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Published Monday, January 30, 2012 in Opinion
State ethics: Things just never seem to change
Editorial
(Editor's note: Today's guest editorial is from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.)
•••
If politics (as the saying goes) makes strange bedfellows, then perhaps seething political frustration makes for even stranger ones. An alliance of Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the Tea Party Patriots would seem, on the surface at least, strange indeed.
But frustration over the unabashedly cozy symbiosis of public servants and private interests in Georgia has been seething for some time. It was seething two decades ago when citizens learned how often even a short career in elective office resulted in lifetime sinecure on the payroll of some lobby or private business. It's been seething through years of wining and dining and luxury-box sports tickets and jet-setting for lawmakers, at the expense of interests with high-dollar business under the Gold Dome. And it's seething now that times have gotten harder for everybody -- except, it seems, for public officials and their private patrons.
It's always the party in power that enjoys the most special-interest largess, and the "outs" who do their own seething by calling for reform. In fact, the only two lawmakers on the GOP side of the aisle to advocate sterner ethics rules are state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, and state Rep. Tommie Smith, R-Alma.
The issue shouldn't be partisan, but it is -- just as it was 10 years ago when Democrats wielded a heavy political hand and Republicans were the would-be reformers.
House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, says disclosure alone is sufficient: "Let the people be the judge about what is acceptable and what's not acceptable. I trust their judgment."
That sounds almost noble, and almost makes sense. Except that no matter how candid and complete the disclosure of special-interest largess, most citizens can't possibly compete with it. A working Georgian with such humble concerns as a fair tax system and affordable health coverage can't take a limo full of lawmakers to Big Canoe for three days of golf, lobster and liquor. Yet it's that working Georgian whose interests those lawmakers are supposedly sworn to represent.
It's simple math: If only the frustrated minority ever supports reform, it never happens. And nothing ever changes.
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Your logic is flawed. You don't vote "all" incumbents out. You judge each incumbent based on how they vote on the issues/bills that matter to you and to GA. There are many in public office that do good things and are not manipulated by the lobbyist. Don't throw out the good with the bad.
Posted by Bath Water at 1:19 PM
The efforts of Common Cause, League of Women Voters and the Tea Party Patriots, et al. are toward "sterner ethics rules" which presumably would include limits on "special-interest largess".
The question is:
How would the above concerned citizens craft "rules" that don't simply serve to alienate, from the political process, those legislators bent on serving honorably? (assuming such Reps actually exist)
Posted by Joe at 11:23 AM
This is sad and true. Our politicians want our vote but do not want to represent us, the majority citizens of Georgia. Our action should be to vote against all the incumbents. Then they will understand the power WE the people have.
Posted by NM at 10:57 AM
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NM
2/2/2012
Link To This Comment
NM,
According to your plan, you vote out all the incumbents in every branch og government. So that makes those people incumbents in the next election after you put them in. Do you repeat the cycle each election? Vote for the best candidate, incumbent or not. Vote for the best candiadtae, democrat or republican.
Posted by Boomlooma at 4:35 PM