Why politicians are held in low esteem
Being old enough to remember effective and respected public servants such as Gaylord Nelson, William Proxmire and Warren and Robert Knowles, it is disenchanting to see how far we have fallen in our public discourse, in the partisan conduct of so many office holders, and in the low esteem in which we hold most of them.
Our present state senator and assemblyman have acted in lockstep with the governor and moneyed interests in pushing through the Legislature so many extreme laws, often in the middle of the night, and often with no input from the general public. This is not the way government is supposed to work or has always worked. It needs to stop.
Our present state senator and assemblyman approved the redistricting that ensures their reelection forever. This is an insult to what democracy we have left. Then they complain about career politicians while giving themselves pay raises.
They and their party like to talk of election fraud, but the biggest fraud of all may be their attempt to justify the need for voter ID by insisting that there is widespread voter fraud when there is virtually no evidence to support that charge. The real reason is partisan electoral advantage, just as in the case of redistricting.
They and their party are constantly whining about over-regulation of business and seem little interested in protecting our ground water or the air we breathe. The DNR has been effectively neutered along with so many other state agencies that have in the past been charged with looking out for the interests of the public.
They and their party tried to kill the open records law to keep us all in the dark. They will try again.
They and their party do not believe in government and, it seems, party members try to make government work as poorly as possible to prove themselves right. They often deny science and think it is OK to substitute opinions for facts. They insist climate change is a hoax and refuse to believe scientific evidence. One wonders what hopes they have for their grandchildren.
They and their party claim to be job creators when sucking up to business interests for campaign donations with tax breaks of all sorts but refuse to see the much better progress Minnesota has made in job creation and in so many other areas.
They claim to be the party of local control, but have transferred local rights and powers to the state, often to the detriment of the quality of our environment and our health.
They and their party have no plans for fair wages for all, a sensible energy policy or rebuilding our infrastructure, but keep pushing the trickle down economic theory of tax breaks for the rich and stagnation for the rest of us.
There are candidates on the ballot this November who know that the common good must be put above special interests, who will fight to keep government honest and open to the people, who know that it is a strong and free public educational system that has made America great, who believe in science, who know that this is the only planet we have and it must be respected, who know that the wise updating of infrastructure and energy systems will both keep us strong and create jobs, who have a vision for the future.
Dmitri Martin has sent a powerful signal of the man he is by returning all campaign contributions from lobbyists in his Assembly race. Brian Smith will also bring the values named above to the state senate. Tom Nelson, whose reputation as a proven leader who keeps the peoples’ interests foremost in mind, is urgently needed in Congress. Russ Feingold has proven to be a true public servant; he is intelligent, open-minded, independent, courageous, listens to all and works across the aisle to get things done.
Bob Anibas
Weyauwega