We have all heard that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This year I have felt the elitist attitude of our elected government leaders more than any other. There must be something that happens between the campaign for an elected office and the actual time when a person is sworn into service. During a campaign, many of those who run for office make time for the people who will vote for them. There are planned gatherings in homes, civic clubs, and political party meetings. There are open discussions on the issues, and the candidate is eager to let anyone within hearing distance know their positions on the issues. Soon after being sworn into office, however, something seems to happen, I am not sure what, but they suddenly become real busy, too busy to return phone calls or check emails. They have meetings to attend, schedules are crowded with functions they must attend, and they cannot get back to talk with the people who voted for them and placed them in office. I know that as soon as a person is elected, there is an army of lobbyists who jump in line to speak to the elected folks and let them know that they have a pet project or bill on which they need their support. There are meals, fund raising events, and other government meetings to make an appearance that then leaves little or no time for the people who voted them into office.
For some of the people who find their way into elective office for the first time, they are overwhelmed with all they have to learn. They are bombarded with people pulling them in every direction wanting their attention, and they, after all, are just one person and can’t be everywhere and can’t answer every questioner. Once they are placed on committees there are meetings to attend and there is legislation to read. There are those who are more than happy to explain the position they want for the elected person to have on an issue. I am getting tired just thinking about all those folks have facing them, and it is just a part time job with long hours and very little pay.
I would not want their job for anything. I will never run for office. I do, however, remember that those who are in office asked to be there. They asked for my vote. They talked with me and let me know their position. They were eager to let me in on how they felt about certain issues. They needed, or so they said, my support.
Something unique seems to happen once some are in office. They develop an elitist’s attitude. I have noticed that some who find they are placed on major committees or even get to be chairman their first year in office suddenly know everything about everything. They don’t need my counsel. They belittle any who stands to express an opinion different than the one to which they hold. They want to close out the public (who elected them) from decisions, and even try to find ways to pass laws that will call for more secrecy in government. The willing partners in the media love to promote certain causes and paint any who stand upon moral foundations as old fogey and out of touch with reality. The new buzz word for the attitude of anything-goes on moral issues is “fairness.” Any person who dares to speak up on issues of morality is seen as too old and out of touch to even be considered in the debate. The newly elected elitist attitude then trumps all common sense. After all they have little time to be bothered by a person who disagrees with them; they have a media interview to do with the press who fawn over them as long as they are going along with the “anything-goes” moral code. When that elitist attitude continues they wonder why no one trusts their leadership.
Ray Newman March 5, 2011 All Rights Reserved
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