The Democrats lost the recent election in Wisconsin and are complaining that the Republicans, now in power, are not being fair in dealing with the teacher's union. This brings to mind the situation in Washington a little over a year ago when the Democrats, the majority, refused to let the Republicans make changes in the proposed health care legislation. Both situations can be summarized succinctly, "We won, you lost."
The health care debate is being revisited in Congress because the power has shifted in the House. During the initial framing of the bill, neither of the parties walked out and hid from voting on the bill, even though the outcome was apparent to both sides of the aisle. There was plenty of verbalizing but no mass exodus. The decision to run away from their responsibilities by the 14 Wisconsin state senators is not only poor judgment, it is downright cowardly. Unfortunately, a similar walkout occurred in Indiana as well.
Imagine if one party, at the local, state or federal level, simply walked out whenever it did not get its way. The people's business would grind to a halt. We have a representative form of government in the United States. As Civics class taught us, our system operates as a republic not a direct democracy. This means we entrust those we elect to vote on our behalf while giving consideration to all their constituents. It works this way regardless of the balance of power between the political parties.
Therefore, our views do not translate directly in to votes. This is the job of our representatives. If we don't like the way they represent us, the politicians can be voted out when their term is up. Or, if the citizens are really upset, recall actions can be taken. However, it is important to remember that the next person elected to the office may not always vote the way you wish, either.
About half the electorate is going to be less than pleased with the outcome of any vote. Nonetheless, we rarely organize protest rallies and demonstrate on the streets. There are exceptions. Health care brought out the people across the country. Public opinion was against passing it. Today, public opinion is for repealing or drastically changing it. More than half the states are suing the government while a federal judge has declared the law unconstitutional. And the House has voted to repeal the bill. In spite of this opposition, implementation is moving ahead because the bill had enough votes to win.
The legislators in Wisconsin, Indiana and other battleground states must accept the fact that the results of elections determine who has the most votes. And, until someone changes the rules, the majority of the votes in a legislative body determines which bills become law and which ones do not. A loss does not mean the bill can't be revised and brought back. Or, a shift in power can easily resurrect once dead legislation.
It's time for the run-a-way legislators should go back to work. Those thinking this is a good way to delay things should consider the consequences. In the meantime, we can take the actions needed to get our representative to listen to us. It's the American way.
Don Potter is a Philadelphia native and 50 year veteran of the advertising agency business. Now living in Los Angeles, he has written two novels in retirement and frequently writes and speaks on marketing issues. Potter is the founder and editor-in-chief of NewSeniors.com, the first online magazine dedicated to those 65+.
The health care debate is being revisited in Congress because the power has shifted in the House. During the initial framing of the bill, neither of the parties walked out and hid from voting on the bill, even though the outcome was apparent to both sides of the aisle. There was plenty of verbalizing but no mass exodus. The decision to run away from their responsibilities by the 14 Wisconsin state senators is not only poor judgment, it is downright cowardly. Unfortunately, a similar walkout occurred in Indiana as well.
Imagine if one party, at the local, state or federal level, simply walked out whenever it did not get its way. The people's business would grind to a halt. We have a representative form of government in the United States. As Civics class taught us, our system operates as a republic not a direct democracy. This means we entrust those we elect to vote on our behalf while giving consideration to all their constituents. It works this way regardless of the balance of power between the political parties.
Therefore, our views do not translate directly in to votes. This is the job of our representatives. If we don't like the way they represent us, the politicians can be voted out when their term is up. Or, if the citizens are really upset, recall actions can be taken. However, it is important to remember that the next person elected to the office may not always vote the way you wish, either.
About half the electorate is going to be less than pleased with the outcome of any vote. Nonetheless, we rarely organize protest rallies and demonstrate on the streets. There are exceptions. Health care brought out the people across the country. Public opinion was against passing it. Today, public opinion is for repealing or drastically changing it. More than half the states are suing the government while a federal judge has declared the law unconstitutional. And the House has voted to repeal the bill. In spite of this opposition, implementation is moving ahead because the bill had enough votes to win.
The legislators in Wisconsin, Indiana and other battleground states must accept the fact that the results of elections determine who has the most votes. And, until someone changes the rules, the majority of the votes in a legislative body determines which bills become law and which ones do not. A loss does not mean the bill can't be revised and brought back. Or, a shift in power can easily resurrect once dead legislation.
It's time for the run-a-way legislators should go back to work. Those thinking this is a good way to delay things should consider the consequences. In the meantime, we can take the actions needed to get our representative to listen to us. It's the American way.
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