Fleeing Lawmakers Are a Disgrace to Democracy

If I tried to do at my job what Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers did at theirs, I’d be fired.

Yet fourteen Democratic Senators from Wisconsin still have their jobs, even though they aren’t performing them and are being paid.

This has nothing to do with unions and benefits. It has everything to do with democracy, and the favoritism shown to politicians.

This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s simply about holding people accountable for their actions. In this case, the actions of these fourteen individuals are disgraceful. Why? Because they were elected by the people, for the people. They serve at the pleasure of the people. They are part of the engine of Democracy. Just because they don’t like a piece of legislation doesn’t give them the right to flee, and to avoid doing the work of the people (Interestingly, it’s always the Democrats who flee, isn’t it?)

A friend of mine posted on his Facebook page that he’s a union member and that if we don’t like the benefits he enjoys, then we should fight for our own. Fair enough. Heck, I’m a union member! But the converse is also true. If you don’t like a piece of legislation, then fight for your own…by staying at the Capitol.

When Obamacare was making its way through Congress, did the opposition leave Washington? No. When the “stimulus” bill was being voted on, did the opposition run for the hills? No. They stayed and did their jobs, the ones they were sent to the Capital to perform. They participated in the people’s business.

To run from the people’s work disgraces our great democracy. What makes this country great is the orderly functioning of our government. You don’t like the legislation? Fight it. Your side loses this time around? Then get the vote out next time around and reverse it. That’s democracy. Ask the folks in Libya or Egypt about what we have here. My guess is they’d be appalled at these Wisconsin deserters.

This goes beyond the Wisconsin Fourteen, however. Politicians in state and federal lawmaking bodies should be held to a higher standard. Why is Charlie Rangel still in Congress? Mark Foley disgraced his office. At least he resigned. Larry Craig should have done the same. I criticized Republicans who didn’t stick around for Obama’s inauguration. Respect the Office of the President.

There are certain aspects of our democracy that should be sacrosanct. One of them is that if you are sent to represent the people, then do your damn job. A law should be passed in every State Legisture, as well as Washington, that if Congress is in session, you must be there. If you leave the state, you lose your job.

Then again, only Democrats would be affected, and that wouldn’t be “fair”, would it?