal. It does not end the duty to remain accountable to all citizens.
Recall is a valid tool we have to oust those who do not represent us and who refuse to be accountable.
-Pietr Haikuu | Hurley, Wis. | March 4, 2012
How about immediate elections called on any "representative" that doesn't abide by his oath of office to represent his constituents?
-DairyQueen | Madison, WI | March 5, 2012
We the people, understand equality, understand what "secure right to life" means, understand what "secure right to liberty" means. This is a time of necessary correction. For the last 40 years the 1% have been after a more prefect crime spree. It is a more perfect Union we are after. It is imperative that law makers address the common concerns instead of the cash cows. If they won't or can't, yes they must get out of the way. The worst representatives are, unfortunately, the least inclined to voluntary resignation.
Courage, wisdom, and integrity are still available paths to job security.
-Tom Larsen | Ojibwa, Wi | March 8, 2012
current
--------
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004