Power in the Wrong Hands

We recently went through an election that showed that the American people are well aware that some of those in power in D.C., Tallahassee and Viera needed a reminder that we are watching.

Who are these people that WE had put in office that now we don’t trust to reach into our pockets and use it in the manner we would find acceptable. We want to use our money, with few exceptions, ourselves.

Where did these people come from?

We put them there. We elected them. We thought they were competent and had the ability to deal with government in a way that we would be proud of. We thought they would be people we would want as neighbors and be able to call “friend”. These people we call “friends” decide at some point they know what’s best for us so they run for office. If we, as the electorate, do our job and research the qualifications of the candidates we might find out that the perception that they are upstanding and deserving of the position may not fit the reality of the truth behind the rhetoric we hear whenever the potential candidate speaks.

It’s the end of the year and it’s time for all the talking heads to look back at 2010. Local politicians and influential people look back and tell us how the success of the Tea Party Movement was so victorious that they have moved the Nation back towards the right. The Tea Party philosophy brought the House down literally by taking over the House of Representatives. They take the credit for placing in power Republican who espouses the Tea Party values. Many of these newly elected officials never held a position in politics, never had a leadership position within any Party or Club and many can’t find their way around the halls of office.

This sounds like exactly what we want – a return to the Citizen Politician.

Power in the hands of those who have never had power or responsibilities in their lives often develops into despotism when the leaders of groups and clubs conclude that they, and only they, know what’s best for those in their clubs or organizations. There is no longer a give and take, there is only a follow orders mentality. It takes a certain knowledge of how the system works in order to use the system to bring us the best leaders we can find to represent us.

Take Florida as an example. Years ago when the budget was in the millions of dollars a citizen politician could take 60 days out of their year to legislate. Now that the budget is spoken of in the billions of dollars it takes someone with knowledge of the system to make this work within the 60 days if it can be done at all. Over the past few years although the Session ended on time we found need to have Special Sessions called to either readjust the budget or repair glitches to legislation rushed through the regular Session.

Locally

Tea Party? I missed it. I saw campaign rallies billed as Tea Parties. I’ve seen candidates who were soundly rejected by the mainstream republicans. I’ve heard all year long how we need to replace those considered RINOs only to have the incumbents go without any serious challenge in most cases.

Then we have the Brevard Republican Executive Committee that has completely been overrun by extreme right wing factions who, in my opinion are also RINOs (See my definition of RINO)We have clubs like the Brevard Republican Men’s Club that has officers that have very little experience with a president who makes no secret that this is nothing more than a jumping off point for elected office. We have many who say how hard they worked as a club when the truth is individuals from the clubs worked on individual campaigns but no concerted effort by any one club to actually organize and work as a nit to help any candidate.

My Prediction

I fear that the Tea Party Movement will lose momentum. When the Tea Party locally can’t come up with viable candidates and it seems to be controlled by a very few people with ulterior motives unless someone takes up the mantle the Tea Party may fade away in Brevard or continue to just be a soap box for individuals with future expectations.

We did not win 2010. We won the House of Representatives. When I was asked if I thought the compromise on the Bush Tax Plan was a good compromise I said “Yes!” The others that were there at the time completely disagreed and used the same argument “we should have held out until next year when we take over”.

Take over what – The HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. These people don’t understand that whatever is passed in the House, a companion bill needs to be passed in the Senate. Oh, that’s right, we don’t control the Senate. So, off to Conference Committee and try to hammer out a compromise. Then it’s off to the White House for the President’s signature. Oh, that’s right, Obama is still the President. Six months, a year down the road and we wind up with nothing.
This showed me that the people I was speaking with knew little about the workings of government and some of these people will still take the “credit” for our “win” in 2010.

2012 is the pivotal year for our Nation. Without the ability to overturn vetoes, without the ability or the will to overturn bad legislation and stop pork barrel and earmark legislation and lower our debt the Democrats will have a huge finger to point, rightfully, at the Republicans and simply say “hypocrite”.

Our Founding Fathers knew what needed to be done and feared where we might go.

In closing:

Not in my words by the words of probably the most intelligent man of his time.

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
Thomas Jefferson